High Tower Surprise Board Game Design and Web Resources

Welcome to Our Resources Page

Welcome to the High Tower Surprise Resources Page, your go-to hub for all things related to board game design, development, and play. Whether you’re just starting your journey into game creation or you’re an experienced designer looking for new tools and ideas, this page is designed to provide you with the best resources, tools, and inspiration to help you succeed.

On this page, you’ll find a curated list of must-have tools and services we personally use and recommend, from hosting platforms to themes and plugins that power our site. We’ve also included links to other relevant, high-quality resources that will enrich your game design experience. Some of these links are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you—this helps support High Tower Surprise and keeps our content free and valuable.

Now, let’s dive in and explore the tools and services that help make High Tower Surprise what it is today!

Affiliate Disclosure

We are committed to providing you with the best recommendations. Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you make a purchase through these links. This doesn’t affect the price you pay, and it helps support the site so we can continue to offer valuable content. We only recommend products and services that we personally use and trust.

Hosting Solutions We Trust

When it comes to running a website efficiently, choosing the right hosting provider is crucial. We rely on Nexcess and WP Engine to keep High Tower Surprise running smoothly and securely. Both platforms offer fast load times, excellent customer service, and reliable uptime, making them the perfect fit for hosting your website.

Nexcess Hosting

If you’re looking for top-tier hosting with excellent support, Nexcess is a fantastic option. They specialize in managed WordPress hosting, offering optimized performance, automatic updates, and a focus on security.

WP Engine Hosting

For designers and developers who need a scalable, high-performance solution, WP Engine is ideal. With managed WordPress hosting, enhanced security features, and development tools built-in, WP Engine supports both small businesses and enterprise-level projects.

Need reliable hosting for your own board game design website? Check out Nexcess and WP Engine today!

Must-Have Themes We Rely On

When building a high-performing website, the plugins you use can make all the difference in terms of functionality, user experience, and SEO. Here at High Tower Surprise, we rely on a carefully selected set of WordPress plugins to ensure our site runs smoothly, loads quickly, and offers the best possible experience for our readers. Below are the must-have plugins we use, each one essential to optimizing performance, managing content, and securing our site.

Kadence WP Pro Theme: Elevating Your WordPress Site with Ultimate Flexibility

Kadence WP Pro is the theme that turns ordinary WordPress websites into visually stunning, highly functional platforms with ease. Known for its speed, flexibility, and deeply customizable features, Kadence WP Pro is the go-to choice for developers and beginners alike. With this powerful theme, you can quickly design a site that stands out and performs well, regardless of your niche.

Kadence WP Pro offers a wide range of pre-built templates, blocks, and dynamic design options that make your site’s user experience as smooth as possible. Whether you’re building an eCommerce store, blog, portfolio, or an educational platform, the Kadence WP Pro theme provides all the tools necessary to deliver a responsive, SEO-optimized website with minimal effort.

Key Benefits of Using Kadence WP Pro:

Lightning-fast performance for improved SEO and user experience.
Built-in templates that save you hours of design time.
Ultimate flexibility with header, footer, and color customizations.
Integrations with popular plugins, such as WooCommerce and LearnDash, to extend your site’s functionality.
Lightweight and clean code, ensuring your site remains fast and clutter-free.

If you’re looking for a theme that combines power, simplicity, and performance, Kadence WP Pro should be at the top of your list.

Divi Theme: The Ultimate WordPress Builder for Stunning, Custom Websites

The Divi Theme is more than just a theme—it’s a visual drag-and-drop builder that revolutionizes how you design your WordPress site. Whether you’re a designer, developer, or an absolute beginner, Divi’s intuitive interface makes creating beautiful, functional websites easier than ever. Divi is beloved by millions for its ease of use and high customization potential, making it one of the most versatile WordPress themes available.

What makes Divi stand out? Its robust Divi Builder allows you to design and modify every aspect of your website with real-time previews, eliminating the need for custom code. If you’re running an online store, a blog, or an agency website, Divi empowers you to craft fully responsive, eye-catching pages that load fast and look great across all devices.

Why Choose Divi?

Real-time visual editor that makes building websites fun and intuitive.
100+ pre-made website templates to jumpstart your design process.
Drag-and-drop page builder with no coding required.
Responsive editing tools to ensure your site looks perfect on all devices.
Built-in A/B testing for better optimization and conversions.

Divi also comes with lifetime access options and regular updates, ensuring your site stays up-to-date with the latest design trends and WordPress developments. With Divi, your website will not only be visually stunning but also optimized for performance, engagement, and SEO.

Must-Have Plugins We Rely On

Kadence WP Pro Plugins: Supercharging Your WordPress Site with Essential Tools

Kadence WP Pro Plugins are designed to extend the functionality of your WordPress website, making it easier to build, customize, and manage. These plugins integrate seamlessly with the Kadence WP Pro theme, providing additional features that enhance user experience, performance, and design capabilities. Here’s a breakdown of each plugin, along with the benefits it offers to your site.

Kadence Blocks Pro: Advanced Gutenberg Blocks for Ultimate Design Flexibility

Kadence Blocks Pro supercharges the Gutenberg editor, giving you access to a wide range of design tools and customization options. With this plugin, you can easily create stunning layouts without needing to touch any code, ensuring your site looks professional and unique.

Key Benefits:

Advanced design blocks such as testimonials, accordions, and galleries to build a more dynamic site.
Customizable row layouts to organize your content in a visually appealing way.
Powerful grid layout options for total control over your page structure.
Responsive design controls to ensure your site looks perfect on all devices.

Kadence WooCommerce Extras: Enhancing Your eCommerce Store

If you’re running an online store with WooCommerce, Kadence WooCommerce Extras is the perfect companion. This plugin enhances your store’s functionality, providing additional features that make it easier to increase conversions, customize your product pages, and improve the overall shopping experience.

Key Benefits:

Advanced product layouts to showcase your products in the best possible way.
Product gallery customization to highlight images, videos, and other media.
Variation swatches for easy product selection and a seamless shopping experience.
Cart and checkout customizations to reduce cart abandonment and improve conversions.

Kadence Cloud: Streamlining Content and Design Asset Sharing

Kadence Cloud allows you to create your own private cloud of design assets, making it easier to share templates, sections, and design elements across multiple WordPress sites. This plugin is ideal for designers and developers who manage multiple sites and need an efficient way to reuse and deploy design assets.

Key Benefits:

Easily share design assets between sites or with clients for streamlined workflows.
Create a centralized library of templates, sections, and blocks that you can access from any WordPress install.
Save time by reusing layouts and design elements across projects.

Kadence Slider Pro: Creating Eye-Catching, Responsive Sliders

Kadence Slider Pro helps you build stunning, high-performance sliders that grab user attention and keep them engaged. Whether it’s showcasing products, promotions, or important information, this plugin offers flexibility and customization options to create beautiful sliders that enhance user experience.

Key Benefits:

Drag-and-drop slider builder to create custom, responsive sliders with ease.
Multiple animation and transition effects to make your sliders stand out.
SEO-friendly sliders that load quickly and perform well across devices.
Interactive elements such as buttons and calls-to-action within sliders to improve engagement.

Kadence Conversion: Boosting Lead Generation and Conversions

Kadence Conversion is an essential plugin for website owners who want to turn visitors into leads and customers. With this tool, you can easily create pop-ups, slide-ins, and banners to capture attention and drive conversions without hurting your site’s performance.

Key Benefits:

Easily create pop-ups, slide-ins, and banners to capture leads or promote offers.
Exit-intent popups to engage visitors before they leave your site.
Customizable triggers for showing conversion elements at the right time to the right audience.
Conversion tracking and analytics to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Kadence Theme Pro Add-on: Unlocking Extra Features and Customizations

The Kadence Theme Pro Add-on extends the power of the Kadence WP theme, providing additional customization options and features that allow you to build the perfect website. Whether you need advanced header options, custom hooks, or dynamic content controls, this add-on gives you the flexibility to design your site exactly the way you want it.

Key Benefits:

Advanced header options including sticky headers, transparent headers, and mobile header customizations.
Dynamic content and conditional display features to personalize content based on user interactions.
Custom hooks and code snippets for deeper control over your site’s functionality.
Seamless WooCommerce integration to improve product page layouts and cart experiences.

Kadence WP Pro Plugins are an excellent way to enhance your WordPress site’s performance, design, and functionality. By using these tools, you can create a site that stands out, engages your audience, and delivers a top-notch user experience. Whether you’re building an eCommerce store, a personal blog, or a business site, Kadence WP Pro Plugins provide everything you need to make your website a success.

WP Rocket: Unleash Speed and Performance

If you’re serious about site speed, WP Rocket is a game-changer. This plugin handles everything from page caching to image optimization, ensuring your website loads in a flash. A faster site means better user experience and improved SEO rankings, making WP Rocket a crucial tool for any serious website owner.

Page Caching: WP Rocket caches your site’s pages, reducing load time and improving overall speed.
Lazy Loading: Load images only when users scroll to them, reducing initial page load times.
Database Optimization: Clean up your database with a few clicks to boost speed and performance.

Want your site to load faster and rank higher in search results? Give WP Rocket a try today!

Gravity Forms: Effortless Form Creation and Management

For all your form-building needs, Gravity Forms is our go-to solution. Whether you’re creating contact forms, surveys, or lead capture forms, Gravity Forms offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes form creation a breeze. With built-in spam protection, conditional logic, and file uploads, this plugin offers unmatched flexibility and functionality.

Conditional Logic: Show or hide fields based on user inputs for more dynamic forms.
File Uploads: Easily collect file submissions through your forms.
Third-Party Integrations: Connect with services like PayPal, Mailchimp, and Zapier for streamlined workflows.

Looking for an easy way to create custom forms? Check out Gravity Forms and elevate your form-building game.

ACF Pro: Supercharge Your Custom Fields

For advanced content management, Advanced Custom Fields Pro (ACF Pro) is indispensable. This plugin allows you to create and manage custom fields with ease, giving you the ability to tailor your WordPress site exactly how you need it. From custom post types to complex field groups, ACF Pro makes it simple to manage even the most intricate content structures.

Custom Field Types: Choose from dozens of field types to enhance your content.
Repeater Fields: Add multiple values to a single field for more dynamic content.
Flexible Content Layouts: Easily structure complex layouts using ACF Pro’s intuitive interface.

Need more control over your content? See how ACF Pro can make managing your site easier than ever.

Rank Math SEO Pro: Dominate Search Rankings

Rank Math SEO Pro is our go-to tool for all things SEO. It helps optimize every aspect of our website’s content—from keywords and meta descriptions to schema markup and social previews. With Rank Math SEO Pro, you’ll get real-time suggestions on how to improve your on-page SEO and climb the search rankings faster.

SEO Analysis: Get detailed reports on how to improve your site’s SEO.
Keyword Optimization: Integrate focus keywords into your content seamlessly.
Schema Markup: Add rich snippets to your site to enhance search visibility.

Take control of your SEO with Rank Math SEO Pro and start climbing those search results today!

Restrict Content Pro: Secure Membership and Subscription Management

For managing memberships and subscriptions, Restrict Content Pro is an essential plugin that ensures only authorized users can access certain areas of your site. Perfect for websites offering premium content, Restrict Content Pro allows you to create multiple membership levels, offer discount codes, and manage subscriptions with ease.

Multiple Membership Levels: Offer tiered access based on different membership types.
Subscription Management: Easily handle payments and renewals for your members.
Reports and Analytics: Track earnings and monitor member activity with built-in reporting tools.

Want to monetize your content? Try Restrict Content Pro and start building a subscription-based site today!

WP Mail SMTP: Reliable Email Delivery Made Easy

Never worry about your WordPress emails landing in spam folders again with WP Mail SMTP. This plugin ensures that all transactional emails, such as order confirmations or password resets, are delivered reliably to users’ inboxes. It integrates with major email providers like SendGrid, Gmail, and Amazon SES, making email management hassle-free.

Email Logs: Keep track of every email sent from your WordPress site.
Third-Party Integrations: Supports email services like Gmail, Mailgun, and SendGrid.
Detailed Debugging: Troubleshoot email issues quickly with detailed error logs.

Ensure your emails land where they belong with WP Mail SMTP today!

Better Search Replace: Migrate or Modify Your Database with Ease

Whether you’re migrating your site or making large-scale updates, Better Search Replace is the tool we rely on to update URLs and other database content efficiently. This plugin simplifies the process of finding and replacing text within your database, making site migrations or bulk content edits painless.

Find and Replace: Easily update text throughout your entire database.
Dry Run Option: Preview changes before committing them to your database.
Multisite Support: Works seamlessly across WordPress multisite networks.

Need to update URLs or content? Try Better Search Replace for fast and efficient database updates.

Solid Security Pro: Bulletproof Security for Your Website

Solid Security Pro offers an all-in-one security solution to keep your site safe from threats. With real-time threat detection, brute force protection, and malware scans, this plugin ensures your site remains secure at all times. Whether you’re concerned about hackers or performance, Solid Security Pro has you covered.

Malware Scanning: Automatic scans for malicious files and code.
Brute Force Protection: Prevent unauthorized logins with advanced protection methods.
File Integrity Monitoring: Detect any unauthorized changes to your files in real-time.

Protect your site with Solid Security Pro and keep your data safe from hackers.

WP 2FA: Keep Your WordPress Site Secure with Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a crucial part of modern security, and WP 2FA brings this to your WordPress login process. By adding a second layer of protection, such as a one-time code sent to your phone, WP 2FA ensures that your site stays secure even if a password is compromised.

Two-Factor Authentication: Add an extra layer of security to your WordPress login.
Multiple Authentication Methods: Choose from email, mobile app, or security tokens for 2FA.
User-Friendly: Easy setup for admins and users alike.

Upgrade your site’s security with WP 2FA and protect your login process from unauthorized access.

Analytify Pro: Actionable Google Analytics for WordPress

Analytify Pro simplifies Google Analytics by offering detailed insights directly within your WordPress dashboard. Whether you’re tracking visitor behavior, traffic sources, or content performance, Analytify Pro helps you understand how your site is performing without the need to navigate the complicated Google Analytics interface.

Real-Time Analytics: Get real-time insights on user behavior, conversions, and traffic.
Custom Reports: Generate comprehensive reports to track content performance and visitor stats.
E-commerce Tracking: Perfect for WooCommerce users to monitor sales performance directly from the dashboard.

Stay ahead of the competition by monitoring your traffic with Analytify Pro for easy Google Analytics integration.

Email Octopus: Affordable Email Marketing for Growing Businesses

For those looking to build an email list and manage newsletters, Email Octopus is an excellent choice. It’s designed to help you send beautiful emails, automate campaigns, and grow your subscriber base without the high costs associated with other platforms. This service integrates seamlessly with WordPress and allows you to create custom email forms and automations.

Customizable Forms: Build and embed beautiful signup forms anywhere on your site.
Automated Campaigns: Set up automated email sequences to engage your audience without lifting a finger.
Analytics Dashboard: Track open rates, clicks, and campaign success right from your dashboard.

Start growing your email list affordably with Email Octopus and watch your business thrive.

Hide My Site: Secure Access with One Click

For protecting private content or for staging purposes, Hide My Site is an invaluable plugin. Whether you want to restrict access to specific users, protect your site during development, or limit visibility to only approved visitors, this plugin offers password protection for your entire website or individual pages.

Password Protection: Easily password-protect your entire site or specific pages.
Access Controls: Manage access to your site for members, clients, or collaborators.
Temporary Access Links: Share time-limited access to your site without revealing the password.

Keep your site private until it’s ready for the world with Hide My Site today!

LearnPress: Powerful LMS Plugin for Online Courses

LearnPress is an excellent plugin for anyone looking to offer online courses. It transforms your WordPress site into a fully functional Learning Management System (LMS), where you can create and sell courses, quizzes, and lessons. Whether you’re offering free tutorials or paid educational content, LearnPress offers a user-friendly interface to manage everything.

Drag-and-Drop Course Builder: Easily create and organize your courses, lessons, and quizzes.
Monetize Your Courses: Charge for your courses using PayPal, Stripe, or WooCommerce integrations.
Interactive Learning: Add quizzes, assessments, and forums to enhance student engagement.

Create, manage, and monetize your own online courses with LearnPress today!

Magic Post Thumbnail: Efficient Post Management

Streamlining your post management workflow, Magic Post Thumbnail allows you to automatically generate or assign multiple featured images for your posts. Perfect for multi-author blogs or sites that post frequently, this plugin makes it easy to ensure your content is visually engaging.

Batch Processing: Assign multiple featured images to posts at once.
Dynamic Thumbnails: Generate post thumbnails automatically based on post content or categories.
SEO-Friendly: Optimized image management improves user engagement and search visibility.

Save time and improve your content presentation with Magic Post Thumbnail.

ManageWP: Simplify Site Management

ManageWP is a must-have for anyone managing multiple WordPress sites. This plugin allows you to oversee all your websites from one dashboard, offering real-time monitoring, automated backups, performance checks, and more. With ManageWP, you can maintain your sites more efficiently while saving time.

Centralized Dashboard: Manage all your WordPress sites from a single interface.
Automated Backups: Schedule automatic backups and restore with one click.
Performance Checks: Keep tabs on your site speed and optimize performance regularly.

Managing multiple sites? Use ManageWP for easy, efficient oversight of all your WordPress installations.

Printful for WooCommerce: Effortless Print-on-Demand for Your Store

If you’re selling physical products on your WordPress site, Printful for WooCommerce is an excellent way to integrate print-on-demand services. This plugin allows you to sell custom merchandise without worrying about inventory or shipping. Simply upload your designs, and Printful handles the rest—from printing to delivery.

On-Demand Printing: Offer custom t-shirts, mugs, and other merchandise without upfront costs.
Seamless WooCommerce Integration: Automatically sync products and orders from your WooCommerce store.
Global Shipping: Ship products to customers around the world, hassle-free.

Turn your creative designs into products with Printful for WooCommerce and grow your e-commerce store effortlessly.

Solid Security Pro: Comprehensive Website Protection

Keeping your website secure should be a top priority, and Solid Security Pro offers a robust solution for WordPress. From malware scanning to advanced login protection, Solid Security Pro ensures your website is always safeguarded against threats.

Brute Force Protection: Prevent unauthorized logins with real-time attack detection.
Malware Scanning: Automatically scan your site for malicious files and vulnerabilities.
File Change Detection: Monitor file changes and stay alerted to any unauthorized modifications.

Lock down your website’s security with Solid Security Pro today!

WP Code Pro: Custom Code Made Simple

WP Code Pro is the ultimate plugin for adding custom code snippets to your WordPress site without editing your theme or plugin files directly. Whether you’re adding tracking codes, custom CSS, or special functions, WP Code Pro ensures that your customizations are safe and organized, even through theme updates.

Custom Snippet Management: Easily organize, activate, and deactivate code snippets.
No File Editing Needed: Add code without touching theme or plugin files.
Safe and Secure: Keep your customizations safe during updates with built-in version control.

Add custom code to your WordPress site with ease using WP Code Pro.

WP Migrate Pro: Smooth and Secure Site Migrations

If you need to migrate your WordPress site or clone it for testing, WP Migrate Pro is your go-to plugin. This tool simplifies the process of migrating your database, media, themes, and plugins between environments. Whether you’re moving to a new host or setting up a staging site, WP Migrate Pro handles it all with ease.

Migrate Entire Sites: Move your entire site, including the database, media, and plugins.
Test Environments: Clone your site to test new updates or changes in a secure environment.
Automatic Backup: Create backups before migrating to ensure data safety.

Need to move your site? WP Migrate Pro makes migrations effortless and secure.

With these powerful plugins in your WordPress toolkit, your website will not only perform better but also remain secure, efficient, and user-friendly. Whether you’re looking to improve performance, manage multiple sites, or secure sensitive data, these plugins are proven solutions that will transform how your website operates.

Explore More Board Game Design Resources

At High Tower Surprise, we believe in sharing knowledge and empowering fellow creators. Below, you’ll find a collection of the best board game design resources on the web. These links lead to websites packed with valuable insights, tutorials, and tools to help you level up your game design.

Whether you’re looking for in-depth advice on crafting replayable games, exploring asymmetrical game mechanics, or seeking crowdfunding tips, these resources will have you covered.

Check out these incredible resources and expand your knowledge of game design today!

Board Game Industry Websites

BoardGameGeek – https://boardgamegeek.com
The Dice Tower – https://www.dicetower.com
Board Games Land – https://boardgamesland.com
Shut Up & Sit Down – https://www.shutupandsitdown.com
Meeple Mountain – https://www.meeplemountain.com
Polygon (Board Games Section) – https://www.polygon.com/board-games
Board Game Quest – https://www.boardgamequest.com
Tabletop Gaming News – https://www.tabletopgamingnews.com
The Board Game Family – https://www.theboardgamefamily.com
Board Game Atlas – https://www.boardgameatlas.com

Game Design and Development Websites

Gamasutra (Game Design Section) – https://www.gamasutra.com/category/game-design
Game Design Lab – https://boardgamedesignlab.com
The Game Crafter – https://www.thegamecrafter.com
Tabletop Game Designers Guild – https://www.tabletopgamersguild.com
Stonemaier Games (Game Design Blog) – https://stonemaiergames.com/games/game-design/
James Mathe (Game Design Resources) – https://www.jamesmathe.com
Cardboard Edison – https://cardboardedison.com
Games Precipice – https://www.gamesprecipice.com
Fletch Talks (Board Game Design) – https://fletchtalks.com
The Indie Game Report – https://www.theindiegamereport.com

Educational Board Games & Gamification

Playful Learning – https://playfullearning.net
Gamification Co – https://www.gamification.co
Games for Change – https://www.gamesforchange.org
Common Sense Education (Gamification) – https://www.commonsense.org/education/gamification
Education Week (Games in Education) – https://www.edweek.org/technology/gamification
Institute of Play – https://www.instituteofplay.org
LearningWorks for Kids – https://learningworksforkids.com
Edutopia (Games in Education) – https://www.edutopia.org
Classcraft – https://www.classcraft.com
BrainPOP (Educational Games) – https://www.brainpop.com/games/

Crowdfunding & Kickstarter Resources

Kickstarter – https://www.kickstarter.com
Indiegogo – https://www.indiegogo.com
GoFundMe – https://www.gofundme.com
Kickstarter Forum – https://www.kickstarterforum.org
BackerKit – https://www.backerkit.com
Kicktraq – https://www.kicktraq.com
Crowdfunding Insider – https://www.crowdfundinsider.com
CrowdCrux – https://www.crowdcrux.com
Fulfillrite (Crowdfunding Fulfillment) – https://www.fulfillrite.com
The Crowdfunding Formula – https://thecrowdfundingformula.com

Game Mechanics & Development Tools

Unity (Game Development Tool) – https://unity.com
Tabletopia – https://tabletopia.com
Tabletop Simulator – https://www.tabletopsimulator.com
GIMP (Free Design Software) – https://www.gimp.org
Inkscape (Free Vector Design Tool) – https://inkscape.org
Blender (3D Modeling) – https://www.blender.org
Trello (Project Management) – https://trello.com
Asana (Team Collaboration) – https://asana.com
Notion (Note-taking and Design) – https://www.notion.so
GameMaker Studio – https://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker

Art and Illustration for Board Games

ArtStation – https://www.artstation.com
DeviantArt – https://www.deviantart.com
ConceptArtWorld – https://www.conceptartworld.com
Behance – https://www.behance.net
Dribbble – https://dribbble.com
CGSociety – https://www.cgsociety.org
Society of Illustrators – https://www.societyillustrators.org
Illustrators Australia – https://www.illustratorsaustralia.com
The Association of Illustrators – https://theaoi.com
50 Watts (Vintage Illustration) – https://50watts.com

Game Manufacturing, Printing, and Prototyping

Print & Play Games – https://www.printplaygames.com
Panda Game Manufacturing – https://www.pandagm.com
LongPack Games – https://www.longpackgames.com
GameCrafter (Prototyping) – https://www.thegamecrafter.com
Ivory Game Manufacturing – https://ivory.co/game
Delano Games Manufacturing – https://www.delano.com
AdMagic (Custom Games) – https://www.admagic.com
BGM Factory – https://www.bgmfactory.com
China Cardboard – https://www.chinacardboard.com
Blue Panther LLC – https://www.bluepantherllc.com

Board Game Reviewers and Influencers

Tabletop Simulator (Steam Community) – https://steamcommunity.com/app/286160
The Game Shelf Reviews – https://thegameshelf.blogspot.com
Board Game Barrage – https://boardgamebarrage.com
Jamey Stegmaier (Board Game Designer Blog) – https://stonemaiergames.com/games/game-design/
No Pun Included – https://nopunincluded.com
Rahdo Runs Through – https://www.rahdo.com
Geek and Sundry (Tabletop Games) – https://geekandsundry.com/tabletop
Watch It Played – https://www.watchitplayed.tv
Actualol – https://www.actualol.com
DriveThruRPG – https://www.drivethrurpg.com

Game History and Influence

The Strong Museum of Play – https://www.museumofplay.org
The Toy Association – https://www.toyassociation.org
Spiel des Jahres (Board Game Award) – https://www.spiel-des-jahres.com/en
Historical Board Gaming – https://www.historicalboardgaming.com
PAX Unplugged (Board Game Convention) – https://unplugged.paxsite.com
Gen Con (Convention) – https://www.gencon.com
Origins Game Fair – https://www.originsgamefair.com
Tabletop Events (Conventions) – https://tabletop.events
Museum of Soviet Arcade Games – https://www.sovietgames.net
Play and Learn Foundation – https://playandlearnfoundation.org

Game Prototyping and Development Services

CrowdOx – https://www.crowdox.com
GameFound – https://gamefound.com
Funded Today (Kickstarter Promotion) – https://www.funded.today
OneBookShelf (Publishing) – https://www.onebookshelf.com
Fulfillment Bridge – https://fulfillmentbridge.com
Packlane (Custom Packaging) – https://www.packlane.com
Gamesicle (Board Game Previews) – https://www.gamesicle.com
Meeple Source (Board Game Accessories) – https://www.meeplesource.com
Board Game Bliss – https://www.boardgamebliss.com
Cardboard Republic – https://www.cardboardrepublic.com

Board Game Design and Playtesting Channels

Unlock a world of inspiration and expert insights with our curated collection of YouTube channels dedicated to board game design, playtesting, and development. Whether you’re an aspiring game designer or a seasoned pro, these channels provide tutorials, in-depth reviews, playthroughs, and strategies to enhance your creativity and improve your game design process.

From mastering mechanics to honing storytelling, these channels offer valuable lessons on every aspect of board game creation. Dive into the resources below to stay updated on the latest trends, tools, and techniques in the ever-evolving world of tabletop gaming.

The Dice Tower – Visit Channel
A staple in the board gaming world, providing reviews, recommendations, and playthroughs of games.

Watch It Played – Visit Channel
Dedicated to teaching viewers how to play various board games with tutorials and game playthroughs.

Shut Up & Sit Down – Visit Channel
A fun and informative channel offering reviews and discussions on board games with a focus on humor and personality.

No Pun Included – Visit Channel
Features entertaining and honest reviews of board games with a humorous spin.

One Stop Co-Op Shop – Visit Channel
A deep dive into solo and cooperative board games, including reviews and playthroughs.

Beyond Solitaire – Visit Channel
Reviews and discussions on solo board games, with a no-nonsense approach.

Actualol – Visit Channel
Known for humor and in-depth reviews about board gaming trends.

BoardGameGeek – Visit Channel
An extension of the popular BoardGameGeek website, showcasing interviews, game previews, and tutorials.

Before You Play – Visit Channel
A board gaming couple who review games and demonstrate playthroughs, specializing in Kickstarter previews.

Quackalope – Visit Channel
Features in-depth reviews, Kickstarter previews, and gameplay videos.

Game Boy Geek – Visit Channel
Detailed game reviews and tutorials from Dan King, a well-known name in the board gaming industry.

Roll for Crit – Visit Channel
Focuses on board game news, reviews, and live streams.

3 Minute Board Games – Visit Channel
Concise reviews of board games delivered in just three minutes.

Heavy Cardboard – Visit Channel
Specializes in “heavy” or complex board games, with live playthroughs and in-depth discussions.

Game Maker’s Toolkit – Visit Channel
Mark Brown explores the game design theory and mechanics in board and video games.

Meeple University – Visit Channel
Offers tutorials, reviews, and playthroughs of all types of board games.

Board Game Sanctuary – Visit Channel
A channel that reviews strategy-heavy games, focusing on thematic and mechanical depth.

Shelfside – Visit Channel
Offers deep reviews of complex board games, often going over 30 minutes in length for detailed insights.

JonGetsGames – Visit Channel
A combination of tutorial playthroughs and live streams covering all board game genres.

Tabletop Minions – Visit Channel
Geared toward tabletop wargames, but with plenty of crossover content for board gamers interested in miniatures.

Man vs Meeple – Visit Channel
Man vs Meeple focuses on board game reviews, news, and playthroughs with an emphasis on gameplay mechanics.

Board Game Replay – Visit Channel
This channel focuses on post-game discussions, where the team talks through different game experiences, highlighting key moments.

Ricky Royal’s Box of Delights – Visit Channel
Ricky Royal delivers playthroughs, tutorials, and discussions on solo board games and game design theory.

Rahdo Runs Through – Visit Channel
Rahdo offers playthroughs and board game reviews with detailed gameplay walkthroughs, making it easy for viewers to understand the game flow.

Board Game Brawl – Visit Channel
A channel for in-depth board game reviews and news, often focused on the latest Kickstarter games.

The Broken Meeple – Visit Channel
Focuses on reviews and top lists for a variety of board games, from light family games to more complex euro-style games.

Meeple Mountain – Visit Channel
Offers board game reviews, guides, and detailed content around game mechanics and strategies.

The Boardgame BBQ – Visit Channel
Focuses on reviewing and playtesting a wide range of board games, with special focus on Australian gaming culture.

Board Game Co. – Visit Channel
Dedicated to board game reviews, discussions on game design, and insights into Kickstarter campaigns.

ThinkerThemer – Visit Channel
This duo offers board game reviews, unboxings, and discussions, blending logic-driven and theme-driven perspectives.

Gaming Rules! – Visit Channel
A well-known channel for teaching and explaining complex games with tutorials, rules explanations, and live playthroughs.

Gray Board Gamer – Visit Channel
Focuses on unboxings, reviews, and playthroughs of board games, with an emphasis on strategic gameplay.

Rolling Solo – Visit Channel
A channel dedicated to solo board game reviews, playthroughs, and tutorials, covering a wide variety of genres.

Cardboard Rhino – Visit Channel
Offers deep dives into game mechanics, reviews, and tutorials, with an emphasis on tactical and strategic games.

Slickerdrips – Visit Channel
Detailed playthroughs and reviews of both solo and multiplayer board games, often covering Kickstarter previews.

Tabletop Together – Visit Channel
Provides game overviews, Kickstarter reviews, and gameplay mechanics analysis.

Ant Lab Games – Visit Channel
A husband-and-wife team offering detailed game reviews, previews, and playthroughs, focusing on board game design and gameplay.

Broken Meeple – Visit Channel
This UK-based channel offers board game reviews, podcasts, and gameplay videos.

Punchboard Paradise – Visit Channel
Playthroughs, reviews, and previews of new games, with a focus on both Kickstarter games and retail releases.

Game Shelf – Visit Channel
Features gameplay videos, Kickstarter previews, and detailed discussions about game mechanics and design elements.

Final Thoughts

We hope you find this Resources Page helpful as you continue your journey in the world of board game design. Whether you’re just starting or you’re already a seasoned designer, having the right tools and guidance can make all the difference. Be sure to explore the recommended resources and feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the tools we use.

Thank you for supporting High Tower Surprise, and happy designing!