PreMortem.Games

JANUARY 30, 2025

And of course, balancing everything like coding, art, marketing, and playtesting can be exhausting. I sketch things out by hand, hang up the drafts all over my wall using tape and sit on the ideas, prototype mechanics, and just see what clicks. The toll on mental health can be quite high for solo devs. How do you deal with that?

Development 138

Development Playtesting Prototyping Point and Click 138

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 2, 2024

What started as a simple concept quickly turned into a game that challenges players with a mix of strategic depth and risk-reward mechanics. Solo devs have to be generalists, and that’s not for everyone”. I think we have a similar attitude about what ‘good game design’ is, mechanically.

Dev 104

Dev Development Mechanics Writing 104

PreMortem.Games

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

Throughout development, you may often be tempted to include incredible features and mechanics that weren’t originally planned, which can make the project’s completion elusive. Finally, maintain a healthy balance between work and rest. Beware of mutant scope. It’s preferable to cut elements rather than add new ones.

Dev 163

Dev Advertising Internet Development 163

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 28, 2024

The control mechanics are integral to the gameplay, allowing players to operate Kazimir and his staff both together and independently. The way you control the old man and the magical staff at the same time is a neat mechanic that I am proud of,” Khoroshavin says.

Prototyping 104

Prototyping Indy Games Concepts 104

PreMortem.Games

MAY 19, 2023

Drawing inspiration from their own experiences in bouldering, the team sought to incorporate the exhilarating mechanics of climbing into the game. To strike a balance, the team aimed to automate as much of the body movements as possible while retaining the meaningful choices that players make while climbing.

Indy 104

Indy Dev Studios Playtesting 104

Brand Game Development

SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

As I said last week , “rules regulate the way mechanics are implemented. A mechanic is the concept behind the game and the rule is the way that it’s handled to ensure balance.” ” Rules are really tricky to do right because you have to serve two purposes: balance the game and communicate clearly.

Balance 130

Balance Games Communications Mechanics 130

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 23, 2023

It is hard to balance something deep and meaningful with game mechanics while keeping things enjoyable for the player. The post Solo dev Michael Schmidt “Adding spiritual traditions to games is hard” appeared first on PreMortem Games. To Greg Malone , wherever you are, thanks!”

Dev 118

Dev Games Development Balance 118

Brand Game Development

JULY 17, 2017

The following excerpt is from Games Speak through Mechanics, Not Rules (Dev Diary: 04/28/17). If you strip out all the mechanics that put obstacles in your players’ path, what’s left? The core engine is the bare minimum set of mechanics you need to have a functioning game. That’s a mechanic. Chess tells a story.

Communications 130

Communications Game Development Game Developer Development 130

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 9, 2023

What originally started out as a treehouse building simulator prototype, slowly evolved as the duo gradually added different mechanics. “It From the building mechanics, all the way to the third person character movements. Does it improve the mechanics of the game? We judge each feature based on three criteria.

Engineering 129

Engineering Engine Build Mechanics 129

PreMortem.Games

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

He took some online courses on programming and he was in business, as a solo dev operating under the name of Frambosa , only six months later. So, his solo debut game Billy Bumbum might be the first and last game he made as a one-man-dev-team. But for me it might be different than for other solo devs. There are many lessons!

Dev 104

Dev Puzzle Prototyping Development 104

Deconstructor of Fun

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

Written by Ahmetcan Demirel , the maestro of product management and a podcast host ( Game Dev Diary ) from Germany! Titles like Match Factory , Triple Match 3D , and Tile Busters have successfully carved out space by introducing fresh mechanics to the puzzle category. With a knack for puzzles, arcades, and simulation games.

Puzzle 52

Puzzle Mechanics Tile Games 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

APRIL 17, 2023

Staying motivated isn’t hard at all for the solo dev. “It But the morale and quality of life it can bring can be quite motivating, balancing & inspiring – if not all the above.” Balance your mental health. So for things like these, I take the above steps to counter balance. Why did you become a solo developer?

Game Development 197

Game Development Game Developer Development Games 197

Brand Game Development

APRIL 23, 2018

Much like my old staple How to Get Big on Twitter as a Board Game Dev , I’ll be covering everything you need to know to get started on Facebook as a board game developer. New game devs: don’t write off Facebook because it’s expensive. You have strike a balance. We’ll get to that in more detail below.

Build 130

Build Dev Advertising Games 130

Brand Game Development

DECEMBER 22, 2017

Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. After all, I’m checking to make sure there are no serious balance issues that come out of repeated plays. ” “I wish I could Photoshop as good as Brandon the Game Dev,” said no one.

Point and Click 130

Point and Click Dev Games Mechanics 130

Brand Game Development

JULY 14, 2017

Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. 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.

Art 130

Art Dev Mechanics Game Developer 130

Brand Game Development

MARCH 13, 2017

In this breakdown, we’ll delve deep into the enigmatic balance of leaders running away and losers catching up. I’m going to use the term “runaway leader” to refer to a specific, purposefully included design mechanic. Colony has a “runaway leader” mechanic, but it reigns this in with different mechanics that act as counterbalances.

Mechanics 130

Mechanics Games Advertising Build 130

PreMortem.Games

NOVEMBER 15, 2023

RimWorld is balanced around sitting on a single map, with everything easily accessible. This also meant we had less dev time to fix bugs or optimize performance. The post Ascent of Ashes dev switches to Godot halfway development “Not as chaotic as Unity” appeared first on PreMortem Games.

Dev 118

Dev Development Feature Prototyping 118

Brand Game Development

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

rule book, I use visual examples to explain how the energy mechanic works. It’s a tough balance. Yet if you strike this balance, the reward is precious: you can prime a player’s experience. appeared first on Brandon the Game Dev. In my own game, War Co. , In the War Co. Make it visual.

Balance 130

Balance Concepts Render Mechanics 130

Brand Game Development

OCTOBER 20, 2017

Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. I’m just adding another mechanic and a tweaking a few rules. Major issues are ones that involve sweeping changes to the game such as new mechanics or sweeping rule changes. Click here.

Point and Click 130

Point and Click Games Mechanics Dev 130

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 25, 2024

It’s a brutal journey of persistence, frustration, and constant restarts, where the stakes are as emotional as they are mechanical. Internal debate The development of Ascending Inferno wasn’t just about embracing punishing mechanics though. For Oppolyon Studio’s co-founder, Isaac Iozzi , this hellish struggle is all too familiar.

Studios 118

Studios Indy Mechanics Games 118

Brand Game Development

MAY 12, 2017

Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. That includes popular games, mechanics, and themes; well-known designers; and how to run a successful Kickstarter. Key Takeaways for Game Devs. Just here for Highways & Byways updates?

Dev 130

Dev Game Development Game Developer Balance 130

Brand Game Development

DECEMBER 11, 2017

Game rules are how we regulate the mechanics of our games so that they are consistent with the messages we want to send to players. Short-term mechanic testing. Brandon: At the short-term mechanic testing stages, you’re really just using rules to help underlying mechanics manifest themselves! Private testing.

Mechanics 130

Mechanics Writing Concepts Games 130

Brand Game Development

JUNE 20, 2019

The reason is that Cover Your Assets’ core mechanic is deceptively quite compelling. The core mechanic of stealing and defending sets of cards that increase in value is essentially the whole game. Wide audiences find the core mechanic of Cover Your Assets really compelling. Two Stacks Per Player.

Asset 130

Asset Mechanics Games Balance 130

Radiator Blog

MARCH 16, 2023

Last month, game industry documentary makers 2 Player Productions debuted a massive 32-part YouTube game dev doc series Double Fine PsychOdyssey , chronicling the development of Psychonauts 2 from its earliest glimmers of pre-production in 2015 to its final release in 2021.

Art 147

Art Concepts Dev Studios 147

Brand Game Development

NOVEMBER 24, 2017

Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. Once the core engine and mechanics are in place, board games can be dragged down by easy-to-fix but hard-to-identify issues. I-4 comes with art applied, slightly simplified rules, and tighter balance.

Point and Click 130

Point and Click Games Dev Mechanics 130

Brand Game Development

JANUARY 13, 2020

Sure, cooperative play is not exactly some exotic unseen mechanic too. Balanced asymmetry leads to greater variety. The trick, of course, is to make sure all varying powers are definitely distinct while remaining balanced. Lastly, the variable player powers are balanced in such a way that the game stays fresh for a long time!

Game Design 130

Game Design Game Designer Games Balance 130

Brand Game Development

JANUARY 29, 2018

I also work with indie dev companies on a more casual level discussing challenges, goals and brainstorming solutions. There may even be some storytelling to convey the reason or meaning behind a particular series rules and mechanics. The gameplay section should focus on round mechanics. Brandon: I definitely agree with that.

Writing 130

Writing Games Mechanics Balance 130

Brand Game Development

DECEMBER 8, 2017

Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. With enough games, outliers tend to balance each other out. That’s not necessarily good or bad, but it’s something game devs need to be wary of. Just here for Highway s & Byways updates?

Point and Click 130

Point and Click Games Dev Prototyping 130

Brand Game Development

AUGUST 11, 2017

Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. If your game becomes unplayable due to a glitch in the rules, a logical inconsistency in mechanics, or even a wickedly overpowered strategy, you cannot blind play-test it. Period, point blank.

Point and Click 100

Point and Click Games Art Communications 100

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. Categorical Approach. Alien Artifacts.

Balance 52

Balance Mechanics Beta Prototyping 52

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. This balance was achieved through a combination of careful planning and creative experimentation.

Game Development 52

Game Development Game Developer Development Balance 52

Deconstructor of Fun

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

CASHING OUT: The actual Stars balance a game publisher earns can be reinvested in ads promoting the app , which in theory cuts out a lot of the “middle man” costs necessary for a publisher to pay in standard mobile gaming. Graphics may be relatively simplistic but every moment has to be ‘perfect.’

Games 52

Games Platformer Balance Mobile 52

Ask a Game Dev

JANUARY 12, 2023

We can discuss mechanics and existing content (and what we might modify), but we generally won’t take suggestions on hypothetical new content in forms other than “Would you like to see X?” Game mechanics, for example, cannot be copyrighted so game mechanics are fair to talk about.

Content 40

Content Mechanics Dev Balance 40

Brand Game Development

JULY 1, 2019

Once you craft the basic concepts of your game and find the right mechanics to express them , you have to set rules. In my first Designer Diary post for Tasty Humans , I talked about the mechanics of dropping shapes (which represent the titular “Tasty Humans”) in order to fill up the stomach of the each player’s monster.

Tile 130

Tile Games Mechanics Build 130

Game Analytics

DECEMBER 5, 2022

This time, we’ll look at the top games that use storytelling as a core mechanic and show you that you don’t need sparkling design and intense gameplay to create a hit. Reigns does a good job balancing this information while leaving enough mystery for unexpected twists. Making choices can be the sole mechanic, and you still have a game.

Horror 109

Horror Games Mobile Mobile 109

Ask a Game Dev

AUGUST 22, 2024

However, I don’t want to leave things too abstract - game design is about taking an idea and translating it into real game rules and mechanics. If you balance things right, the choice isn’t always obvious and will depend on evaluating other factors at the time of the choice. That’s what makes it interesting.

Mechanics 52

Mechanics AI Dev Racing 52