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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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February 04, 2023 February 04, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

How do you know when a game idea has the potential to turn into a finished game? A Twitter board game designers discussion:

https://twitter.com/trollsnrerolls/status/1621488927868592130

February 04, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

February 02, 2023 February 02, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

What makes a great engine-building game? A Reddit board game design forum discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/10raor5/what_makes_a_great_engine_builder/

February 02, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

February 02, 2023 February 02, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

Beginner mistakes that new game designers often make—a Twitter game design discussion:

https://twitter.com/gamesbymondo/status/1620222969229488128

February 02, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

January 31, 2023 January 31, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

10 tips for “not” getting a publisher to sign your game (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMcZ5za9B2A

January 31, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

January 28, 2023 January 28, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

Games where the theme and mechanics are particularly well-connected—a Twitter board game community discussion:

https://twitter.com/brigetteidesign/status/1617354408052002816

January 28, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

January 28, 2023 January 28, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

Tips for co-designing a board game with another designer—a Twitter board game designers discussion:

https://twitter.com/PhilSchwarzmann/status/1618104401754984449

January 28, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

January 28, 2023 January 28, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

Tips for setting up a playtest night where designers may come with games of different lengths—a Twitter board game designers discussion:

https://twitter.com/PhilSchwarzmann/status/1619083003027951616

January 28, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

January 28, 2023 January 28, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

English auctions: why more board games don’t use them, what they feel like during play, issues that can come with them, and more (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgXWfaQn6BE

January 28, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

January 28, 2023 January 28, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

Quick tips for using various social-media outlets to market your board game:

https://www.blondeunicornmarketing.com/post/how-to-utilize-social-media-video-tips

January 28, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

January 28, 2023 January 28, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

One way of coming up with new game mechanics: starting with the mechanic’s name:

https://www.thedarkimp.com/blog/2023/01/25/game-design-inspiration-mechanic-creation/

January 28, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

January 24, 2023 January 24, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

Designing a board game with rounds? Here are a bunch of tools you can use to create interesting decisions and experiences for players (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFtbeE1oWhM

January 24, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

January 24, 2023 January 24, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

One way of getting players invested in your game's theme: aligning their character's motivation with gameplay actions:

https://shippboardgames.blogspot.com/2023/01/player-investment-through-thematic.html

January 24, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

January 21, 2023 January 21, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

Cardboard Edison’s annual Best Practices book filled with original articles and interviews about board game design that you won’t find anywhere else is out now:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oHHAAgAcRS9gH4YUMQ5kL310lv0NrOwQ/view

See also: https://cardboardedison.com/award

January 21, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
featured, contests, process, prototyping, playtesting, publishing, theory

Cardboard Edison

January 21, 2023 January 21, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

Where to find playtesters to try out your board game design:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/where-art-thou-playtesters/

January 21, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

January 21, 2023 January 21, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

Good habits for board game designers: tips for setting yourself up with the right systems and environment to work on your games (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYe1mBTZCVc

January 21, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

January 21, 2023 January 21, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

Fulfillment of your crowdfunded board game: almost everything you need to know:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3011413/order-fulfillment-almost-everything-you-ever-wante

January 21, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

January 19, 2023 January 19, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

Intrinsic motivations in tabletop games: things that players might find personally rewarding or compelling outside of what the game tells them is important (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW0I8IUf_Dw

January 19, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

January 18, 2023 January 18, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

What to expect from entering the Cardboard Edison Award or another board game design contest (audio):

https://buildingthegamepodcast.com/episode-554-the-opposite-of-the-steel-tesla-prize/

January 18, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
contests, podcasts

Cardboard Edison

January 18, 2023 January 18, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

A broad overview of how to make a board game, from idea to prototyping and playtesting, to getting it published (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9OCSwxEd9E

January 18, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
process, prototyping, playtesting, licensing, industry

Cardboard Edison

January 16, 2023 January 16, 2023/ Cardboard Edison

Fan-made games: common intellectual-property questions that come up when you want to make a game using someone else’s IP (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsArZE1ANB8

January 16, 2023/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

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