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Board Game Design Articles by
Daniel Piechnick. Updated for 2026.

  1. Start Here
  2. Turn Structure
  3. The Depth:Complexity Ratio
  4. I Thought I Was Good
  5. The Core
  6. Chances of Getting Published
  7. Balance
  8. Make Lots of Games
  9. The Publication Process
  10. Designing Mechanics-First
  11. Enjoyment or Success
  12. Interlinking
  13. Work
  14. Choosing a Theme
  15. Tension
  16. Designing Your First Board Game
  17. Player Interaction
  18. Information Overload
  19. Game Weight
  20. It Has to Be That Way
  21. Ramps
  22. Kickstarter vs. Publisher
  23. Big Moves
  24. Feelbad Situations
  25. Awesome Things
  26. Who Goes First?
  27. Icons
  28. The Rite of Passage
  29. Goals
  30. Starting a New Design
  31. Winning & Losing
  32. Game Length
  33. The Simplest Way
  34. Minimising the Turn Structure
  35. Politics
  36. Your Game is Not Done
  37. Replayability
  38. Prototyping
  39. Long-Term Strategy
  40. Catch-Up Mechanics
  41. Getting the Most Out of Your Theme
  42. Naming Your Game
  43. Pace
  44. Gatekeepers and Control
  45. Growth
  46. Getting Playtesters
  47. General Benefit
  48. Reducing Complexity
  49. Polishing
  50. The Game Arc
  51. Feedback
  52. Calculation vs. Intuition
  53. Spatial Systems
  54. Your "Magic" Knockoff Sucks
  55. Changing Your Game
  56. Randomness
  57. Software and Records
  58. Resources
  59. The Story of Radlands
  60. Choices
  61. Tangible Things
  62. What Do Publishers Want?
  63. Adding & Removing Rules
  64. Copyright
  65. Playtesting
  66. Graphic Design
  67. Card Design
  68. Your Combat Game Sucks
  69. Context
  70. Proposing Your Game
  71. Engines
  72. Killing Games
  73. What is Your Game Not About?
  74. Players Must Enjoy Their First Game
  75. Miscellaneous Advice
  76. Designing Within Constraints
  77. Deck Design
  78. Spare Us Your Trash
  79. Making Sure the Game Ends
  80. Player Count
  81. Scaling
  82. Terminology
  83. Component Limitations
  84. Doing Work Beyond the Game
  85. Resurrecting Old Projects
  86. Types of Fun
  87. No One Can Help You
  88. Your Baby is Ugly
  89. Reflections on a Career
  90. Turning a Theme Into a Game
  91. Working With a Publisher
  92. Writing a Rulebook
  93. Aesthetic Patterns in Design
  94. Motivation and Quitting Game Design
  95. The Story of daniel.games
  96. The End