Board game designers share advice they would give their less-experienced selves—a Bluesky game design discussion:

https://bsky.app/profile/eanderssonsunden.bsky.social/post/3mjzfhu2ld22h

A wide-ranging discussion about various board game design topics, including development and how to make your game less fragile (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnAC-92uzWI

Soft skills that board game designers need: giving and receiving feedback, correcting a playtest experience that has gone off the rails, dealing with publishers, and more (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bGs8WSxZE0

The ins and outs of playtesting: when and where to playtest, how to run a playtest, how to take feedback, and good questions to ask your testers (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxp-VSwWQ-o

A high-level, step-by-step guide to the earliest stages of designing a board game:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/how-to-make-a-board-game-a-step-by-step-guide/

Matt Leacock on how the industry has changed in the past 20 years, working with publishers, advocating for game designers, and more:

https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2026/02/06/pandemic-creator-matt-leacock-on-fighting-for-designers-rights-working-with-effective-developers-and-his-publisher-pet-peeves/

Why do some games go over well with playtesters but then fall flat with a broader audience? This thread suggests it often comes down to “situated experiences”:

https://bsky.app/profile/nickbentley.bsky.social/post/3mehkkw46zc2a

What methods do you use for physical note-taking? A Bluesky board game designers discussion:

https://bsky.app/profile/peterlmcpherson.bsky.social/post/3me4fwyhm3k2z

A conversation about a tricky aspect of designing a multivictor game: balancing it to accommodate both cooperative and competitive play (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjFR6lWrGWc

A short thread describing a method of playtesting called “split testing” that pits two game designs against each other:

https://bsky.app/profile/nickbentley.bsky.social/post/3mcigqlnhxs2f

Our annual Cardboard Edison Best Practices booklet, filled with board game design tips and resources for every step of the process, is back!

In this edition, you’ll find:

• How to make the most of a playtest group

• What should be in a pitch video—and what shouldn’t

• Mistakes to avoid with your prototype’s art

• Onboarding players more smoothly

• How to prepare for indie game markets

…and lots more!

How to give useful game-design feedback by matching your advice to the designer’s experience level (video):

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

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