You don’t need a published game to call yourself a designer. If you want to be one, just start designing and you already are one.
WannabeBoardGameDesigner.com is a learning journal. An ongoing project to collect resources and share stories and information about the board game design for anyone interested in board games.
I share what I’m learning as I go, from first prototypes to playtests gone wrong, so you can skip a few mistakes and join the fun.
Join me at @tracon_fi today and test new version of Hack-a-Pad.
#boardgamedesign #boardgameprototype #playtesting #tracon
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19.5 hours of board game design concentrated in about 20 mins. youtu.be/p0zMb3jETtE #designdiary #boardgamedesign #wildwestgame #24hourchallenge #designprocess
ring the first 1,5 hours in a 24-hour design challenge I have this much ready. 1 page rules draft, about…
Follow me while I try to make a full playable game in just 24 hours. (www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZgKrVRWElz4) This time the BGG…
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Contest Calendar published
There are a lot of different board game design contests and events just waiting for participants to create new games.
Some contests are great ways to learn board game design, while others are a way to get your existing design to publishers. In most cases, you get feedback on your design that you can use to further improve your game.
Many of the contests have different phases and several deadlines. As I had some trouble remembering deadlines (expecially submission dates) I created a calendar that has all currently running contests (that are still running on Nov 2025) and entries for their various deadlines and phases.
This calendar is an attempt to gather information about different contests from various sources. In addition to the actual contests, there are different phases of these contests listed as separate events so that it is easier to stay aware of different deadlines. All events on this calendar include a link to the official contest site where you can find more information.
In addition to the main contest dates, this calendar also shows the different phases and deadlines of the contests. You can use the filter to show only general contest dates.
Check out the Design Contest Calendar.
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Final Tweaks Before the Contest Deadline
Design Diary – October 13, 2025
Transcribed by AI, dictated by the designer while driving.
As the contest deadline approaches, I’ve been making the final tweaks to Hack-a-Pad. The game is almost ready, and I’m feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. I’ve been refining the rules and making sure everything is as polished as possible. I also recorded a 12-minute playthrough video to give people a better idea of how the game works. It’s not perfect, but it’s a start.
Digital Versions
In addition to the Tabletop Simulator mod I made earlier, the game is now also available in screentop.gg. I hope that helps me to get more testers as screentop.gg is a free-to-play system website.
Deadline approaches
Overall, I’m feeling good about where the game is at. It’s been a lot of work, but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. Now, it’s just a matter of making sure everything is ready for the contest deadline on October 15th. I’m hopeful that the game will be well-received, and I’m excited to see how it does in the contest.
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