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Cardboard Edison

Game design & bright ideas for game designers

Bright Ideas

Tips & Resources for Board Game Designers

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    • Retail Rejects
    • More Games
    • Prototypes
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theory
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prototyping
process
rules
licensing
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June 16, 2025 June 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Pros and cons of various gaming conventions for board game designers looking to pitch games to publishers, network with other designers, or find playtesters (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P61AXGoobi0

June 16, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
industry, playtesting, licensing

Cardboard Edison

June 14, 2025 June 14, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

10 famous quotes and how board game designers can apply them to their efforts:

https://streamlinedgaming.com/10-famous-quotes-that-will-instantly-improve-your-game-design/

June 14, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

June 14, 2025 June 14, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

A simple way of making prototype dice that look nice:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1l8x5hw/my_favorite_way_to_prototype_dice/

June 14, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
prototyping

Cardboard Edison

June 12, 2025 June 12, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

10 tips to improve the games you’re currently designing, taken from years of experience both designing and playtesting other designers' prototypes (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px1sdjwL-z4

June 12, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 11, 2025 June 11, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Why most board game designs that are submitted to publishers don't stand out, and how to make yours get attention amid a crowded field of submissions (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvfXL61mV8g

June 11, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

June 10, 2025 June 10, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

5 ways publishers can treat board game designers better (video):

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

June 10, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing, industry

Cardboard Edison

June 09, 2025 June 09, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

How to pitch your board game design: a basic step-by-step process for getting your game in front of the right publisher (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NuS3nmo0R4

June 09, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing

Cardboard Edison

June 05, 2025 June 05, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

What can board games do that other kinds of entertainment can’t? A Reddit board game design forum discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/BoardgameDesign/comments/1l31kuf/what_can_a_boardgames_do_that_other_media_cannot/

June 05, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 04, 2025 June 04, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

How to plan ahead and deliver your crowdfunded board game to backers on time—or even early:

https://thecityofkings.com/news/fulfilling-kickstarters-on-time/

June 04, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

June 03, 2025 June 03, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Rejection and board game design: how to take feedback while remaining professional (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NsZPhBo0Nw

June 03, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
licensing, industry

Cardboard Edison

June 03, 2025 June 03, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

A play pattern that is common to many gateway games:

https://gametek.substack.com/p/grand-unified-gateway-theory

June 03, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
theory

Cardboard Edison

June 03, 2025 June 03, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Tips for playtesting and pitching, from the SAZ game designers convention:

https://arjanvanhouwelingen.com/2025/06/02/saz-gotting-game-designer-convention/

June 03, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting, licensing

Cardboard Edison

June 03, 2025 June 03, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

First things first when getting into tabletop game design: how the industry is organized, mass market vs. hobby games, how pitching tends to work, and more:

https://www.marygeorgescu.com/blog/2025/6/2/getting-into-tabletop-game-design

June 03, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
industry

Cardboard Edison

June 02, 2025 June 02, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Myths many board game designers believe about the importance of ideas, how to playtest, attracting a publisher, and more (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOgM4zjKQW8

June 02, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
playtesting, industry, licensing

Cardboard Edison

June 02, 2025 June 02, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Publishing considerations for the game box and packaging: artwork, the back of the box, box size, alternatives to boxes, and more (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXdeM-vg__4

June 02, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

May 31, 2025 May 31, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

Kickstarter’s head of games on serving backers, common crowdfunding mistakes, pledge levels, and more:

https://stonemaiergames.com/interview-with-kickstarters-new-head-of-games/

May 31, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing

Cardboard Edison

May 30, 2025 May 30, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

How three different types of contracts in board games work: licensing an intellectual property for tabletop, signing a designer’s game, and overseas publishing partnerships:

https://strebecklaw.com/board-game-licensing/

May 30, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
publishing, licensing

Cardboard Edison

May 30, 2025 May 30, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

A few different ways of using deadlines to keep your board game design efforts moving (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U-OzV3DVYc

May 30, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

May 26, 2025 May 26, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

10 steps for designing your first tabletop game (video):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoRVn6DrBJ4

May 26, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

May 23, 2025 May 23, 2025/ Cardboard Edison

What’s behind a successful co-design partnership? Here are stories from people who design games together:

https://peopleofplay.com/blog/gray-matters-games-joe-barron-game-changers-who-go-it-together

May 23, 2025/ Cardboard Edison/
process

Cardboard Edison

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