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

The Explorateur links to various sites exploring graphic design, typography, logos, and other visual elements, including:

• logos from the space race era

• vintage tech logos

• fonts used in videogames

• packaging design

• selections from the Vatican’s archives

• modern illustrations

• cover inspirations

• font and color combinations

https://www.explorersdesign.com/explorateur-ennies-1/

This new service lets people create and order custom PDF or printed versions of words-on-cards games:

https://www.makemycards.art/

This system aims to standardize colorblind-friendly iconography:

https://colorsym.com/

news coverage: https://boardgamewire.com/index.php/2026/07/06/designer-pair-launch-colorsym-giving-publishers-a-free-tool-for-colourblind-friendly-board-game-creation/

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/

Tips for using Affinity Studio to design components and make rulebook updates for your board game prototypes:

https://rossongames.com/affinity

A reminder about how the best time to start designing your board game is right now:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1ub5kuz/the_best_time_to_start_designing_your_board_game/

Tips for prototyping your board game more quickly (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zNw8T-EqLU

Here’s a database of free game art that people have posted to Itch.io:

https://jeremiahb.raindrop.page/database-of-free-art-69909172

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 graphic designer working in board games discusses how good graphic design helps bring games to life (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piFT5NhhGjA

What are some of the most unusual components you have used in a prototype? A Reddit board game designers forum discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1shab0a/unusual_prototype_components/

BagBuilder is a free, browser-based game design tool for simulating random bag draws:

https://danhowardgames.github.io/BagBuilder/

This set of game icons is free to use for tabletop game projects:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lvQsO-MHLRyPBFnfYChSoASJ_y4IZTsu

6 ways to improve the legibility of text in your prototypes:

https://rossongames.com/text

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/

Board game icons: some simple ways of making them clear and easy to understand, whether they refer to a static resource or a game action:

https://rossongames.com/icons

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!

Approaching your game’s prototype from a storytelling perspective, as a pitching tool, as a creative endeavor, and more (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaygkfL2WhA

Here’s a small, free set of game icons for use in tabletop games:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1op44ua/i_made_a_free_set_of_game_icons_for_tabletop_games/

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rq33CJSQkiFXCjALAke6CKnd4mNfkocG