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Cardboard Edison

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

Cardboard Edison
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    • Quad Squad
    • Cobras
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    • More Games
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theory
playtesting
prototyping
process
rules
licensing
publishing
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July 15, 2022 July 15, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

How researching a theme early in the design process—with an eye toward design—will help your game feel more thematic:

https://shippboardgames.blogspot.com/2022/07/how-research-informs-theme.html

July 15, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
process, theory

Cardboard Edison

July 15, 2022 July 15, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

This website turns your quick digital sketches into AI-generated images:

http://collage.artbreeder.com/

July 15, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

July 09, 2022 July 09, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Designing an asymmetric game? Here are five challenges you’ll have to consider:

https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/07/09/thoughts-on-asymmetry-part-2-design-challenges/

July 09, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

July 09, 2022 July 09, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Some ways that a game’s design and production decisions can encourage or discourage analysis paralysis in players:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/133909/five-reasons-people-play-slow

July 09, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

July 09, 2022 July 09, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Player turn order advantage: when and why it can show up, how to identify it as a problem, and various possible solutions to consider:

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/133906/turn-order-advantage

July 09, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

July 08, 2022 July 08, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Printable playtester feedback survey sheet:

https://cf.geekdo-images.com/ce_PyxIFlDGfCoSX9TJg5A__original/img/z9OAtGGakUiePTdsP8SVPDSzZsk=/0x0/filters:format(png)/pic6951630.png

July 08, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

July 05, 2022 July 05, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

How much playtesting should a board game designer reasonably be expected to do for a design? (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmoT3OxF_6A

July 05, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

July 04, 2022 July 04, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Two kinds of randomness and when it may be better to use one or the other in a game design:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/the-2-types-of-randomness/

July 04, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

July 04, 2022 July 04, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

How to go about integrating your game’s theme and mechanics? Here are some ways of thinking about a thematic setting and how it could relate to game mechanics:

https://shippboardgames.blogspot.com/2022/07/ways-to-express-setting.html

July 04, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

July 02, 2022 July 02, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Game designer Daryl Andrews on attending conventions, pitching to publishers, taking feedback from playtesters, and more (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZC0Cqk-XHc

July 02, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
industry, licensing, playtesting

Cardboard Edison

July 02, 2022 July 02, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

An attempt at categorizing the different kinds of asymmetry in board games:

https://thethoughtfulgamer.com/2022/07/01/thoughts-on-asymmetry-part-1-classification/

July 02, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

July 02, 2022 July 02, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Sell sheets for board game designs: what they are, when you’ll need one, and what should be on them (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V6yStmncVM

July 02, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

June 27, 2022 June 27, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

When should you pause working on a board game design and put it on the shelf?

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/when-should-i-shelf-my-game/

June 27, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

June 25, 2022 June 25, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Ways in which a game’s thematic setting can be expressed more deeply through its mechanics:

https://shippboardgames.blogspot.com/2022/06/on-setting.html

June 25, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 25, 2022 June 25, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Building onto a board game brand: What works when creating an expansion or sequel?

https://boardgamegeek.com/blogpost/133388/variations-theme-what-works-and-what-doesnt

June 25, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

June 25, 2022 June 25, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Fulfilling a board game project yourself vs. hiring a fulfillment company to do it for you:

https://bagamesco.com/fulfillment-real-life-engine-building-game/

June 25, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

June 21, 2022 June 21, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Three types of games that tend to not do well on crowdfunding sites:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/3-reasons-why-your-game-may-not-be-a-good-fit-for-kickstarter/

June 21, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

June 21, 2022 June 21, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Making the case for a strong focus on the player’s experience when designing, marketing, and discussing board games:

https://imaginarysword9074488.wordpress.com/2022/06/21/from-mechanisms-to-experience-why-we-need-a-shift-in-the-discourse/

June 21, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 21, 2022 June 21, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Steps for balancing a board game:

https://www.getrevue.co/profile/gengelstein/issues/gametek-17-mathematical-balancing-1201986

June 21, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 18, 2022 June 18, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Stock-holding games: what they are, common features of them, and examples of the genre (audio):

https://anchor.fm/cardboardmechanics/episodes/Episode-8---Take-Stock-e1k2lic

June 18, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, podcasts

Cardboard Edison

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