The Board Game Design Course

If you’re finding yourself with more free time than usual, this is a great opportunity to catch up on a lot of things you otherwise can’t find the time for. That might include reading a book, going through that online course you purchase a while ago, or doing some things around the house.

But if you’re a game designer, you can also use this time to discover podcasts, read blogs, and check out some books that will make you a better game designer.

I’m going to share with you some great game design resources that I absolutely love. Some might be new to you, some may be ones you follow regularly, and others you may have known about but only now have the chance to catch up on missing episodes and articles.

The Board Game Design Lab podcast

This is my absolute favorite podcast. Not just my favorite on game design, but also the one podcast I listen to the most regularly. With over 175 episodes already available and a new one being added each week, this site is a treasure trove of great game design advice.

Gabe Barrett hosts these weekly interviews with other knowledgeable game designers. He’s had everyone from Jamey Stegmaier to Matt Leacock to Elizabeth Hargrave on the show to talk about various topics in game design. It’s super informative and I always learn at least one new thing from this podcast every week.

Check out all the podcast episodes here.

Be sure to sign up for Gabe’s newsletter as well, so that you’ll be notified when new episodes are posted and learn about game design contests and other great game design resources.

Board Game Design Advice and Kickstarter Advice books

Gabe also has a couple of great books, filled with interviews from some of the top minds in the board game industry.

The first one is Board Game Design Advice from the Best in the World. It’s exactly what you’d expect. It’s an easy read you can pick up and continue from at any point and has lots of great information.

The second one is Kickstarter Advice from the Best in the World. I’ve backed this book on Kickstarter (ironically enough ?) and can’t wait to read it. I’m sure it will be helpful in planning for the upcoming campaign for my solo game, Relics of Rajavihara.

Jamey Stegmaier’s Kickstarter lessons and book

If you’re thinking about running a Kickstarter campaign, Jamey’s Kickstarter Lessons blog is a MUST! It’s filled with a wealth of information on how to prepare for, run, and fulfill your Kickstarter campaign, all written by a guy with a ton of experience and success on this platform.

Jamey’s book, A Crowdfunder’s Strategy Guide, one that I own and have read multiple times, is also available on his site.

I highly recommend both resources.

James Mathe’s Blog

James Mathe was an icon in the board game industry.  His gruff but direct and helpful approach aided hundreds of other game designers and would-be-publishers.

It was a sad day when he passed away last year just weeks before Origins Game Fair.

Fortunately, his legacy lives on at JamesMathe.com with tons of articles and game design resources on everything from courting a publisher, to running a Kickstarter, to using BGG, to getting your games into distribution.

Some other helpful articles

I’ve also got a TON of great free game design resources on my site, including the EXACT letter I sent to a publisher that got my first game signed, what I learned from a failing Kickstarter campaign, and 10 ways to come up with a brilliant game idea.

That’s just the start. Unlike watching cat videos until 2 am, it’s a rabbit hole that you’ll be glad you fell into. ?

I hope you find these resources helpful. I know I’ve used them a lot and return to them often.

Next week I’m going to be getting back to the basics. If you’ve got a board game idea, but don’t know what to do with it, I know you’ll find this super helpful.

So, which one of these resources is your favorite? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Speaking of game design resources, did you know you can download my 10 Minute Board Game Design Blueprint for free? It’s the fastest way to get your game started and stay focused on your end goal.

Just click HERE to download the blueprint for free.