Tips for first-timers bringing their board game prototype to a convention for playtesting—a Reddit board game design forum discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1v88dad/seeking_advice_for_going_to_first_convention_with/

You shouldn’t listen to every playtester suggestion, but how can you know which player ideas are worth considering? Here’s a process to help (video):

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

10 tips for making a better print-and-play version of your board game prototype for playtesters and publishers (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_Z3rGnXBQc

What one board game designer wishes they knew when they started making games 12 years ago:

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/what-i-wish-i-knew-about-board-game-design-12-years-ago/

How many times should you playtest a game before pitching it?

https://pamwallsgamedesign.substack.com/p/how-many-times-should-you-playtest

Advice for playtesting your board game at a convention—a Reddit board game designers forum discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1u7kmdm/having_people_play_test_your_games_at_cons_whats/

An in-depth discussion about all the ins and outs of designing, prototyping, and testing party games (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBxqe2BOi-g

A short thread about what to do when players keep forgetting a rule:

https://bsky.app/profile/nickbentley.bsky.social/post/3ml4gke3wis2z

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