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Cardboard Edison

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

Cardboard Edison
  • About Us/
  • Our Games/
    • Houdini's Last Act
    • Quad Squad
    • Cobras
    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
    • Prototypes
  • Free Resources/
    • Blog
    • Industry Reports
    • Tariffs Report
    • Playtest Groups
    • Virtual Tabletops
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May 30, 2026 May 30, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

What is a eurogame? (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h8ZDJPVrkI

May 30, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

May 23, 2026 May 23, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Considering the many ways in which uncertainty shows up throughout the entire experience of playing a board game:

https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/05/19/clearly-uncertain-the-role-of-uncertainty-in-board-games-topic-discussion/

May 23, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

May 21, 2026 May 21, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

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

May 21, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, prototyping, playtesting, industry

Cardboard Edison

May 16, 2026 May 16, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Mark Rosewater, head designer for Magic: The Gathering, shares lessons about creativity, audience connection, and why great design starts with how you want players to feel:

audio: https://justingarydesign.substack.com/p/mark-rosewater-designing-for-emotion

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRoiFsMsBpY

May 16, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

May 16, 2026 May 16, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Call it thematic integration or resonance or ludonarrative assonance: here’s a deep discussion about making your game's mechanics match the theme, and vice-versa (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urOxG_nZ2F0

May 16, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

May 02, 2026 May 02, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Thoughts on balance: Bluesky board game designers discuss their biggest lessons about balance in game design:

https://bsky.app/profile/eanderssonsunden.bsky.social/post/3mkdhneoxxc2d

May 02, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

April 24, 2026 April 24, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

What makes a good board game for children? (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m-d7U-i8g8

April 24, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

April 22, 2026 April 22, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

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

April 22, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory, process, playtesting

Cardboard Edison

April 18, 2026 April 18, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Board game designers share their most unusual game ideas:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3693501/your-most-unusual-game-design-ideas

April 18, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

April 11, 2026 April 11, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

How to surprise your players (and why you want to do this):

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/surprise-your-players/

April 11, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

April 03, 2026 April 03, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

10 ways to use dice in your board game (other than roll and move):

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/10-ways-to-use-dice-in-your-board-game/

April 03, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

April 03, 2026 April 03, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Exploring the concept of degenerate strategies and degenerate game states in tabletop games:

https://www.skeletoncodemachine.com/p/degenerate-game

April 03, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

April 03, 2026 April 03, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

A multifaceted conversation about various aspects of making board games: the business side of indie publishing, different approaches to the design process, designing solo games, and more (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezso5wCYTKM

April 03, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
process, publishing, theory, industry

Cardboard Edison

April 03, 2026 April 03, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

This short video runs through three things your board game probably needs—a core loop, complications, and surprises:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sBq8sUZO0Ro

April 03, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 12, 2026 March 12, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

What does it mean to “play” a “game”? Designer Leslie Scott considers various attempts to define these complex and overlapping ideas:

https://boundlessplay.substack.com/p/playing-games

March 12, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 12, 2026 March 12, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Player elimination can take a few forms. Here’s a look at “soft” player elimination: what it is, what it’s like for players, and how some games address it:

https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/03/10/killing-me-softly-a-look-at-player-elimination-topic-discussion/

March 12, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 06, 2026 March 06, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

How randomness adds value to games (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN3Cpfyp-Vs

March 06, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

March 06, 2026 March 06, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Making board games about the worst parts of human history—how should game designers tackle difficult historical subjects?

https://www.wargamer.com/board-games/history-upsetting

March 06, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

February 21, 2026 February 21, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

How to end the game? Comparing games with a fixed number of rounds and games with variable endgame triggers, and how they affect the play experience:

https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/02/17/finding-the-finish-line-fixed-rounds-vs-end-game-triggers-topic-discussion/

February 21, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

February 20, 2026 February 20, 2026/ Cardboard Edison

Why balance is overrated—and what board game designers should focus on instead (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fpbTsZI3EI

February 20, 2026/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

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