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Cardboard Edison

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

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process
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August 23, 2025 August 23, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

This board game designer glossary has brief explanations for tons of everyday industry terms that all designers should know:

https://streamlinedgaming.com/board-game-designers-glossary/

August 23, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

August 23, 2025 August 23, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

The pros and cons of scaling games to meet multiple player counts, and the kinds of experiences available at specific counts (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-s2jaN57is

August 23, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

August 20, 2025 August 20, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

The benefits of sharing your board game ideas with others as early as possible:

https://pamwallsgamedesign.substack.com/p/the-benefits-of-sharing-your-board

August 20, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

August 19, 2025 August 19, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

A roundtable discussion about board game development and how developers work with designers (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJF-qdk-sJ8

August 19, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

August 18, 2025 August 18, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Many co-op games give players urgent tasks to address while they tackle the important job that wins them the game. Here’s why:

https://rossongames.com/urgent-important

August 18, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

August 18, 2025 August 18, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

After you sign a publishing contract, what happens next? This video breaks down the designer’s possible role in development, selecting art and a title, reviews, royalties, and more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfL3taTlDgs

August 18, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

August 18, 2025 August 18, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Some cognitive biases that show up in simple games of chance, like Rock Paper Scissors, flipping a coin, and choosing a random number:

https://gametek.substack.com/p/emergency-gametek-post

August 18, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

August 16, 2025 August 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Best and worst practices for creating prototypes, commonly believed myths about prototyping, and tools to help designers level up their prototypes (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9zDMOxlUZc

August 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

August 16, 2025 August 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Social media for board games: tips for making the most of short-form social content for both hobby and mass-market games (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npo4tbhCE4o

August 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

August 16, 2025 August 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

What are some pillars of modern game design? A Bluesky board game designers discussion:

https://bsky.app/profile/eanderssonsunden.bsky.social/post/3lwhxfruy6c2l

August 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

August 12, 2025 August 12, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

5 free fonts that are versatile, readable, and good for board game prototypes:

https://www.skeletoncodemachine.com/p/five-free-fonts

August 12, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

August 12, 2025 August 12, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Pointers for improving your games’ sell sheets, with before-and-after comparisons using real examples (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcORwUMHs6Y

August 12, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

August 09, 2025 August 09, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Designing board games with manufacturing in mind: how your design decisions can affect production and fulfillment (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-Hz2H5o7eY

August 09, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing, industry

Cardboard Edison

August 06, 2025 August 06, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

More board game publishers are moving toward eco-friendly and sustainable production. Here are some steps they’re taking:

https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2025/08/05/shelf-to-soil-how-board-games-are-getting-greener-topic-discussion/

August 06, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
industry, publishing

Cardboard Edison

August 05, 2025 August 05, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

The “wow” factor in board games: various ways games can make players stop and say “wow” (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88VLxhoDbc4

August 05, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

August 02, 2025 August 02, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

There are lots of reasons people start—and continue—designing board games. Here are a few of them:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/5-reasons-we-design-games/

August 02, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

August 01, 2025 August 01, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Worldbuilding in games: tips for creating a thematic setting that’s convincing and immersive (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pABqLL03Ipk

August 01, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

July 29, 2025 July 29, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

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/

July 29, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, process

Cardboard Edison

July 26, 2025 July 26, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

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/

July 26, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting, industry, licensing, publishing

Cardboard Edison

July 26, 2025 July 26, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

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

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

July 26, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

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