https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A67soFw76a4 Tired of endless messages to plan game night? Dovecote is a free, fast, mobile-friendly scheduling tool for tabletop groups. Create a poll, share one link, and find the best date fast. Get started at dovecote.shufflewick.com

https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/playtesting-questions-to-ask/ Joe shares key questions for playtesting and what else to watch for. Read his blog for insights.

Calling all designers, homebrew GMs, and anyone with a game they've been tinkering with, Gamehole Con is one of the best places to actually test your game. Why? Because everyone in that room chose to be there to play games. Submit your game: https://www.gameholecon.com/event

Protospiel Michigan is this weekend! Bring prototypes and games to trade on Saturday the 11th. We’ll have a prototyping table for quick game iterations. https://tabletop.events/conventions/protospiel-michigan-2026

Happy 4th of July, from us at The Game Crafter.

New dice added for resource management, combat, and nature games! Don't miss out, check our newsletter! https://www.thegamecrafter.com/newsletter/new-dice-at-the-game-crafter

With Protospiel Wisconsin right around the corner, we will be accepting will-call orders until July 15th for pickup at the event. As usual you'll also find our classic table of blanks and parts available to you.

With many Founding Members already onboard, we created an Early Adopter level for those that missed out, it also has a locked-in rate and unlimited sessions. Join before it ends on July 15th, 2026! Get started at https://playtestparlor.com/pricing

We are closed in celebration of Juneteenth. This means it may be an extra day before you hear back from Customer Service, and there will be an extra long weekend break for production. Happy Juneteenth from The Game Crafter.

Thank you to Garrett of NW Game Builders Guild for representing us at Adventure con as part of our Designer Table Sponsorship. It looks like a blast!

This Designer Spotlight features Aaron Gresham, read all the things he has to say here: https://www.tumblr.com/tgcnews/819694109244768256/designer-spotlight-aaron-gresham

Everything you need to playtest your board game digitally. https://playtestparlor.com/pricing/ For a limited time, become a founder and lock in a lower rate forever.

Brandon leads a quick tour of the CS3 site for Component Studio newcomers. This is the first in a walk-through series aimed at novices of the Component Studio tool, covering basic functionality and workflow of the tool using a real-world card game example. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKpD6u-fSWM

This video shows you how to get started with Playtest Parlor. You'll create a game, add a dice, roll the dice, change the dice faces, and then save your table so you can use it again later. https://playtestparlor.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeSbURlYa3A

https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/beast-barber By Scott R Smith. If you were a finalist, or are curious how the judge came to their decision, you can read their finalist feedback here: https://www.thegamecrafter.com/contests/pool-builder-challenge#FinalsRubric

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twnbnbu7fcM Struggling with slow load times, missing exports, or lag in Component Studio 3? In this video, Andrew V. walks through practical, real-world ways to improve performance—especially when working with large image libraries and complex designs.

Build a Deck of Cards | Playtest Parlor Tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNmRe3JcYxU This video shows you how to work with decks in Playtest Parlor. It will show you how to: spawn a deck, shuffle, deal, draw, search, and even mark up the cards! https://playtestparlor.com

These invader mats are a great way to create randomized hex maps with small hexes. Mats are made out of our standard 12 point 320gsm black-core matte cardstock and are printed double-sided. https://www.thegamecrafter.com/make/products/InvaderMat

Protospiel Twin Cities is underway and there are plenty of blanks and game bits for you to pull from! What games are you bringing to play?!

The Game Crafter will be at Protospiel Twin Cities this weekend with our classic table of game parts and blanks for you to update your prototpes, or make new games on the fly. Stop by and say hi to Alisha, she will be around playing game!

Why people don’t want to play your game (and what to do about it) - Another great article by Joe Slack! https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/why-people-dont-want-to-play-your-game-and-what-to-do-about-it/

Thanks to The Baron's Game Room for taking us with them to Geekway as a Design Tabletop Sponsorship.

Should you pitch to a large or small publisher? That’s a great question to consider when you’re looking to get your game signed. Find out what Joe Slack thinks about it in his article here. https://boardgamedesigncourse.com/large-or-small-publisher/