Cardboard Edison’s Favorite Tips & Resources - January 2019

This month, our list of favorite board game design links and quotes includes lots of advice for playtesting, pitching, and entering contests, in-depth discussions about various kinds of games, industry trend data, and more.

featured:

• Cardboard Edison’s new podcast, Immersed, takes listeners deep inside the world of a different game each episode

contests:

• 5 benefits from participating in board game design contests

theory:

• Designing games with non-traditional themes (audio): Part 1, Part 2

• Two discussions about designing party games: Ludology, CoOp Cast (audio)

• A discussion about good design for tabletop escape-room games (audio)

playtesting:

• Lots of pointers for how to iterate your design through playtesting

process:

• Tips for becoming a better designer and pitcher to publishers and contest judges

rules:

• “Consistency in language is one of those small things that makes games so much easier to play. Refer to the same actions, components, and game sections by the same terms every time in rules, card text, reference materials, etc." - John Brieger

licensing:

• A publisher shares red flags they look for when a designer is pitching

publishing:

• Reasons why a retailer might pass on carrying a game

industry:

• Data and charts on Kickstarter games in 2018

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Cardboard Edison is supported by our patrons on Patreon.

ADVISERS: Rob Greanias, Peter C. Hayward, Robin Kay, Andrew Young

SENIOR INVENTORS: Steven Cole (Escape Velocity Games), Calvin Johns, Chris and Kathy Keane (The Drs. Keane), Joshua J. Mills, Marcel Perro, Behrooz "Bez" Shahriari, Shoot Again Games, Nick Thacker

JUNIOR INVENTORS: Ryan Abrams, Luis Lara, Neil Roberts, Jay Treat

ASSOCIATES: Dark Forest Project, Stephen B. Davies, Thiago Jabuonski, Doug Levandowski, Nathan Miller, Matt Wolfe