Embedded Files
Below are links to information on various resources pertaining to game design. Please note the following:
The opinions and views expressed in the sources for the links below may not necessarily reflect those of the KCGD.
The events and companies listed below are not officially endorsed by the KCGD.
These links are simply provided as a convenience only.
Websites of KGD members
Mike Compton's board game blog.
Articles and interviews
Designer Diary: The Heavens of Olympus
Mike Compton details the long and iterative process from his initial game concept to the final published product in this Boardgamegeek Designer Diary.
A Year In The Board Games Industry
Jackson Pope discusses the first year of his board game publishing company "Reiver Games" in this Boardgamegeek geeklist.
Wolfgang Kramer discusses some aspects of what he considers important in a "good" game.
An interview with Bruno Faidutti
This article is a Q&A with the designer of the game Citadels.
Interview with Ananda Gupta and Jason Matthews
This is an interview with the designers of Twilight Struggle.
The designer of Web of Power (later re-released as "China") speaks about the design process.
My Anti-Climactic Adventure of Becoming a Published Designer
The designer of the "Princess Bride" game by Toy Vault discusses his experiences
MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research
This is an article published by Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek out of Northwestern. It speaks to some of the differences between a design perspective vs a player perspective.
Books
Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games - 2nd Edition
By Tracy Fullerton
Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals
By Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman
The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses
By Jesse Schell
By Brian Tinsman
Component, printing, and manufacturing services
A company that offers printing and component services for those looking to self-publish. They also sell self-published games.
A company that offers Print on Demand services.
This is a company in Germany that specializes in board game components such as wooden bits.
This is a link to a place where you can upload an image and then see how it would look to people with various forms of color blindness (very effective in making sure your game design is colorblind friendly).
A website where one can download free game icon images.
Conventions and board game design competitions
This is Salt Lake City's annual board game convention. The convention includes a game design competition called the "Ion Award" that is usually attended by a number of publishers.
Hippodice is a game club in Germany that holds an annual game design competition. The deadline for submissions every year is usually October.
Protospiel is an annual game design convention in Michigan.
Crowdfunding platforms
A website for crowd-funding projects.
A website for crowd-funding projects.
A crowd-funding site specifically for board games.
Forums
This is a public online forum for board game designers.
Board Game Geek's Design Forum
Game design forum on Board Game Geek.
Publishers that may be options for submitting a game design
Eagle Games and Gryphon Games started out as FRED Distribution. Use the contact form and select Game Designers' Submissions as the recipient.
This link is listed here because Jay Tummelson (the owner of Rio Grande Games) is occasionally willing to look at prototypes in person if he is at a convention, you approach him about it, and he happens to have enough time for you to sit down and show him your game design. He does not take game submissions through his website or via email.
This is a link to their contact form. Select the option that states "I got an idea for a game or I want to submit a prototype." when submitting your inquiry.
Videos
This is a video that whimsically discusses the difference between problems and choices. Though it's geared towards video game design, the concepts apply to board game design.
Cooperation and Engagement: What can board games teach us?
In this video, Matt Leacock discusses the overall process of designing his game "Pandemic". There's also lots of good information in this clip for game designing in general as he hits on some really excellent points to consider with respect to "fun" in a game, the prototyping process, issues with replayability, accessibility of a game, etc.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse