“It’s okay to create without publishing as the goal. Game making can be similar to getting into crochet, illustration, or other crafts. It’s beautiful to make things for the sake of it, and realize games are no different from anything else.”
What would you do if a publisher that’s interested in your game wants to change your favorite part? A Bluesky board game designers discussion:
https://bsky.app/profile/perpetualploy.bsky.social/post/3kjwnp5ja2k2r
Why are you designing games? Things to consider when thinking about your motivations in board game design:
https://www.thedarkimp.com/blog/2024/01/24/whats-your-motivation/
How to build a sustainable community around your games and brand (audio):
https://unboxedboardgamepodcast.podbean.com/e/so-you-wanna-start-a-cult/
Our annual Best Practices booklet, filled with board game design tips and resources, is back for 2024! Lots of articles and interviews covering all steps of the board game design process!
https://cardboardedison.com/award
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eM_Y1BBUi3ts7jaei99zojTya1N-qVzV/view
A discussion about the “toy factor” in games—what counts as a toy, what a strong toy factor adds to a game, how it changes views of the game, and more (audio):
https://cardboardphilosophypod.podbean.com/e/episode-023-toy-factor-in-games/
A good question when a playtester isn’t sure what’s supposed to happen next: “What would you like to have happen?”
https://subsurfacegames.ca/2024/01/17/reviewing-go-to-questions-to-ask-playtesters/
Eco-friendly game components and production materials that also provide a great user experience for players:
https://stonemaiergames.com/eco-friendly-components-and-a-great-user-experience-are-both-possible/
A few ways that games can be more intuitive for players by telegraphing their components’ functions:
https://twitter.com/Nick__Bentley/status/1743698920398578010
Thoughts on how board games can build the teach into the game itself:
https://www.thedarkimp.com/blog/2024/01/10/designing-the-teach-into-the-game/
Counterfeit board games and what can be done about them:
https://stonemaiergames.com/game-counterfeits-and-what-we-can-do-about-them/
Dealing with rejection by publishers: why they might not want your game, and tips for managing it when it happens:
https://www.thedarkimp.com/blog/2023/12/27/dealing-with-rejection/
Five different ways of doing set collection, and some themes that might fit well with them:
https://danielsolisblog.blogspot.com/2023/12/five-themes-for-set-collection-in-board.html
Publisher-media partnerships: different ways board game publishers can engage with various kinds of media, from journalists to reviewers to influencers and more (audio):
https://unboxedmarketingpodcast.podbean.com/e/episode-10-invest-in-lasting-partnerships-with-media/
Adam Porter shares an epic list of 100 lessons about board game design and finding commercial success as a designer, learned over a decade in the industry (video):
Lessons 100-91: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D8omU-Ejj4
Lessons 90-81: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEbA8BYJ2Xs
Lessons 80-71: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYs3wApBYVE
Lessons 70-61: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INsfDpTQzlg
Lessons 60-51: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozai-xir6G0
Lessons 50-41: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0EvkRnjzZI
Lessons 40-31: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LYVscmpj-A
Lessons 30-21: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JITsKXWf7pI
Lessons 20-11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvol9tXnyFk
Lessons 10-1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIGP-CE0Dow
Luck in games: how players perceive it, the stigma around it, how it can help a design, and more (audio):
https://cardboardphilosophypod.podbean.com/e/episode-the-perception-of-luck/
