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

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 40

Mechanics Games Playtesting Prototyping 40

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

JULY 1, 2024

Evan Anthony: “Alternating between two timelines with such different visual designs, mechanics, and stories has been a real brain puzzle for us. This time around we’re putting a lot more time and resources into playtesting and catching problems early.” ” “My hope for Nirvana Noir is that people have a fun time!”

Art 138

Art Games Puzzle Graphics 138

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that are never quite worth taking advantage of, items that haven’t lived up to their potential, or were later superseded by other options but remained unchanged, or even long-term experiments that were included at some point but never updated/expanded/removed.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

Balance 52

Balance Mechanics Beta Prototyping 52

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

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. Develop smart contracts.

Game Development 52

Game Development Game Developer Development Asset 52

Big Games

DECEMBER 5, 2023

Different teams collaborate – writers shape the narrative, engineers discuss technical details, artists align visuals, and developers plan in-game mechanics. Regular software updates, including game-balancing patches and new downloadable content (DLC), keep the game fresh and engaging.

Game Development 52

Game Development Game Developer Development Bug 52

PreMortem.Games

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

All this before there’s ever any playtesting done. But I think the main lesson is to test more, test sooner, test elaborately and don’t only test for the game’s mechanics. And generally I maintained a pretty healthy work life balance for the most part of it. When working in a team ideas bounce around, feedback is given etc.

Dev 104

Dev Puzzle Prototyping Development 104

Game Analytics

FEBRUARY 14, 2023

Playtesting is crucial at this point. That’s interesting and new gameplay for Among Us” There were plenty more features and mechanics the team considered adding. As a multiplayer PvP (player versus player) game, it’s critical to get the balance right between crewmates and imposters. You may have to get creative.

Dev 91

Dev Playtesting Fantasy Render 91

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 Designer Game Design Playtesting 52

Grid Sage Games

OCTOBER 2, 2022

The entire mechanic revolves around a single new utility: the Scrap Engine. Although in both cases the results are indeed based on the inputs, the process is not deterministic, so it’s not a pure “crafting” mechanic in that sense. A new utility is born. Constructs can be power sources, propulsion, or weapons.

Engineering 52

Engineering Engine Mechanics Balance 52

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. You help balance out each others’ weaknesses. Will was also lead story writer for Tower.

Prototyping 130

Prototyping Playtesting Games Game Designer 130

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

Grid Sage Games

JULY 17, 2022

I’m reminded of Beta 11’s spicing up the main complex with Heavies and Cargo Convoys , though in this case it’s not just adding one or two new mechanics but instead about turning Garrisons into proper branch maps in terms of content distribution… Encounter Architecture. …alert level xD.

Beta 52

Beta Content Balance Mechanics 52

Radiator Blog

MARCH 16, 2023

Each level also had unique mechanics and art styles that all tied into a cohesive whole. They still need to balance this pre-production with finishing the studio's other projects too. What's the balance? Again, what's the balance here? It was a quirky story-first 3D platformer with jokes that were actually funny.

Art 59

Art Concepts Dev Studios 59

Deconstructor of Fun

MAY 23, 2023

At that point, Second Dinner revealed that their first project just so happens to be a licensed Marvel IP, which the team has been working on for six months already and is currently beginning to playtest. This intro makes it easy for players to get started and feel comfortable with the game mechanics.

Feature 95

Feature Mechanics Tile Mobile 95

Deconstructor of Fun

MARCH 14, 2023

Diversify revenue model Cilingir urged game-makers with games skewed heavily toward either ad or IAP-based monetisation to balance their revenue mix. He stressed that games should hold true to the brand’s values, citing Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes as a perfect product-market fit.

Games 59

Games Cross platform Mobile Mobile 59

Designer Notes

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

I’d like to talk about another game, Kent Hudson’s narrative simulation, The Novelist, which explores the story of the title character who has troubling balancing his three biggest priorities – his wife, his work, and his son. Life is zero sum. You can’t win.

Simulation 78

Simulation Agent Game Designer Game Design 78

Deconstructor of Fun

OCTOBER 17, 2022

The only examples of F2P shooters at scale were Korean (Crossfire) and Chinese (Assault Fire/Ni-Zhan), both focused on pay-to-win mechanics. It was not uncommon to assume that a better designed map or finely balanced mode that took three times as long as competition would eventually win the day.

Content 52

Content FPS Mobile Mobile 52

Brand Game Development

JULY 15, 2019

Particularly when hard choices come from simple mechanics. I knew I needed a mechanic that gave players a choice of one adventurer from several options. When selecting a game mechanic, it is the most familiar solution. This was a warning that I might be taking the path of least resistance when picking a mechanic.

Tile 130

Tile Mechanics Games Puzzle 130

Brand Game Development

JULY 22, 2019

So often, when we’re balancing our designs , it’s because we’re trying to nail down board game pacing. In each of the design diaries that I have written so far, I have focused on a specific game mechanic or isolated portion of the game. Acquiring more Leader tiles gives the player more to try to balance.

Tile 130

Tile Games Playtesting Balance 130

Radiator Blog

JUNE 30, 2022

For balance purposes, I limit the number of voyeurs in the maze, otherwise it can enter a deadlock where there's only voyeurs but no one for them to watch. L loss or often worse, since cops can exploit the same chain reaction mechanic as the player. Voyeurs work differently, they have sex by watching a couple have sex.

Code 52

Code Educational Education Prototyping 52