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Main

A Board Game Design Course
by Daniel Piechnick (Email )
Updated for 2027

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