diff --git a/templates/basic/tsconfig.json b/templates/basic/tsconfig.json
index 816d09263..2c85b2d99 100644
--- a/templates/basic/tsconfig.json
+++ b/templates/basic/tsconfig.json
@@ -1,19 +1,35 @@
 {
+  // see https://www.typescriptlang.org/tsconfig to better understand tsconfigs
   "include": ["src", "types"],
   "compilerOptions": {
     "module": "esnext",
     "lib": ["dom", "esnext"],
     "importHelpers": true,
+    // output .d.ts declaration files for consumers
     "declaration": true,
+    // output .js.map sourcemap files for consumers
     "sourceMap": true,
+    // match output dir to input dir. e.g. dist/index instead of dist/src/index
     "rootDir": "./src",
+    // stricter type-checking for stronger correctness. Recommended by TS
     "strict": true,
-    "noUnusedLocals": true,
-    "noUnusedParameters": true,
+    // linter checks for common issues
     "noImplicitReturns": true,
     "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
+    // noUnused* overlap with @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars, can disable if duplicative
+    "noUnusedLocals": true,
+    "noUnusedParameters": true,
+    // use Node's module resolution algorithm, instead of the legacy TS one
     "moduleResolution": "node",
+    // transpile JSX to React.createElement
     "jsx": "react",
-    "esModuleInterop": true
+    // interop between ESM and CJS modules. Recommended by TS
+    "esModuleInterop": true,
+    // significant perf increase by skipping checking .d.ts files, particularly those in node_modules. Recommended by TS
+    "skipLibCheck": true,
+    // error out if import and file system have a casing mismatch. Recommended by TS
+    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
+    // `tsdx build` ignores this option, but it is commonly used when type-checking separately with `tsc`
+    "noEmit": true,
   }
 }
diff --git a/templates/react-with-storybook/tsconfig.json b/templates/react-with-storybook/tsconfig.json
index 816d09263..2c85b2d99 100644
--- a/templates/react-with-storybook/tsconfig.json
+++ b/templates/react-with-storybook/tsconfig.json
@@ -1,19 +1,35 @@
 {
+  // see https://www.typescriptlang.org/tsconfig to better understand tsconfigs
   "include": ["src", "types"],
   "compilerOptions": {
     "module": "esnext",
     "lib": ["dom", "esnext"],
     "importHelpers": true,
+    // output .d.ts declaration files for consumers
     "declaration": true,
+    // output .js.map sourcemap files for consumers
     "sourceMap": true,
+    // match output dir to input dir. e.g. dist/index instead of dist/src/index
     "rootDir": "./src",
+    // stricter type-checking for stronger correctness. Recommended by TS
     "strict": true,
-    "noUnusedLocals": true,
-    "noUnusedParameters": true,
+    // linter checks for common issues
     "noImplicitReturns": true,
     "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
+    // noUnused* overlap with @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars, can disable if duplicative
+    "noUnusedLocals": true,
+    "noUnusedParameters": true,
+    // use Node's module resolution algorithm, instead of the legacy TS one
     "moduleResolution": "node",
+    // transpile JSX to React.createElement
     "jsx": "react",
-    "esModuleInterop": true
+    // interop between ESM and CJS modules. Recommended by TS
+    "esModuleInterop": true,
+    // significant perf increase by skipping checking .d.ts files, particularly those in node_modules. Recommended by TS
+    "skipLibCheck": true,
+    // error out if import and file system have a casing mismatch. Recommended by TS
+    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
+    // `tsdx build` ignores this option, but it is commonly used when type-checking separately with `tsc`
+    "noEmit": true,
   }
 }
diff --git a/templates/react/tsconfig.json b/templates/react/tsconfig.json
index 816d09263..2c85b2d99 100644
--- a/templates/react/tsconfig.json
+++ b/templates/react/tsconfig.json
@@ -1,19 +1,35 @@
 {
+  // see https://www.typescriptlang.org/tsconfig to better understand tsconfigs
   "include": ["src", "types"],
   "compilerOptions": {
     "module": "esnext",
     "lib": ["dom", "esnext"],
     "importHelpers": true,
+    // output .d.ts declaration files for consumers
     "declaration": true,
+    // output .js.map sourcemap files for consumers
     "sourceMap": true,
+    // match output dir to input dir. e.g. dist/index instead of dist/src/index
     "rootDir": "./src",
+    // stricter type-checking for stronger correctness. Recommended by TS
     "strict": true,
-    "noUnusedLocals": true,
-    "noUnusedParameters": true,
+    // linter checks for common issues
     "noImplicitReturns": true,
     "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
+    // noUnused* overlap with @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars, can disable if duplicative
+    "noUnusedLocals": true,
+    "noUnusedParameters": true,
+    // use Node's module resolution algorithm, instead of the legacy TS one
     "moduleResolution": "node",
+    // transpile JSX to React.createElement
     "jsx": "react",
-    "esModuleInterop": true
+    // interop between ESM and CJS modules. Recommended by TS
+    "esModuleInterop": true,
+    // significant perf increase by skipping checking .d.ts files, particularly those in node_modules. Recommended by TS
+    "skipLibCheck": true,
+    // error out if import and file system have a casing mismatch. Recommended by TS
+    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
+    // `tsdx build` ignores this option, but it is commonly used when type-checking separately with `tsc`
+    "noEmit": true,
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/e2e/fixtures/build-default/tsconfig.json b/test/e2e/fixtures/build-default/tsconfig.json
index b25c2e554..d0dea9704 100644
--- a/test/e2e/fixtures/build-default/tsconfig.json
+++ b/test/e2e/fixtures/build-default/tsconfig.json
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@
     "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
     "moduleResolution": "node",
     "jsx": "react",
-    "esModuleInterop": true
+    "esModuleInterop": true,
+    "skipLibCheck": true,
+    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
+    "noEmit": true
   },
   "include": ["src", "types"]
 }
diff --git a/test/e2e/fixtures/build-invalid/tsconfig.json b/test/e2e/fixtures/build-invalid/tsconfig.json
index b25c2e554..d0dea9704 100644
--- a/test/e2e/fixtures/build-invalid/tsconfig.json
+++ b/test/e2e/fixtures/build-invalid/tsconfig.json
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@
     "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
     "moduleResolution": "node",
     "jsx": "react",
-    "esModuleInterop": true
+    "esModuleInterop": true,
+    "skipLibCheck": true,
+    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
+    "noEmit": true
   },
   "include": ["src", "types"]
 }
diff --git a/test/e2e/fixtures/build-withTsconfig/tsconfig.base.json b/test/e2e/fixtures/build-withTsconfig/tsconfig.base.json
index c5a66c1ea..639f22f26 100644
--- a/test/e2e/fixtures/build-withTsconfig/tsconfig.base.json
+++ b/test/e2e/fixtures/build-withTsconfig/tsconfig.base.json
@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@
     "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
     "moduleResolution": "node",
     "jsx": "react",
-    "esModuleInterop": false
+    "esModuleInterop": false,
+    "skipLibCheck": true,
+    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
+    "noEmit": true
   },
   "include": ["src", "types"], // test parsing of trailing comma & comment
 }
diff --git a/test/integration/fixtures/build-options/tsconfig.json b/test/integration/fixtures/build-options/tsconfig.json
index 3645ceed5..bb0179011 100644
--- a/test/integration/fixtures/build-options/tsconfig.json
+++ b/test/integration/fixtures/build-options/tsconfig.json
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@
     "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
     "moduleResolution": "node",
     "jsx": "react",
-    "esModuleInterop": true
+    "esModuleInterop": true,
+    "skipLibCheck": true,
+    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
+    "noEmit": true
   },
   "include": ["src", "types"],
 }
diff --git a/test/integration/fixtures/build-withBabel/tsconfig.json b/test/integration/fixtures/build-withBabel/tsconfig.json
index 3645ceed5..547e772e3 100644
--- a/test/integration/fixtures/build-withBabel/tsconfig.json
+++ b/test/integration/fixtures/build-withBabel/tsconfig.json
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@
     "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
     "moduleResolution": "node",
     "jsx": "react",
-    "esModuleInterop": true
+    "esModuleInterop": true,
+    "skipLibCheck": true,
+    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
+    "noEmit": false
   },
   "include": ["src", "types"],
 }
diff --git a/test/integration/fixtures/build-withConfig/tsconfig.json b/test/integration/fixtures/build-withConfig/tsconfig.json
index 3645ceed5..bb0179011 100644
--- a/test/integration/fixtures/build-withConfig/tsconfig.json
+++ b/test/integration/fixtures/build-withConfig/tsconfig.json
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@
     "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
     "moduleResolution": "node",
     "jsx": "react",
-    "esModuleInterop": true
+    "esModuleInterop": true,
+    "skipLibCheck": true,
+    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
+    "noEmit": true
   },
   "include": ["src", "types"],
 }