The documents, PDFs, and videos I would actually bookmark for board games

A useful board-game starter pack should include one engine for formalizing turn logic, one prototype platform, one rules-teaching channel, and one set of component-layout references. That combination helps a designer move from notebook enthusiasm to a game that can survive contact with other humans. boardgame.io is useful because it forces you to think clearly about turns, state, and legal moves, while Tabletop Simulator is valuable because it shortens the distance between a rules tweak and another test session. Together they help designers move between idea, simulation, and table behavior.

Read:
- boardgame.io: boardgame.io/
A smart reference when readers want to formalize turn structure and game state clearly.
- Tabletop Simulator custom deck guide: kb.tabletopsimulator.com/custom-content/custo...
Practical documentation for moving prototype cards and components into a usable test table.
- Tabletop Simulator video tutorials: kb.tabletopsimulator.com/getting-started/vide...
A good bridge for readers who learn prototype workflows better through motion than prose.

Documents and downloadable guides:
- boardgame.io documentation: boardgame.io/documentation/
Worth saving once a designer wants to model phases, moves, and turn order explicitly.
- Tabletop Simulator custom deck reference: kb.tabletopsimulator.com/custom-content/custo...
A practical build note for anyone turning printable components into a shared playtest table.
- MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research: users.cs.northwestern.edu/~hunicke/MDA.pdf
A classic PDF that still helps designers separate mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics clearly.
- BoardGameGeek design forums: boardgamegeek.com/forum/26/bgg/board-game-design
One of the longest-running public archives of practical design questions, diaries, and playtest discussion.

Watch:
- Watch It Played video archive: youtube.com/@WatchItPlayed/videos
A durable library for seeing how rules explanations land when clarity actually matters.
- Board Game Design Lab: youtube.com/@BoardGameDesignLab/videos
Interviews and practical episodes that stay close to prototyping, pitching, and playtesting.

Build or inspect:
- boardgame.io source: github.com/boardgameio/boardgame.io
A readable open-source engine for state management, phases, turns, and multiplayer logic.

Turn scaffold:

export const turnOrder = {
  first: () => 0,
  next: ({ currentPlayer, numPlayers }: { currentPlayer: number; numPlayers: number }) => {
    return (currentPlayer + 1) % numPlayers
  },
}

export const moves = {
  draftCard: (G: { hands: string[][] }, ctx: { currentPlayer: string }, cardId: string) => {
    G.hands[Number(ctx.currentPlayer)].push(cardId)
  },
}