Balancing creativity and deadlines in game development
Game Developer
SEPTEMBER 5, 2024
The article offers a framework for managers to balance creativity and deadlines, ensuring the timely delivery of a great game.
Solo dev Josh Salley (HALbot Studios) “I believe in keeping a good work life balance”
PreMortem.Games
AUGUST 3, 2023
Josh Salley has always been a big fan of gaming, but thought that game development was out of his reach. “I I just assumed game development involved writing code all day.” I have always been a huge gamer, but never imagined I want to actually make games. I believe in keeping a good work life balance.
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How Mobile Game Developers Are Using Anime to Boost Engagement and Revenue Across the Globe
Game Refinery
MARCH 20, 2025
Some of these could be obtained by playing through the event, while others required in-app purchases, so there was a balance in trying to keep all players relatively happy. For example, in the Spy Family collaboration event, players could obtain outfits, emotes, gliders, ornaments, and many other items inspired by the show.
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Solo developer Kaighen Finley: “It’s easy to lose myself in game development”
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. Initially, I wanted to build games, but invested my eggs in web development first because I thought I was being pragmatic.
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Love Letter: Elegantly Balancing a Game
Brand Game Development
JANUARY 13, 2017
It’s the sort of game you can get your arms around in five minutes and understand the deeper elements of in twenty. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. The eight types of cards are elegantly balanced by short-term vs. long-term value.
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Wrapping up 2024 • Celebrating the life and works of solo developers
PreMortem.Games
DECEMBER 24, 2024
Here at PreMortem.Games, we have great admiration for developers who tackle the entire game development cycle on their own. Because, lets be honest, creating games is hard and it takes a special kind of developer to choose the solo path. Still, Nowell strives to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
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Some Factors to Managing a Team
Game Developer
DECEMBER 4, 2023
The operation of an efficient game development team is extraordinarily difficult to balance. These are a few key factors I have found influence the operations the most.
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Unity vs. Unreal Engine: Which is Better for Android Game Development?
Big Games
MARCH 27, 2025
Developers are constantly seeking the best tools to create engaging, high-performance games that can run smoothly on a wide range of Android devices. Two of the most popular game enginesUnity and Unreal are the top choices for Android game development. Merits: Easy to learn and use for rapid development.
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Jussi Kemppainen is exploring AI-assisted game development with Echoes of Somewhere
PreMortem.Games
AUGUST 30, 2023
With the discussions over the use of AI in game development raging on, Jussi-Petteri Kemppainen , Lead VFX Artist at Mainframe Industries and founder of Dinosaurs Are Better , spends his spare time to see what all the fuss really is about. ” He envisions a future where all game development is AI-assisted.
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5 Levels of Communication through Game Development
Brand Game Development
JULY 17, 2017
When it comes to games, there are a handful of truths that are very important to realize. Need help on your board game? 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.
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From fantasy kingdom to cyberpunk metropolis – the evolution of Technotopia by Yustas Games
PreMortem.Games
NOVEMBER 4, 2024
Technotopia by Yustas Game Studio is a deck-building game of high-stakes urban strategy, where every decision matters and the city’s fate lies in the hands of an AI architect named Iris. But initially, Techotopia was a completely different game. We developed the game with financial backing from Alawar.”
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The Sweet Art of Feature Adaptation
Deconstructor of Fun
NOVEMBER 12, 2024
It's about finding that sweet spot where a borrowed idea becomes a natural extension of your game, enhancing the player experience without compromising your original design. 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.
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Africa Games Week’s Event Director Alexandra Pattison “It’s a balancing act”
PreMortem.Games
SEPTEMBER 13, 2023
Unconventional professions At first, her family expressed concerns about her future in the events industry, which mirrors the reservations aspiring game developers often face. When children say, ‘I want to be a game developer’, parents usually reply that there’s no job or future in that.
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Solo dev Chad Crumbaker on his game Mekkablood: “Never thought it would be this difficult”
PreMortem.Games
DECEMBER 18, 2024
For Chad Crumbaker (working as KRUMP Games ), it was the promise of full creative freedom that drew him into the world of solo development. I was an early adopter of Unreal Engine 4 and always wanted to get into game development, he says. Why did you become a solo developer? when did you realise this was for you?
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Solo developer Voidmaw on creating Katanaut: “Done is better than perfect”
PreMortem.Games
JANUARY 30, 2025
Eugene, the solo developer behind Voidmaw , has spent three years crafting Katanaut , a fast-paced action-roguelite where players embody a katana-wielding astronaut fighting to escape a collapsing space station. As a one-person team, he embraces both the creative freedom and the intense challenges that come with solo development.
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QORPO brings generative AI features to AneeMate with AWS
AWS Games
DECEMBER 19, 2024
Grabbing the attention of gamers is challenging in a crowded market, but QORPO s unique video gaming experiences stand out. 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.
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Board Game Fulfillment & Why it Matters on Day 1 of Game Development
Brand Game Development
FEBRUARY 25, 2019
In fact, fulfillment often determines how big games are and how many components can be included. Many game developers think about fulfillment only after their project is complete – and you can certainly get away with it! Need help on your board game? It’s a tough balancing act!
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How to Balance Time, Resources, and Costs in Mobile Game Development?
Big Games
JANUARY 7, 2024
Embarking on the ambitious journey of mobile game development is akin to setting sail on uncharted waters. The path is fraught with multifaceted challenges for any game development company or mobile game development services provider. How to Start Mobile Game Development?
AWS for Games debuts Guide to Generative AI for Game Developers, and more at GDC 2024
AWS Games
MARCH 27, 2024
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industries, a seismic shift that was certainly felt at the 2024 Game Developer Conference (GDC) held last week in San Francisco at the Moscone Convention Center. Check it out , and follow the recap below for a full rundown of AWS for Games activities at GDC 2024.
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In Pirofauna by Polish indie studio Petums, fire is the hero of the forest
PreMortem.Games
JUNE 7, 2024
“I’ve never seen a game world where fire is portrayed positively,” says Tomasz Ostafin. Therefore, for balance, I create such a positive image of fire. Pirofauna is the second game by tiny indie studio Petums. The first game Papetura was successful enough for Ostafin to make game development his full-time occupation.
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The Art of 2.5D: How It’s Redefining Game Design
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.
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Behind the Veil: The Complexities of Game Development and Market Reception
Game Dev Unchained
MAY 17, 2023
In the expansive and rapidly evolving world of video games, the stakes have never been higher. The rise of increasingly intricate and expensive game schemes has not only upped the ante for game developers but also heightened the expectations of an ever-demanding audience. “Game schemes are expensive. .
Balancing In-House and Augmented Teams in Game Development
Juego Studio
JANUARY 18, 2024
Game development is a highly specialized and profitable niche. The advent of technology in this industry enables the making of high-quality and variety of video games.
AI game development legal issues, explained
Game Daily
MAY 12, 2023
I spoke to Moreira about his work, and the current state of AI in game development, and I learned a lot about a complicated issue. I’d say they are working towards a balance between workforce replacement and AI usage. Governments around the world have yet to encode the use of AI into their legal frameworks.
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Deliver At All Cost by Far Out Games is a destructive joyride through a 1950s wonderland
PreMortem.Games
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
“It was definitely a challenge,” Olsson admits, referring to balancing player freedom with cohesive level design. Far Out Games’ journey began as a seven-week student project in a local game development program in Gothenburg, Sweden. But we wanted the missions to be unique and unpredictable. And that’s certainly the case!”
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Creating Sustainable Game Economies: Leveraging Game Analytics for Balance and Stability
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. However, the gaming world has been evolving constantly. Creating a sustainable game economy using game analytics can be challenging. But worry not!
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Ethical Considerations in Game Analytics: Balancing Data and Privacy
iXie gaming
MAY 24, 2024
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. In this article, we dive into the ethical considerations developers must consider in-game analytics to ensure a balance between data usage and player privacy.
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Scaling Art Production for Live-Service Games: Challenges, Innovations, and Future-Ready Pipelines
iXie gaming
MARCH 2, 2025
How do top game studios maintain a constant flow of high-quality assets without bottlenecks? 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.
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Wrapping up 2023 • Celebrating the life and works of solo developers
PreMortem.Games
DECEMBER 22, 2023
And it takes a special kind of developer that wants to fly solo. This year we featured over 20 brave game creators in our solo developers-series and we like to share some highlights. It took solo game developer Graham Reid great effort to finish his game. “I A point of interest in the indie game sea.”
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My week at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) and what I learned
CG Spectrum
APRIL 3, 2023
The annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) was held last week in San Francisco, boasting 28,000 attendees ! Penny was kind enough to share her experience at GDC and why she believes it's such a valuable event for people looking to break into the games industry. ✌️ Build your community while you build your game dev skills!
How Rubber Duck Games developed a boss fight in Evil Wizard
Unity Blog
AUGUST 17, 2023
In this guest blog, the Rubber Duck Games team breaks down the journey to developing a boss fight for Evil Wizard – from design and prototyping to animation, testing, balancing, and finalizing the visual effects.
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Osama Dorias: Progress fighting crunch is at risk
GamesIndustry.biz
NOVEMBER 15, 2023
Back in March, Osama Dorias was part of an industry panel on burnout at the Game Developers' Conference, sharing his own personal story of burning out in the industry and the toll it took on his mental health. Read more
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How to Tell When Play-Testing Feedback is Useful or Not
Brand Game Development
SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. Play-testing is so critical in board game development that I’ve dedicated several articles to the subject. ” Need help on your board game? Click here.
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Kazakhstan-based Goodwin Games takes us on an emotional adventure in Selfloss
PreMortem.Games
OCTOBER 28, 2024
.” Epic MegaGrant Developing a game in Kazakhstan poses its own set of challenges, as Khoroshavin explains. The indie game development community here in Almaty is almost non-existent,” he says. Having an investor who believes in the game has been incredibly supportive,” he shares.
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Scaling Multiplayer Games: The Hidden Challenges and Testing Solutions for Peak Performance
iXie gaming
NOVEMBER 27, 2024
Balancing these protocols is essential for managing the rapid transfer of player actions without creating excessive strain on the network. However, accurate prediction becomes exponentially more difficult at scale, demanding rigorous, data-driven testing to perfect the balancing act between real-time responsiveness and server-side accuracy.
From Concept to Completion: Navigating the Game Art Production Pipeline
iXie gaming
MARCH 28, 2025
Whether its a photorealistic RPG or a stylized indie game, every visual element follows a structured journey from concept to integration. In the early days of game development, creating assets was a fragmented, time-consuming process. Tools like ZBrush, Blender, and Maya help maintain a balance between detail and efficiency.
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Ways To Balance The Simplicity And Complexity In A Game
Big Games
AUGUST 25, 2021
The main aim of the game developers is to make sure the gaming app is engaging and interactive, whereby they can gain a larger user base and get a share in the marketplace. When we talk about building engaging and interactive mobile games, there are a few things that have to be considered while developing games.
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The Story of Oscar Esio and Africacomicade’s Community Impact
PreMortem.Games
FEBRUARY 23, 2024
During my stay, I had the incredible opportunity to witness Esio, the founder and program coordinator of Africacomicade , take charge of video game industry discussions at Lagos ComicCon and work the room at the tight-knit Xbox game developer community meetup at Microsoft’s Lagos offices. ” remarked Esio.
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A deep dive into the beautiful (video) game in A Tale of Two Halves by Bitmap Books
PreMortem.Games
OCTOBER 16, 2024
Football Game Development Moss conducted over a dozen in-depth interviews with football game designers for the book. His research revealed just how difficult it is to create a great football game. Developers also have to balance realism and fun, something that Moss found fascinating.
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How to Make Board Game Rules
Brand Game Development
SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. With this in mind, let’s talk about how exactly you can make board game rules. A mechanic is the concept behind the game and the rule is the way that it’s handled to ensure balance.” 14 Rules for Board Game Rules.
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Modernize game backend services with AWS Global Accelerator
AWS Games
DECEMBER 18, 2024
Traditionally, gaming companies relied on application load balancers (ALBs) or network load balancers (NLBs) to connect players to services. AWS Global Accelerator can modernize your backend services that use application load balancers or network load balancers.
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How to Learn Complex Material Quickly
Brand Game Development
MAY 12, 2017
Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. Over the course of the last week, I’ve taken a bit of a left turn in the development of Highways & Byways. Need help on your board game? Want to learn game development?
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Games Speak through Mechanics, Not Rules
Brand Game Development
APRIL 28, 2017
Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. The mark of a great game developer is to make great complexity and interaction come out of simple elements. Need help on your board game? Just here for Highways & Byways updates?
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Protodroid Delta's journey from Mega Man fan game to Humble-published title
GamesIndustry.biz
MAY 25, 2023
Game development is never an easy endeavour to start with, but Kareem went through it on Hard Mode, as a hobbyist developer who had to balance his dream project with a full-time job and raising kids. Read more
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