Theme or mechanics? Here’s why you should be thinking about both throughout the game design process:

https://www.forbeck.com/2025/07/27/metaphor-vs-mechanics-dont-fight-the-fusion/

3 ways to tell your game isn’t ready to pitch or publish:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/the-top-3-ways-to-tell-your-game-is-not-ready-to-pitch-or-publish/

What makes a board game exciting? A Bluesky board game designers discussion:

https://bsky.app/profile/elizhargrave.bsky.social/post/3lusc3gc4522x

Things new board game designers should know about the process—making prototypes, playtest meetups, expectations for a first design, and more:

https://firsttakesomedice.blogspot.com/2025/07/getting-in-zone.html

Pointers for making the most of a playtest group:

https://gameathon.id/2025/06/30/playtesting-group/

What makes a board game fun? Here are 7 things that either lead to or enhance players’ engagement in a game:

https://streamlinedgaming.com/what-makes-a-board-game-fun/

Board game hooks: three kinds of hooks and the pros and cons of each (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23HEI4dxeCE

3 things you can do to build an audience for your game:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/the-top-3-things-you-can-do-to-build-an-audience/

A short thread that reconsiders whether removing all feel-bad moments from your design is always the right choice:

https://bsky.app/profile/coo.games/post/3ltv4cmr3r223

“Hobson’s choice” in tabletop games: Is it always bad if a player finds themselves in a take-it-or-leave it situation?

https://www.skeletoncodemachine.com/p/hobsons-choice

There are several ways of getting your game out there—here’s a quick breakdown of the pros and cons of each:

https://streamlinedgaming.com/how-to-sell-your-board-game/

Player interaction: a deep conversation about different ways players can interact, and how designers can use those types of interactions in their game designs (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouJNxXm03wY

This spreadsheet combines themes, mechanics, and components to help designers generate ideas for games:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fQXz-e2MGnq3m61nsetAlabsBPLvjrTgyPRFGewvVFQ/edit?gid=0#gid=0

3 things you can do right now to become a better game designer:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/3-things-you-can-do-right-now-to-become-a-better-game-designer/

Why incentives matter: some high-profile examples of misaligned incentives driving unexpected or undesired behavior in players:

https://gametek.substack.com/p/team-rocket

Thoughts on when board games are more or less accommodating of different players’ varying playstyles (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgLcgEp9QiU

Tension in board game design: why it’s important, how to build it into your game, and how various mechanics, structures, and narrative elements can create tension (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6trvo4KF_g

How important is it to design against kingmaking? A Reddit board game designers forum discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1ls8w5y/how_important_is_it_to_design_against_kingmaking/

Quick video descriptions of some uncommon game mechanics (and variations on more common ones):

• pyramid drafting: https://bsky.app/profile/fightinabox.bsky.social/post/3lryymytsss2m

• I cut, you choose: https://bsky.app/profile/fightinabox.bsky.social/post/3lsfcmzsvc22z

• rondels: https://bsky.app/profile/fightinabox.bsky.social/post/3lsn55mlxqs2s

• deck-building endgames: https://bsky.app/profile/fightinabox.bsky.social/post/3lsphotvstk2a

Fear in games: What games can inspire some form of fear in players? A BoardGameGeek design forum discussion:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3536450/fear-in-games