Cardboard Edison
  • Cardboard Edison
  • Houdini's Last Act Quad Squad Cobras Retail Rejects More Games Prototypes
  • Blog Industry Reports Playtest Groups Virtual Tabletops Contests Interviews Game Design Checklist
  • Publisher Directory
  • Tariffs Report
  • Newsletter
  • Podcast
  • Award
Cardboard Edison
  • Cardboard Edison/
  • Our Games/
    • Houdini's Last Act
    • Quad Squad
    • Cobras
    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
    • Prototypes
  • Free Resources/
    • Blog
    • Industry Reports
    • Playtest Groups
    • Virtual Tabletops
    • Contests
    • Interviews
    • Game Design Checklist
  • Publisher Directory/
  • Tariffs Report/
  • Newsletter/
  • Podcast/
  • Award/
board+game+bits.jpg
Cardboard Edison

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

Cardboard Edison
  • Cardboard Edison/
  • Our Games/
    • Houdini's Last Act
    • Quad Squad
    • Cobras
    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
    • Prototypes
  • Free Resources/
    • Blog
    • Industry Reports
    • Playtest Groups
    • Virtual Tabletops
    • Contests
    • Interviews
    • Game Design Checklist
  • Publisher Directory/
  • Tariffs Report/
  • Newsletter/
  • Podcast/
  • Award/
featured
theory
playtesting
prototyping
process
rules
licensing
publishing
industry
Bright Ideas RSS

Receive exclusive board game design tips and resources in your inbox by subscribing to our weekly Omnibus newsletter


March 22, 2025 March 22, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Tips for giving feedback as a game designer that respects your fellow designers:

https://bsky.app/profile/drawnonward.bsky.social/post/3lkw4jnnvac2z

March 22, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

March 22, 2025 March 22, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

An in-depth discussion about “mean” games: Can games be mean, or just let players be mean? And is there a difference from a design perspective? (video)

https://youtu.be/X8OOnZ_wU2Y

March 22, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 22, 2025 March 22, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Pitching to publishers virtually: how to find publishers, reach out to them, set up your online pitch, and follow up with them (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ew5-P3l5Tk

March 22, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

March 20, 2025 March 20, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

This super-brief video is chock full of tips for good playtesting etiquette (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3qnmkCkCDI

March 20, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

March 20, 2025 March 20, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Thoughts on what makes a game “mean”—and the times when that’s either a good thing or a bad thing:

https://lestmyopinions.com/2025/03/19/thats-just-mean/

March 20, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 17, 2025 March 17, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

There are many different ways you can get stuck on a design. Here are tips to help break through designer’s block at different stages of the process (video):

https://youtu.be/4NjpLP5ZvZs

March 17, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

March 16, 2025 March 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Beyond sell sheets: pointers for what publishers are looking for in other types of pitch materials like pitch decks, pitch videos, and sizzle reels (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfUP2tAGOk0

March 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

March 16, 2025 March 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Tips for building an audience for your game online ahead of a crowdfunding campaign, without coming across as pushy:

https://crazylikeabox.activehosted.com/index.php?action=social&chash=44cd7a8f7f9f85129b9953950665064d.4647&s=b869a6fb25ecf802e88367ad24733094

March 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

March 16, 2025 March 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Lessons learned from having a publisher unexpectedly cancel plans to print your game:

https://us21.campaign-archive.com/?u=1809423a36fa0a75338b77ddd&id=93f4a68fd9

March 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

March 15, 2025 March 15, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Various mistaken beliefs that new game designers fall into (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh4__gVAAjE

March 15, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process, industry

Cardboard Edison

March 14, 2025 March 14, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

A short thread about player aids and why it’s helpful to think about them even early on in your board game design process:

https://bsky.app/profile/drayerink.bsky.social/post/3lk6vqg3sek2g

March 14, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

March 14, 2025 March 14, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

A short thread with some principles for coming up with a compelling name for your board game:

https://bsky.app/profile/nickbentley.bsky.social/post/3lkdzwt7eg226

March 14, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

March 10, 2025 March 10, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Want to design a family game? Here are some mistakes to avoid:

https://www.thedarkimp.com/blog/2025/03/10/mistakes-to-avoid-when-designing-family-games/

March 10, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 08, 2025 March 08, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

A short thread on when failure can be fun for players:

https://bsky.app/profile/carlrobinsoncrusoe.bsky.social/post/3ljd5ipohz22v

March 08, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 08, 2025 March 08, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Tips for starting up a playtest group that will help you and other designers support each other and keep making progress on your games:

https://youtu.be/OX_AX_q_6IE

March 08, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting

Cardboard Edison

March 08, 2025 March 08, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Six good habits for board game designers, to help you through the process of broadening your horizons, putting your game through its paces, participating in the industry, and contributing to the community:

https://www.meeplemountain.com/top-six/top-six-awesome-habits-for-board-game-designers/

March 08, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process, playtesting, licensing, industry

Cardboard Edison

March 06, 2025 March 06, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

When a player says “don’t make me think,” here are three things they might mean (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gy46e7b7Xw

March 06, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 03, 2025 March 03, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Lots of advanced pointers for pitching your board game to publishers like a professional (video):

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

March 03, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

March 02, 2025 March 02, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Pointers for being a better collaborator throughout your board game design’s journey (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T23O36vZtMs

March 02, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

March 01, 2025 March 01, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

How to sell your board games on The Game Crafter (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwh8_BFGcVQ

March 01, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

  • Previous
  • Next