Wherever possible, communicate your gameplay with diagrams to ensure players understand how to play correctly.

This is most important during setup, but can be utilized effectively throughout the game.

The ideal diagram for a move shows the before and after states of the game once the move is made. Great diagrams are also consistent in their iconography throughout the game, and will showcase edge cases alongside normal cases.

Use diagrams even (and especially) in prototypes. When teaching the game, “playtest” diagrams to ensure that they’re correctly communicating the game’s rules, and adjust them just as you would any other rule. Your play diagrams are an essential part of your rulebook and should be treated as such.