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Cardboard Edison

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

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    • Quad Squad
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    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
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  • Free Resources/
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December 07, 2022 December 07, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

The ABCs of board game design (M-R): quick explanations for common terms used by board game designers (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afmRjW6fINg

December 07, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, industry

Cardboard Edison

December 06, 2022 December 06, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Satire, parody, and commentary in board games: what’s required for a game to be successful at any of them:

https://shippboardgames.blogspot.com/2022/12/on-satire.html

December 06, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

December 03, 2022 December 03, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

This broad overview of how to get your board game to market covers all the industry basics new designers need to know:

https://spielwarenmesse.de/en/mag/toy-lab/board-games-inventing

December 03, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing, industry

Cardboard Edison

December 03, 2022 December 03, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Jamey Stegmaier of Stonemaier Games answers lots of questions about board game publishing: production, distribution, building a crowd, digital games, and more (video):

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

December 03, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

December 03, 2022 December 03, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Here are some design considerations for anyone making large-group games—ones for more than 5 or even thousands of players (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scpv2SIXapM

December 03, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

December 03, 2022 December 03, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Board game design lessons from Marvel Snap:

https://www.getrevue.co/profile/gengelstein/issues/gametek-19-design-lessons-of-marvel-snap-1228832

December 03, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

December 02, 2022 December 02, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Places new board game designers can network and build up a name for themselves, in person and online:

https://www.underdoggames.com/a/blog/board-game-design-networking-tips

December 02, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

December 02, 2022 December 02, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Why it’s important for the pitch for your board game to be as enticing as possible, and how to start making it so:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/why-your-pitch-needs-to-be-amazing/

December 02, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

December 02, 2022 December 02, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Notes on how thematic elements can build on one another to add texture and tension to gameplay:

https://shippboardgames.blogspot.com/2022/11/compounding-thematic-elements.html

December 02, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

November 26, 2022 November 26, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Thoughts on the different kinds of engagement that games can offer to players: choices and strategy, skill and execution, and self-expression (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rih5SInTgOc

November 26, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

November 26, 2022 November 26, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

When your crowdfunding campaign doesn't fund or you have to cancel, it can be devastating. Here are things to keep in mind and what to do next (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ8E3NItQOU

November 26, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

November 26, 2022 November 26, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Component Studio 2: an overview of how to use it to create cards for your board game prototype (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07rJb16zB_Y

November 26, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

November 26, 2022 November 26, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Some of the major ways board games can have less downtime for players:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/how-to-reduce-downtime-in-your-game/

November 26, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

November 21, 2022 November 21, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Thematic abstraction: how to make a thematic experience by selecting which aspects of a setting to portray in your game:

https://shippboardgames.blogspot.com/2022/11/selective-thematic-abstraction.html

November 21, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

November 19, 2022 November 19, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Designing wargames in a time of war—a Board Game Design Forum discussion:

https://www.bgdf.com/forum/game-creation/design-theory/designing-war-games-times-war

November 19, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

November 19, 2022 November 19, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

False promises you’ll receive during your crowdfunding campaign—and why you should probably just ignore them:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/false-promises-youll-receive-during-your-crowdfunding-campaign/

November 19, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

November 19, 2022 November 19, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

How to spice up a bland resource-management system:

https://subsurfacegames.ca/2022/11/14/spicing-up-your-resource-management/

November 19, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

November 18, 2022 November 18, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

Auction games: what they are, how they work, different variations, and some well-known examples of the genre (video, starting at 21:30):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vs4pLwYo54

November 18, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

November 17, 2022 November 17, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

For all of the tasks that come with running a board game publishing company, which ones should you outsource and which should you handle yourself?

https://stonemaiergames.com/do-it-yourself-or-outsource-the-master-list/

November 17, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

November 17, 2022 November 17, 2022/ Cardboard Edison

The ABCs of board game design (G-L): quick explanations for common terms used by board game designers (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83KNC-qq394

November 17, 2022/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, industry

Cardboard Edison

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