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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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    • Houdini's Last Act
    • Quad Squad
    • Cobras
    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
    • Prototypes
  • Free Resources/
    • Blog
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    • Virtual Tabletops
    • Contests
    • Interviews
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March 02, 2024 March 02, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

10 common mistakes to avoid when writing a rulebook for your board game (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dKkpl0EPi0

March 02, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
rules

Cardboard Edison

March 01, 2024 March 01, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Pointers for participating in board game design contests: what’s out there, what to expect, how to approach them, and more (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9paIRdToiaM

see also: https://cardboardedison.com/contests

March 01, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
contests

Cardboard Edison

March 01, 2024 March 01, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

An overview of the board game manufacturing process (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV_mN9SBHs4

March 01, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

February 29, 2024 February 29, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

The essentials of crowdfunding a board game project, from two experts in the field (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiC4n-6AJzg

February 29, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

February 29, 2024 February 29, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

This online tool lets you easily lay out cards for printing in different configurations:

http://www.pnpbuddy.com/layout/

February 29, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

February 28, 2024 February 28, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Advice for how to prepare to pitch your board game design to publishers (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmRUvAi1WCQ

February 28, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

February 24, 2024 February 24, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Insights into the judging process for the Cardboard Edison Award and making a pitch video that conveys what’s cool about your game:

https://bsky.app/profile/xopherchan.bsky.social/post/3klu3w7pibz24

February 24, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
contests

Cardboard Edison

February 24, 2024 February 24, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Various ways of making board games more usable and accessible, both in terms of game design and production—and reasons to break those heuristics:

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/usability-heuristics-board-games/

February 24, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing, theory

Cardboard Edison

February 24, 2024 February 24, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Tips for receiving playtest feedback with grace—even when it’s hard to (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yJi8IXpgRc

February 24, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

February 24, 2024 February 24, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Pitch or publish? These “job descriptions” show the skills required and basic duties comparing independent game designers and self-publishers:

https://www.thedarkimp.com/blog/2024/02/21/pitch-or-publish/

February 24, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing, publishing

Cardboard Edison

February 20, 2024 February 20, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Three principles of card graphic design: visibility, hierarchy, brevity:

https://danielsolisblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/three-principles-of-card-design.html

February 20, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping, publishing

Cardboard Edison

February 19, 2024 February 19, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Pointers for your submission video to the Cardboard Edison Award: What needs to be in it—and what doesn’t:

https://davethegame.tumblr.com/post/742779793458757632/some-tips-about-the-cardboard-edison-awards

February 19, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
contests

Cardboard Edison

February 18, 2024 February 18, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Cardboard Edison Award judge Pam Walls offers insights into the judging process and tips for what to do before submitting your game (video):

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

February 18, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
contests

Cardboard Edison

February 17, 2024 February 17, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Lots of things publishers can do to make players’ lives easier: player aids, rulebook organization, FAQs, and more (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4lc7jOFySA

February 17, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
rules, publishing

Cardboard Edison

February 17, 2024 February 17, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Giving and receiving playtest feedback with kindness (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNqf5NtTxyA

February 17, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

February 17, 2024 February 17, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Some ways board games have used a “follow” mechanic where everyone follows the current player’s action:

https://medium.com/@zipo13/fabulous-says-1d76b21285dc

February 17, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

February 17, 2024 February 17, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Prototyping methods that allow for rapid iteration—a BoardGameGeek designers forum discussion:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3245733/whats-best-way-iterate-prototypes

February 17, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

February 17, 2024 February 17, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Starting and maintaining a playtesting community (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqIct19BIOI

February 17, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

February 10, 2024 February 10, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Best practices for taking notes during a playtest (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_mEqtv129k

February 10, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

February 08, 2024 February 08, 2024/ Cardboard Edison

Tips for iterating on your board game idea to improve it over time (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bomd3kPGj0U

February 08, 2024/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting, process

Cardboard Edison

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