Should you playtest in-person or virtually? Why not both? Here are some upsides to each approach:

https://discocandybar.com/2025/12/05/playtesting-your-tcg-game-paper-or-pixels/

Why the first play of a board game is the most important one—and what designers can focus on to make it count (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rboNxr1KCc

How to start, run, and grow a playtest group—finding people and the right location, handling disputes, scheduling games, and balancing in-person vs. digital testing (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqnmPAd11dA

Leveling up as a board game designer: signs that your skills and practices are becoming more like an experienced designer rather than a beginner (video):

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

What’s your best playtesting advice? A Bluesky board game designers discussion:

https://bsky.app/profile/gregisonthego.bsky.social/post/3m4j56fvbvs2q

The Daniel.games game design advice website has been updated with new and revised articles:

https://daniel.games/

An introduction to online playtesting (video):

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

Some concrete tips for keeping your playtesters happy, through your pitch, your teach, the prototype, and the design itself:

https://www.skeletoncodemachine.com/p/happy-playtesters

A reminder for designers to learn how to process all different types of feedback about your game, even if it’s critical (video):

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

Digital playtesting: an introductory rundown of tools, tips, and best practices for migrating your prototypes and playtests to the digital sphere (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwIsjCvEFI0

Tips for designing a megagame for a very large group of players:

https://www.megagameassembly.com/blog/some-megagame-design-lessons-i-learned-the-hard-way

Tips for playtesting your board game design at a convention—a Reddit tabletop game design forum discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/tabletopgamedesign/comments/1n182cl/first_time_playtesting_at_a_con_and_i_need_your/

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/

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/

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

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

An overview of several online tools that can help with different parts of the board game design process, from prototyping to playtesting to staying organized and more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ_m6Sdg4JU

Bite-size videos on various steps involved in making a board game, from getting started to playtesting to publishing:

• a simple game design exercise: https://bsky.app/profile/marygeorgescu.com/post/3lsbni2jyv52w

• playtesting tips: https://bsky.app/profile/marygeorgescu.com/post/3lsgshsvyqw2p

• types of playtesting: https://bsky.app/profile/marygeorgescu.com/post/3ls74vyc7f52l

• what mass-market publishers want: https://bsky.app/profile/marygeorgescu.com/post/3ls4mjlr2qb2x

• good box copy: https://bsky.app/profile/marygeorgescu.com/post/3lslpep45ek2v

Teaching your game: some principles that make explanations stick and the specific challenges facing designers during playtests:

https://www.whatifgames.co.uk/the-art-of-the-teach-a-conversation-with-will-the-board-game-wizard/

Playtest feedback: why it's important to create an environment where playtesters are comfortable speaking their mind and how even “bad” feedback can be useful (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1hMhzJeKVY