The art of game balance: evolution
Game Developer
NOVEMBER 18, 2024
First of a three-part series on combat-focused game balance design, exploring its evolution and showcasing successful case studies.
The art of balance in community management
Game Developer
DECEMBER 2, 2024
Midjiwan's community manager explains how studios can strike a balance between fan input and preserving the team's creative vision.
Balance 
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The Sweet Art of Feature Adaptation
Deconstructor of Fun
NOVEMBER 12, 2024
This approach allows them to integrate the feature more seamlessly into their existing game mechanics and maintain the delicate balance that keeps their players engaged. By limiting the power and availability of this feature, Candy Crush Saga can introduce an exciting new element without disrupting their finely-tuned game balance.
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The Art of the Spiral: Failure Cascades in Simulation Games
Game Developer
APRIL 30, 2024
Exploring how failure cascades shape gameplay in simulation games like Songs of Syx and Rimworld, balancing dramatic stories with player recovery opportunities.
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The Darkest Files by Paintbucket Games turns history into a game about justice
PreMortem.Games
APRIL 29, 2025
For co-founders Jrg Friedrich (Game Director) and Sebastian Schulz (Art Director), it was immediately clear: This story deserves to be told and we saw an opportunity to bring it to audiences who might never encounter it otherwise. “The name Paintbucket actually comes from a key piece of art from our first game,” Schulz shares.
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Emerging Trends in Game Art: Real-Time Rendering, Stylized Game Art, and Beyond
iXie gaming
MARCH 28, 2025
By 2026, the gaming industry is expected to reach $321 billion , with real-time rendering and AI-driven game art playing a pivotal role in its growth. Game art has undergone a seismic transformation over the past decade, driven by technological advancements, evolving player expectations, and a rapidly growing industry.
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Unity Games That Last: How Testing, Art, and LiveOps Drive Revenue and Retention
iXie gaming
APRIL 23, 2025
This article explores how strategic QA, high-performing 3D art pipelines, and LiveOps frameworks separate lasting titles from forgettable ones. Meeting Modern Visual Standards Unity developers must balance fidelity and function. Art teams deliver modular assets that allow LiveOps to launch weekly content without blocking engineering.
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Rival guilds and a dragon landlord all contribute to the rowdy charm of Dungeon Inn
PreMortem.Games
DECEMBER 6, 2024
Lee focuses on art direction, UI/UX design and related programming tasks, while Kim takes charge of illustrations, adventurer designs and animations. Players must carefully balance their actions to avoid suspicion while maximizing their profits, all within the constraints of a turn-based management system.
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Scaling Art Production for Live-Service Games: Challenges, Innovations, and Future-Ready Pipelines
iXie gaming
MARCH 2, 2025
But behind every update lies a complex art production pipeline that must scale efficiently while maintaining artistic integrity and production efficiency. The answer lies in scalable art production pipelines that balance speed, quality, and cross-platform optimization. What Makes Live-Service Art Production Different?
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In Guntouchables enemies power up with the upgrades that you leave behind
PreMortem.Games
FEBRUARY 21, 2025
To make sure all upgrades and weapons are properly balanced, Game Swing does playtests throughout development. Add to that, that the whole core of the game relies on that balance to be right to provide enough challenge, without becoming unfair or impossible. Yes, I would say balancing is the hardest part.
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Art for Art’s Sake…Sometimes It’s Not Just Business
Brand Game Development
JULY 14, 2017
When I talk about game design itself, I often talk about the relentless play-testing , balancing , and different levels of communication that you must master so that your game is understood and enjoyed. But what about art? I don’t necessarily mean art as in pretty pictures, beautiful graphics, and appealing boxes.
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Solo developer Voidmaw on creating Katanaut: “Done is better than perfect”
PreMortem.Games
JANUARY 30, 2025
Ive always loved creating things, and game development felt like the perfect mix of art, storytelling, and problem-solving, he explains. Ive always loved creating things, and game development felt like the perfect mix of art, storytelling, and problem-solving. Why did you become a solo developer? Motivation can also be tricky.
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Artistic vision on a budget: A guide to balancing creativity and finance
Filmustage
MAY 19, 2023
Understanding the tension between art and finance in film production The tension between artistic vision and financial constraints is intrinsic to the film industry. Case studies: Successful balancing of art and finance in films Filmmaking history offers numerous examples of the successful balancing of art and finance.
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Space is not a wall: toward a less architectural level design
Radiator Blog
MAY 10, 2025
In levels, this looks like planning out quest arcs, pacing setpiece beats, balancing spreadsheets, and choreographing battles. These are fine as art tests or fun asset jams, but don't call it level design! Why must level designers stop at doing bad architecture? Levels need context. You can't make levels for a game that doesn't exist.
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Tell Your Artist What You Want – Making Good Art Specs
Brand Game Development
JUNE 2, 2017
Great art is one of the most critical parts of a board game. ” Art is the most powerful marketing tool for board games and one of the most powerful tools for communicating game information. .” Art from my first game, War Co. Art is also one of the only tools handled by someone other than the game developer.
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In Pirofauna by Polish indie studio Petums, fire is the hero of the forest
PreMortem.Games
JUNE 7, 2024
Therefore, for balance, I create such a positive image of fire. Works of art After the release of Papetura, Ostafin struggled to find that spark of inspiration for his new game. Petums ’ games are truly works of art. “I’ve never seen a game world where fire is portrayed positively,” says Tomasz Ostafin.
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Game art vs game design: What is the difference?
Logic Simplified
AUGUST 8, 2023
Since most of us are unaware of the process of creating a game, we usually confuse game design and game art as being the same. In this blog, we will discuss the difference between game art vs game design and how each plays a unique role in game development. What is the difference between game art vs game design?
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How Kepler Interactive balances artistic vision with gaming innovation
GamesIndustry.biz
FEBRUARY 21, 2025
Kepler Interactive already boasts one of the more eclectic portfolio of games, from the New Caledonia inspired blue seas of Tchia to the survival horror adventure game lauded for its nightmare fuel visuals, and maintains a creative studio that allows the company to collaborate with different mediums in art and culture. Read more
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In Guntouchables enemies power up with the upgrades that you leave behind
PreMortem.Games
MARCH 15, 2024
To make sure all upgrades and weapons are properly balanced, Game Swing does playtests throughout development. “We Add to that, that the whole core of the game relies on that balance to be right to provide enough challenge, without becoming unfair or impossible. Yes, I would say balancing is the hardest part.”
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Sweeney: Commercial AI models shouldn't use art without artists' consent
GamesIndustry.biz
MARCH 10, 2023
Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said he would like the firm to balance protecting artwork and creators' engagement with new technology such as image generators.
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Player choice is key in Bohemian Pulp’s debut game Let Bions Be Bygones
PreMortem.Games
JANUARY 15, 2024
The game’s graphics showcase a distinctive fusion of modern 3D visuals with a nostalgic pixel-art look. This approach, especially when combined with pixel art, created a visually appealing effect that resonated with me.” This approach, especially when combined with pixel art, created a visually appealing effect that resonated with me.”
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Game Balance and Fantasy Strike
Sirlin
OCTOBER 22, 2019
Fantasy Strike is an interesting case study in game balance for an asymmetric game. I did the entire balancing process without any data at all, and now, after it’s all done, we have the data. Relying on Experts I find it much easier to balance a competitive game by going off the opinions of experts than looking at data anyway.
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Parallel Experiment by Eleven Puzzles: “Put your heart into it and players will notice”
PreMortem.Games
FEBRUARY 10, 2025
“The balancing of the game between two players,” Olczyk explains. ” The solution was the comic book art style, which not only makes the game visually engaging but also complements the detective theme. We love the freedom that comes with remote work. ” So what exactly was the biggest challenge?
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“Post-Balance” Cogmind Item Expansion
Grid Sage Games
NOVEMBER 14, 2023
Sample ASCII art from among the 100 new items. Balancing Levers The idea of “post-balance” from this article’s title doesn’t mean no balance. I’ve organized an overview of some of Cogmind’s special item balancing mechanisms below. They’re that crazy.
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How to Tell When Play-Testing Feedback is Useful or Not
Brand Game Development
SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
Some objectives I’ve used for testing Highways & Byways are “make sure Byway Cards communicate the location of roads clearly” and “gather data on the balance of Event Cards.” Choose something to pay extra close attention to, such as balance, communication, or accessibility.
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Fly into the unknown with Void Sails by Ticking Clock Games: “We’re self-funding our debut”
PreMortem.Games
FEBRUARY 24, 2025
” In terms of the 2D art, the team was fortunate to find an artist that clicked. “With a small team and some pretty big ambitions, balancing priorities, time, and skills has been tough and still is!” It just felt like the right fit.” So, really it was a no-brainer!
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Top 10 Game Art Design tips to level up your work
iXie gaming
JUNE 16, 2023
Captivating visuals and immersive art design are essential elements that can make or break a player’s experience. Game art production plays a crucial role in bringing virtual worlds to life, capturing the imagination, and enhancing gameplay. Achieve visual harmony through the balanced placement of elements.
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Double Fine PsychOdyssey recaps / viewing guide, episodes 01-17
Radiator Blog
MARCH 16, 2023
Each level also had unique mechanics and art styles that all tied into a cohesive whole. Meanwhile, VR dev continues, as artists learn Unreal 4's art pipeline and do lookdev to figure out how to update the Psychonauts art style from 2005 to 2015. It was a quirky story-first 3D platformer with jokes that were actually funny.
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Player choice is key in Bohemian Pulp’s debut game Let Bions Be Bygones
PreMortem.Games
SEPTEMBER 25, 2024
The game’s graphics showcase a distinctive fusion of modern 3D visuals with a nostalgic pixel-art look. This approach, especially when combined with pixel art, created a visually appealing effect that resonated with me.” This approach, especially when combined with pixel art, created a visually appealing effect that resonated with me.”
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The Art and Science of Game Sound Design
iXie gaming
SEPTEMBER 17, 2024
In the realm of video games, sound design is much more than just background noise—it’s a fusion of art and science that brings virtual worlds to life. This blog delves into how game sound design contributes to both game development and art production. How does sound design integrate with game art production?
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Ways To Balance The Simplicity And Complexity In A Game
Big Games
AUGUST 25, 2021
Therefore, the balance between simplicity and complexity is what is expected by the users, any game that satisfies this aspect is bound to succeed. Is It Easy To Balance Simplicity And Complexity? Ways Of Balancing The Game There are different ways in which you can balance a game.
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The magical realism of Indonesia in the 90’s captured in A Space for the Unbound
PreMortem.Games
JULY 31, 2024
It’s a tribute to the time we grew up in and serves as a time capsule for that period”, says Dimas Novan, Director and Art Director of A Space for the Unbound. “We It’s the time to reminisce about the past before we completely forget about it.” “I have always been a big fan of pixel art”, says Novan. “I
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Feral Cat Den is pushing the audio-visual boundaries of games with Nirvana Noir
PreMortem.Games
JULY 1, 2024
Their first game, Genesis Noir, was already a moving work of art. This field of visual art emphasizes abstraction and graphic design to compress storytelling into quick digestible and fun chunks.” Now, with the follow-up, Nirvana Noir , the New York-based indie studio Feral Cat Den is crafting audio-visual poetry in motion. he says.
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Exploring the art of documentary filmmaking
Filmustage
JULY 31, 2023
In this comprehensive exploration of the "Art of Documentary Filmmaking", we'll uncover the nuances and complexities that contribute to the compelling nature of documentaries. Here are some compelling reasons why documentary filmmaking is considered an art: Unfiltered reality ? Visual artistry ? : Sound design ? :
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The Art and Science of Exploratory Testing in Game QA
iXie gaming
AUGUST 11, 2024
This article explores the art and science of ET in game QA. We’ll discuss how to balance intuition with structure, share real-world success stories, and provide best practices for overcoming challenges. Exploratory testing is about balancing structured testing and free exploration. It’s an additional approach.
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VR Can Improve Your Skills
Played with Fire
APRIL 2, 2025
Studies have demonstrated significant improvements in reaction times through VR training: Simple and Complex Reaction Times: Research on mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes found that VR-based coordination training significantly improved both simple and complex reaction speeds.
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How do you know when a board game is complete?
Brand Game Development
MARCH 6, 2017
Make sure you have a basic sense of balance and no runaway leaders. You need to test the art and every component. Basic balance. .” Q: How does that apply to board games? A: First, strip out all obstacles to immersion. Make sure you have a clear objective and rules. Oh…and make sure people find it fun! Clear rules.
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Solo developer Kaighen Finley: “It’s easy to lose myself in game development”
PreMortem.Games
APRIL 17, 2023
But the morale and quality of life it can bring can be quite motivating, balancing & inspiring – if not all the above.” And I see it as the ultimate compilation of art(s) – light, sound, visuals, narrative, mechanics, psychology – a crafted or distilled experience. Balance your mental health.
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How to Balance Time, Resources, and Costs in Mobile Game Development?
Big Games
JANUARY 7, 2024
In this comprehensive exploration, we delve into the art of striking a delicate balance, ensuring that your mobile game development stays afloat and sails smoothly from inception to a successful launch. The post How to Balance Time, Resources, and Costs in Mobile Game Development? How to Start Mobile Game Development?
The Future of Art & AI in Game Production
iXie gaming
MAY 24, 2023
As AI continues to advance, the future of art and AI in game development holds tremendous promise. In this article, we’ll explore the evolving relationship between art production and AI, discussing their potential impact on the gaming industry.
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Sci-fi 3D art for games: 4 main mistakes you should avoid
Moonmana
AUGUST 15, 2022
Today due to applying top-notch technologies and modern approaches in game development, games can be a real work of art. Talking about sci-fi 3D art, we should point out the current crazy popularity of this genre. Losing the balance of good storytelling and credible science. . Diving into the fantasy trap too deep. .
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The magical realism of Indonesia in the 90’s captured in A Space for the Unbound
PreMortem.Games
MARCH 10, 2023
It’s a tribute to the time we grew up in and serves as a time capsule for that period”, says Dimas Novan, Director and Art Director of A Space for the Unbound. “We It’s the time to reminisce about the past before we completely forget about it.” “I have always been a big fan of pixel art”, says Novan. “I
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Navigating the layers of hell: How Oppolyon Studio built their debut game Ascending Inferno
PreMortem.Games
OCTOBER 25, 2024
Left: the original concept art for the logo, right: the final logo. The art style was originally simpler, but we decided to push the depth further after one of our artists, Ricky, pitched the current look of the game,” says Iozzi. Six years later they decided to make that dream a reality. experience.
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How to Find an Artist for Your Board Game
Brand Game Development
JUNE 19, 2017
Box art alone has the ability to multiply sales of an otherwise unassuming board game. Pay: Artists make art for a living! Since every project is different, you’ll probably want to make an art budget and set aside some cash and get a variety of quotes from different artists. Pay attention to these things.
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