Brand Game Development

NOVEMBER 20, 2017

Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the third of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. What are game mechanics?

Mechanics 130

Mechanics Games Game Design Game Designer 130

Brand Game Development

NOVEMBER 27, 2017

Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the fourth of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. How do you test game mechanics?

Mechanics 130

Mechanics Games Development Balance 130

PreMortem.Games

FEBRUARY 10, 2025

But as the story developed, it took on a life of its own. “The balancing of the game between two players,” Olczyk explains. We throw ideas around, different puzzle mechanics, narrative elements and unique interactions,” Olczyk says. “Surprisingly, very few developers are truly exploring it.

Puzzle 138

Puzzle Mechanics Communications Studios 138

Logic Simplified

JULY 31, 2023

There is one area every game designer must focus on to ensure that their games are captivating enough to entertain and provide an impactful experience to the user: game mechanics. When creating a new game, video game mechanics are often considered the most important factor. What are game mechanics? So let’s get started.

Mechanics 95

Mechanics Puzzle Games Game Design 95

PreMortem.Games

APRIL 17, 2023

Fresh out of school Kaighen Finley started his own web & game development company Team iNtuition. Just to be on the safe side he mainly focused on web development, but his heart was not in it. Why did you become a solo developer? How do you stay motivated through (years of) development? It isn’t a necessity.

Game Developer 197

Game Developer Game Development Development Games 197

PreMortem.Games

DECEMBER 16, 2024

German indie developer Vivid Storm Interactive is a three person team that started when they launched a Kickstarter campaign for Ascent of Ashes in 2021. Studio owner and Lead Developer Max Hermann originally developed the idea for the game in the time when he was still a computer science student and active in the RimWorld modding scene.

Dev 104

Dev Development Feature Prototyping 104

PreMortem.Games

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

First-time Swedish developer Far Out Games has meticulously crafted a neon-drenched Americana, complete with pink motels, sun-soaked suburbs and classic diners, all ready to be obliterated by you and your unstoppable delivery truck. After all the years of development, Nielsen is still impressed by their own game.

Open World 104

Open World Games Studios Development 104

Brand Game Development

JULY 17, 2017

Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. That’s why I developed a theory which I refer to as the Five Levels of Communication through Game Development. The following excerpt is from Games Speak through Mechanics, Not Rules (Dev Diary: 04/28/17). That’s a mechanic.

Communications 130

Communications Game Developer Game Development Development 130

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Developed by Alexander Khoroshavin (Alex Goodwin) and a small team, the game centers around an elderly healer named Kazimir, who journeys through a whale-worshiping fantasy land to heal his ‘soul wound’. The control mechanics are integral to the gameplay, allowing players to operate Kazimir and his staff both together and independently.

Prototyping 104

Prototyping Indy Games Concepts 104

iXie gaming

MARCH 2, 2025

While 3D dominates modern game development, 2.5D This technique isnt just a nostalgic throwback; its a strategic design choice that allows developers to craft visually striking, performance-efficient, and highly engaging experiences. From indie studios to AAA developers, 2.5D merges the best of both worlds.

Art 52

Art Game Design Game Designer Hitbox 52

iXie gaming

NOVEMBER 27, 2024

Synchronization Deep-Dive: Managing Real-Time Player Actions Across Regions Ensuring stability across regions requires network protocols tailored for scalability, with fallback mechanisms to handle high traffic loads. AI’s ability to learn from these tests helps in refining load-balancing strategies to prevent issues in live environments.

Cross platform 52

Cross platform Data Balance AI 52

AWS Games

DECEMBER 19, 2024

Leveraging many managed services from Amazon Web Services (AWS), the game developer, publisher, and solutions provider accelerated creative game development for popular titles like Citizen Conflict. Using Amazon Bedrock, developers built an AI agent that analyzes near real-time game data streaming from Amazon Kinesis.

AI 85

AI Feature Technology Cross platform 85

PreMortem.Games

JANUARY 3, 2024

Working under the name of MystiveDev the Mojsovski-brothers actively include the player community in almost every aspect of development. The collaboration extends to game mechanics and gameplay loops, where player feedback plays a crucial role in shaping the final product. Our games are made for the players. “I say it’s 50/50.

Horror 211

Horror Build Playtesting Animation 211

PreMortem.Games

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

Void Sails by indie developer Ticking Clock Games is a single-player action-adventure RPG that takes players on a thrilling journey through mysterious worlds, where they captain a flying ship across uncharted space. “With a small team and some pretty big ambitions, balancing priorities, time, and skills has been tough and still is!”

Point and Click 104

Point and Click Games Feature Balance 104

PreMortem.Games

SEPTEMBER 26, 2024

Small teams and solo developers often produce some of the most unique and personal games, and this holds true for Rablo Games, an indie studio led by founder Pablo Coma. “Initially, I planned to develop it alone, just like my previous game.” The studio’s upcoming release, Necro Story, marks an exciting new chapter.

Development 104

Development Indy Mechanics Games 104

PreMortem.Games

MARCH 29, 2024

The low-poly racing game, developed by Polish indie developer Pixel Perfect Dude , feels like a love letter to the PlayStation 1 era of rally games, where you could actually name the top drivers and the cars they drove. “Ah Achieving the right balance was not an easy feat according to Szpiczakowski. “We

Pixel 156

Pixel Racing Terrain Asset 156

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 9, 2023

They are both well aware of the irony of two engineers developing a parody engineering game, but that hasn’t stopped Cillín Farrell and Neil Mackenzie from devoting the majority of their spare time doing just that. From the building mechanics, all the way to the third person character movements. Do we know how to implement it?

Engine 129

Engine Engineering Build Mechanics 129

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 25, 2024

If there ever was a fitting metaphor for the trials and tribulations that indie developers face while creating their debut game, it’s Ascending Inferno , the upcoming release by Australian developer Oppolyon Studio. As first-time indie developers, their journey mirrors the very game they’ve crafted. experience.

Studios 118

Studios Indy Mechanics Games 118

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 2, 2024

Tomasz Kaye had prior game development experience, with credits on Ibb & Obb and Chalo Chalo , but this time he went solo for his latest creation Axe Ghost. “It What started as a simple concept quickly turned into a game that challenges players with a mix of strategic depth and risk-reward mechanics.

Dev 104

Dev Development Mechanics Writing 104

Brand Game Development

SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. 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.” Making Balanced & Clear Rules.

Balance 130

Balance Games Communications Mechanics 130

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

iXie gaming

MARCH 2, 2025

The answer lies in scalable art production pipelines that balance speed, quality, and cross-platform optimization. Live-service game development presents unique challenges that traditional pipelines werent designed to handle. A simple texture change or model update can impact gameplay mechanics, UI design, and monetization strategies.

Art 52

Art Asset Texture AI 52

Deconstructor of Fun

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

Titles like Match Factory , Triple Match 3D , and Tile Busters have successfully carved out space by introducing fresh mechanics to the puzzle category. These games blur the lines between hypercasual simplicity and deeper, more engaging puzzle mechanics. These games are intentionally designed to minimize friction for players.

Puzzle 52

Puzzle Mechanics Tile Games 52

Deconstructor of Fun

DECEMBER 2, 2024

As development cycles get longer and break-even points extend, the question isn’t just about how fast you can scale but rather how reliably you can predict when that investment will pay off. AppLovin is seeing high-IP games use ad-based monetization from the hyper-casual world, while casual titles layer in complex mechanics.

Mechanics 52

Mechanics AI Games Studios 52

iXie gaming

APRIL 16, 2024

Establishing a sustainable and balanced game economy is crucial to the success of any game, as it helps drive player satisfaction and engagement. This has made it difficult to find the right balance between numerical indicators, such as player engagement and rewards, and in-game spending incentives. But worry not!

Balance 52

Balance Games Data Game Design 52

Brand Game Development

DECEMBER 11, 2017

Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the sixth of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Short-term mechanic testing.

Mechanics 130

Mechanics Writing Concepts Games 130

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 16, 2024

Creating The Books Though some might assume the company’s name is a nod to iconic British developers The Bitmap Brothers, the choice was purely practical. “I Football Game Development Moss conducted over a dozen in-depth interviews with football game designers for the book. Crazy times!”

Balance 156

Balance Games Writing Editing 156

Game Refinery

OCTOBER 26, 2023

The ever-changing nature of the mobile market means that new monetization mechanics are constantly emerging and evolving. One of the most popular monetization mechanics is the subscription-based battle pass , which was introduced via Valve’s DOTA 2 in 2013 but popularized by the worldwide phenomenon, Fortnite.

Mobile Gaming 220

Mobile Gaming Mobile Mobile Co-op 220

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. Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. I’m going to use the term “runaway leader” to refer to a specific, purposefully included design mechanic. Need help on your board game?

Mechanics 130

Mechanics Games Advertising Build 130

iXie gaming

MAY 24, 2024

Developers have long utilized game analytics for various purposes, such as understanding player behavior, enhancing user experience, and improving game design. As game analytics advances and data collection becomes more pervasive, the need to strike a balance between leveraging data and respecting player privacy becomes more crucial.

Data 52

Data Balance Games Game Developer 52

Brand Game Development

JUNE 20, 2019

Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. I am the developer of The Bears and The Bees and Cover Your Kingdom , published by Grandpa Beck’s games. Let’s be honest though – as any developer knows, even your friends and family won’t buy your game unless it’s truly entertaining.

Asset 130

Asset Mechanics Games Balance 130

PreMortem.Games

NOVEMBER 15, 2023

German indie developer Vivid Storm Interactive is a three person team that started when they launched a Kickstarter campaign for Ascent of Ashes in 2021. Studio owner and Lead Developer Max Hermann originally developed the idea for the game in the time when he was still a computer science student and active in the RimWorld modding scene.

Dev 118

Dev Development Feature Prototyping 118

PreMortem.Games

APRIL 12, 2024

Solo developer Walter Woods , working under the name of Here Below , used the distinctive black and white illustrations of 19th century artist, Gustave Doré as the textures for much of the game. Why did you become a solo developer? “I’m Even if it’s just for testing a small mechanic. I try to keep a balanced life.

Dev 151

Dev Horror Studios First person 151

PreMortem.Games

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

White Star Studio, a small and ambitious game development studio based in Shenzen, China, has captured the essence of ancient China in their game Thriving City. Combining these elements with sim mechanics meant we could come up with some exciting, innovative gameplay.” But it took some tweaking to get the right balance.

Studios 104

Studios Content Balance Mechanics 104

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 18, 2024

That’s why Brazilian developer Gamecraft Studios is evening the odds with a unique weapon-stacking system. The key idea was to use the gameplay mechanics from Vampire Survivors in a different genre. “We Gamecraft is placing a heavy emphasis on the weapon stacking mechanic, which sets it apart from other shooters.

Concepts 104

Concepts Mechanics FPS Studios 104

Brand Game Development

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. 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. I think this is short-sighted.

Balance 130

Balance Concepts Render Mechanics 130

PreMortem.Games

MAY 24, 2023

White Star Studio, a small and ambitious game development studio based in Shenzen, China, has captured the essence of ancient China in their game Thriving City. Combining these elements with sim mechanics meant we could come up with some exciting, innovative gameplay.” But it took some tweaking to get the right balance.

Studios 104

Studios Balance Content Playtesting 104