Tips for pitching your game to publishers, gathered from a series of public pitches at this year’s Unpub:

https://www.skeletoncodemachine.com/p/how-to-pitch-your-game

A short thread about how players’ game-purchasing decisions are often made, and why you’re actually designing for a group, not an individual:

https://bsky.app/profile/nickbentley.bsky.social/post/3lla6jphwdk2o

A short thread about asking playtesters “How would you describe this game to a friend?” and the useful information it can get you:

https://bsky.app/profile/drayerink.bsky.social/post/3llb7a6fios2c

How best to run a playtest? Here’s a thread making the case for why you should facilitate your playtests like a well-run meeting:

https://bsky.app/profile/drayerink.bsky.social/post/3llbzosz5m22c

There’s a risk that comes with overdeveloping your game. This thread explains it, and how your decisions can end up giving you a game that many players generally like or a game that a few players absolutely adore:

https://bsky.app/profile/gil.hova.net/post/3ll3buxdom227

When it comes to picking a publisher you’d like to make your game, here are some things to consider and some things that might not matter as much as you’d think (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3szSEg5PsjM

3 templates for board game sell sheets:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UA-HbkqwUrZsG_Eq1pCOZ6c4MgYgS8QC6-O1qPgIaLI/edit?slide=id.p#slide=id.p

The board game creation tool Tabletop Creator is running a monthly contest for designers who use and post about it online:

https://tabletop-creator.com/board-game-contest/

Monthly winners get a free prototype, and the overall winner at year’s end gets a “full production.” We asked for some additional details about that last part, and here’s what they said:

- What does "full production" of the winning game mean?
It means we’ll professionally produce the winning game (annual) not just a prototype, but a small print run made with real board game manufacturing standards. It won’t be a mass-market release, but it will be a high-quality version similar to what publishers use for promotion or early distribution.

- Will you print a certain number of copies? How is shipping (and its cost) handled?
Yes, we’ll produce a professional print run. The exact number of copies hasn’t been finalized yet it will depend on logistics and the specific needs of the final game.
Shipping is fully covered by us, and the winner will receive the final product directly, regardless of where they are in the world.

- Can the designer do whatever they want with the final product, or does Tabletop Creator retain any rights?
The designer keeps full ownership and intellectual property rights to their game. Tabletop Creator does not retain any rights over the game itself.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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/

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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