PreMortem.Games

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

Since I was a child, I always found myself surrounded by art, because most of my family were artists (ballet dancers, painters, musicians). One day I discovered video games could be much more than just ‘entertainment products’, and fell in love with the idea of mixing all the things I loved about art in a new medium.

Dev 160

Dev Playtesting Art Games 160

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.” This time around we’re putting a lot more time and resources into playtesting and catching problems early.”

Art 138

Art Games Graphics Puzzle 138

PreMortem.Games

MARCH 30, 2023

We had three very different games that we spent around two weeks on each, developing them up to a point where we could playtest them with other people”, says Mason. According to Lead Artist Alex Ritchie the visual style was born out of necessity: “Because of the quick turnaround for prototyping all the art was simple to save time.

Playtesting 104

Playtesting Prototyping Games Mechanics 104

PreMortem.Games

MARCH 20, 2023

We had three very different games that we spent around two weeks on each, developing them up to a point where we could playtest them with other people”, says Mason. A bit surprisingly, the contrast between the atmosphere and the simple art added another layer of uneasiness that fit perfectly, so I was careful to keep that going forward.

Playtesting 104

Playtesting Prototyping Mechanics Games 104

PreMortem.Games

MAY 1, 2023

Everyone must be online from 14h to 18h on Discord because this is ‘when things get done’ and we can all do brainstorms, playtests and all that.” Mechanical Hand The studio’s upcoming game, Atomic Picnic, is the brainchild of the company’s CEO, Camilla Slotfeldt. There was a bunch of things she wanted in the game.

Studios 104

Studios Build Playtesting Concepts 104

Brand Game Development

DECEMBER 26, 2017

It is true that games speak to players through gameplay – the core engine, mechanics, and rules. However, when people think of storytelling in games, they think of theme, story, art, components, and even box design. Art and storytelling Physical experience and storytelling Parting advice. Playtesting storytelling.

Art 130

Art Games Mechanics Game Development 130

Brand Game Development

FEBRUARY 17, 2020

one place I’ve encouraged surprise is the facedown card mechanic. If you hate the game you’re playtesting, do something different. Don’t just playtest it and refine the mechanics. This is the art for Spectrum in War Co., is the art. In War Co. , was garbage in its first ten iterations.

Game Design 130

Game Design Game Designer Tile Games 130

PreMortem.Games

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

Combining these elements with sim mechanics meant we could come up with some exciting, innovative gameplay.” The team of White Star Studios closely monitored the results of early playtest sessions. The more complex a mechanic is, the more guidance players will need. But it took some tweaking to get the right balance.

Studios 104

Studios Content Balance Mechanics 104

PreMortem.Games

MAY 24, 2023

Combining these elements with sim mechanics meant we could come up with some exciting, innovative gameplay.” The team of White Star Studios closely monitored the results of early playtest sessions. The more complex a mechanic is, the more guidance players will need. But it took some tweaking to get the right balance.

Studios 104

Studios Balance Content Playtesting 104

Brand Game Development

OCTOBER 23, 2017

Sarah: It was also in 2013 that we met Ben and were playtesters for his game Tower , which he launched on Kickstarter early in 2014. Along with handling all the business, Ben has playtested and helped develop our designs. I can’t really see so well, so art and graphic layout don’t bother me. Will is the lead designer.

Prototyping 130

Prototyping Games Playtesting Game Design 130

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. Sharp criticism and failure is what hones your design sense.

Art 147

Art Concepts Dev Studios 147

Brand Game Development

JANUARY 2, 2018

With various other developers, I’ve talked about all the different parts that go into making a board game: the core engine , the mechanics , rules , and storytelling / internal narrative. Whenever I demo or playtest, I make sure to get the email address of the person, so I can inform them when the Kickstarter starts.

Playtesting 130

Playtesting Games Advertising Prototyping 130

Logic Simplified

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

Level design is a part of video game design that focuses specifically on designing game levels (an area or stage a player must complete before moving on to the next one) while keeping in mind the architecture, layout, video game mechanics , and pace to keep the players invested in the game. Define the gameplay mechanics.

Mechanics 65

Mechanics Games Playtesting Concepts 65

Brand Game Development

MARCH 16, 2020

You do the game development and playtesting. You go find the art. Publishers handle the marketing, the selling, and often they cover the art, too. Publishers have all sorts of vetting mechanisms in place that keep you from going to market with a bad game. If you self-publish, there will be enormous demands on your time.

Games 130

Games Quality Assurance Art Game Development 130

Game Dev Unchained

MAY 21, 2024

.’ Through our discussion, I gained a profound appreciation for the delicate balance required to honor the original’s spirit while introducing innovative gameplay mechanics that captivate a new generation of gamers. “Hacking is a central mechanic in the new game,” James explained.

Game Developer 52

Game Developer Game Development Development Balance 52

Grid Sage Games

DECEMBER 22, 2023

This new batch of items in particular is composed of quite a few belonging to the mechanics-heavy very interesting category, so in that regard this spike is quite meaningful. I’d share another of those cool item art collages, but I’ve already done that several times this year--scroll down SITREP #51 Another Big Bang to see one.

Beta 105

Beta Alpha Mechanics Build 105

iXie gaming

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

This will help you shape the gameplay art style, mechanics, and general experience. Upon establishing your audience, brainstorm unique features and game mechanics. Therefore, you should consider integrating mechanics that enable players to gather, evolve, trade, and customize their NFT-based assets.

Game Developer 52

Game Developer Game Development Development Asset 52

Keith Burgun

JANUARY 4, 2023

For month after month, I tried fixing them with different supporting mechanisms, different ways that cards were obtained, different ways damage was dealt, and a lot more, but nothing really fixed the fundamental problem. Once I realized that we were going to have to ditch the core mechanism, that kind of meant something like starting over.

Mechanics 52

Mechanics Game Design Game Designer Playtesting 52

Grid Sage Games

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

Beta 11 was a huge milestone in Cogmind development, having completed a comprehensive review of all items and their stats and mechanics in order to rebalance where necessary, a process I wrote about in detail last year. As part of this drive, for months I’ve been creating over 100 new items, most of them including new mechanics.

Balance 52

Balance Mechanics Beta Alpha 52

Grid Sage Games

MARCH 10, 2022

Mechanics that are never quite worth taking advantage of, items that haven’t lived up to their potential, or were later superseded by other options but remained unchanged, or even long-term experiments that were included at some point but never updated/expanded/removed. ASCII art for Exiles prototypes.

Balance 52

Balance Mechanics Beta Prototyping 52

Mnenad

JULY 8, 2018

The Mechanic I. I was looking for suitable solutions for having both views in the mechanic of the game. Having the character and the story set, the mechanic was implemented. I decided in the end for a “scan mechanic” instead of an “photography mechanic” The player has now to find the creatures aka.

Prototyping 52

Prototyping Terrain Open World Rigging 52

Sirlin

JUNE 13, 2015

Patrons helped playtest and also just point out errors or give suggestions how to improve things. At the $10 subscription level, patrons get my "Raw Game Design" podcast where I discuss actual design problems in the middle of solving for my games, as well as some sneak peeks at art.

Fighting 52

Fighting Fantasy Art Build 52

iXie gaming

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

Also, define your game’s genre, interaction modes, and gameplay mechanics. Prototyping  Create a minimum viable product or a prototype to assess your multiplayer game’s core mechanics. Teams collaborate to code and create the multiplayer game’s art assets, levels, and audio. Start by defining the type of game you want to create.

Game Developer 52

Game Developer Game Development Development Quality Assurance 52

Game Global

JULY 12, 2021

We must understand (and preferably help create and document) the game as a whole: from core mechanics to level design to cinematics, and everything in between. What does the Art Team need to know about this quest or level? We need to understand, at least at a high level, all of its features. Localization. Championing the vision.

Cutscenes 52

Cutscenes Writing Scripting Localization 52

Designer Notes

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

However, after playtesting, Hudson realized that his game’s meaning was the exact opposite from what he wanted: My game was telling players: You can’t have it all. However, even if designers take the time to build out all of the mechanics needed to create real emotional tension, things can still go awry. Life is zero sum.

Simulation 78

Simulation Agent Game Design Game Designer 78

Astral Clock Tower Studios

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Concept Art. Now that our concept art team has nearly completed the designs for all existing assets and items in the Kristala build that needed to be replaced with fresh assets, they're now able to move on to creating brand new items that don't yet have 3D counterparts. You can see the three options Nicholas shared with our team below.

Dev 52

Dev Animation Animation Concepts 52

Tom Francis

AUGUST 20, 2019

Could just be theme/art/flash, or perhaps a mechanics change? In my playtests this version feels like it gives you a lot more to think about, and more control over your success, which is why I’m ok with allowing a hard failure state. Do you have a better idea for scoring it? Should Jokers do something different?

Games 52

Games Playtesting Prototyping Concepts 52

Grid Sage Games

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

Cogmind generally has fewer such direct escape options, but teleport mechanics are out there, if an advanced tech not usually available until the late game. How about we add one, maybe using this new type of charging mechanism (described towards the end). Controlled Teleporting?

Mechanics 52

Mechanics Concepts Balance Terrain 52

PreMortem.Games

JUNE 11, 2024

Frustrated with the traditional rewarding of slaughter in games, she developed a unique resource management mechanic that discourages unnecessary killing. I was able to raise enough money to hire contractors to help me with art and audio but I didn’t raise enough money to pay myself,” she says.

Development 104

Development Playtesting Indy Prototyping 104

Brand Game Development

JULY 20, 2020

– a card game (print & play) that was primarily a study of implementing a card-flip mechanic (where cards had different effects depending on which side is face-up) that ended up being fun enough to at least make it publicly available. It could have easily been far worse – especially on art. Fulfillment.

Prototyping 130

Prototyping Games Dev Playtesting 130

PreMortem.Games

JUNE 14, 2024

I didn’t really know any people who were good at the other game-related disciplines, like art, level design etcetera, so I just tried to learn all those things by myself. The grappling hook is one rather unique mechanic in the game in the sense that it is a lot more flexible than most grappling hooks in other games.

Dev 104

Dev Games Playtesting Art 104

Radiator Blog

JUNE 30, 2022

The stunning Cruising Pavilion installation at the 2018 Venice Biennale My previous cruising game The Tearoom focused on the emotional and psychological aspects of cruising, and eventually went on tour with the fantastic group art exhibition Cruising Pavilion. So for example, instead of redeeming two men for a +3.0

Code 100

Code Education Educational Prototyping 100