PreMortem.Games

AUGUST 16, 2023

It’s the debut game of Turkish studio Gorilla Softworks. “We We are building a historically accurate survival strategy game” Gorilla Softworks co-founder Deniz Şakar explains how the team has tried to accurately portray the challenges early humans faced while they looked for ways to survive and thrive. “We

Technology 104

Technology Indy Games Playtesting 104

Brand Game Development

DECEMBER 3, 2018

Yet the process, so heavy on rejection, has left many game designers heartbroken. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Board game publishers have to sort good from bad. The profit margins on games can be enormous, but they usually are not.

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Games Retail Game Designer Game Design 130

Brand Game Development

JANUARY 2, 2018

Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the ninth of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Need help on your board game? Carla: I have a few other games in the works as well, Drapple and Observance.

Playtesting 130

Playtesting Games Advertising Prototyping 130

Interesting Choices

OCTOBER 5, 2011

Also wanted to give a quick update on my various boardgame designs: City Draft - This 7 Wonders inspired drafting game is consistently liked in playtests and has been improving slowly and steadily. The game feels too easy, doesn't have enough strategy, and doesn't seem to quite evoke the feelings that I'm looking for.

Game Designer 40

Game Designer Game Design Playtesting Tile 40

Ask a Game Dev

DECEMBER 14, 2023

This doesn't have to be designing systems for video games - a lot of system designers I know are extremely proficient card, board, and tabletop game designers too. Remember, the purpose of system design is to create an elegant set of game rules that convey a game experience to the player.

Playtesting 52

Playtesting Dev Build Game Designer 52

DameDev.tv

DECEMBER 12, 2022

(*Rick has more than 14 years experience in the game dev industry, working on IP's that include Mario, Transformers, Captain America and Mortal Kombat. He's done it all, from Game Designer, Producer, Creative Director and Executive Producer to GameDev.tv's 's very own Instructor extraordinaire).

Game Development 90

Game Development Game Developer Development Dev 90

Logic Simplified

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

This sense of putting a player's abilities to use against a difficult situation in a game (challenge), and rewarding their potential for every challenge they overcome and every progress they make in the game (achievement), makes a player want to play. What is Level Design? Process of Level Designing and Game Development 1.

Mechanics 64

Mechanics Games Playtesting Concepts 64

Radiator Blog

MARCH 16, 2023

I assumed it was mostly for fans but after watching all 32 episodes (on 2x speed, skipping some parts) I've changed my mind and now I think it's essential viewing for all game designers / devs. Outside of game design, there's a growing tide against "design thinking" style methods, see "Design thinking was supposed to fix the world.

Art 147

Art Concepts Dev Studios 147

Interesting Choices

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

I've created an online prototype for playtesting that has seen almost 2000 games completed with at least a dozen players clocking in at over 100 games apiece. The rapid feedback and iteration cycles enabled by this level of playtesting mean that the game is currently in fantastic shape. Limited play decisions.

Build 40

Build Tile Point and Click Games 40

Brand Game Development

JUNE 11, 2018

I’m a solo game designer/developer of strategy games on both analog and digital platforms! I’m currently working on releasing my first game, State of Wonder , as well three other projects on the side. Brandon: Right, and building an audience is a long, slow endeavor (at least at first).

Prototyping 130

Prototyping Games Localization Demo 130

Sirlin

OCTOBER 20, 2015

Codex is a new take on customizable card games. Last week I posted a new Raw Game Design podcast episode (for $10+ patrons) where I discuss "reset buttons" in Codex (cards that blow up the board so you can possibly come back from a very bad position). Last month, I offered early access to (physical) Codex cards.

Fighting 52

Fighting Fantasy Balance Concepts 52

Game Dev Unchained

JULY 5, 2023

In fact, their team took a lot of inspiration from games like CS:GO and other tactical shooters, such as Battlefield. The philosophy behind this approach was to create an experience accessible to those with lower-end hardware, similar to how Riot Games designed Valorant to run on minimal specs.

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Indy Game Development Game Developer Development 105

PreMortem.Games

AUGUST 15, 2023

Are they building the backend themselves, or using a BaaS? An example could be: "The project you're currently on is getting close to the first Beta test, and you've just finished implementing an important game system, the Skill Tree. It’s important to note there are no right or wrong answers here. How secure is their solution?

Studios 104

Studios Engineering Engine Communications 104

iXie gaming

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Also, developers can monetize their games in new ways, and players can enjoy a more rewarding and immersive gaming experience. How to Venture in Your First NFT Game Development Here is a step-by-step guide to help you build your first NFT game: 1. Create and Mint NFTs Design and create unique NFT assets.

Game Development 52

Game Development Game Developer Development Asset 52

SOVEREIGN MOON

OCTOBER 12, 2020

Moving over to the right, you’ll see our workspaces , which we can toggle between to view our game or game scripts. Further over to the right we’ll see the playtest buttons which allow us to play, pause or stop our game. In the following tutorials, we’ll actually get to work building a game!

Asset 52

Asset Editing Code Scripting 52

Sirlin

JUNE 13, 2015

During Pandante development, I posted dozens of versions of the game board, cards, rules, etc. Patrons helped playtest and also just point out errors or give suggestions how to improve things. Codex, Flowchart, and now.the Fantasy Strike fighting game (yes, really!). Tech buildings let you build more powerful units.

Fighting 52

Fighting Fantasy Art Build 52

Deconstructor of Fun

MARCH 14, 2023

So how should publishers think about launching new games right now? Building a brand Cilingir used League of Legends and Genshin Impact as examples of brands that have resonated outside games, and stressed that community-building has never been more important as it lowers your UA cost.

Games 59

Games Cross platform Mobile Mobile 59

iXie gaming

OCTOBER 3, 2023

Gameplay testing , also called playtesting, is the process of having testers play a game to identify issues, collect feedback, and enhance its quality before official release. This process can be done at different phases of game development. This ensures more efficient and customized solutions to the game.

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Bug Mechanics Beta Playtesting 52

Grid Sage Games

MARCH 10, 2022

The first part of this so-called “Great Utility Update” began during Alpha 12 with a few fundamental mechanical changes, but since then the project remained on the to-do list until 1) even more content was added to the game, and 2) we collected more info about what items people were and were not using, and why.

Balance 52

Balance Mechanics Beta Prototyping 52

Mnenad

JULY 8, 2018

But before I explain the narration, I want to jump back in time when I started building the endless terrain generator. But on the other hand, this fact made me aware of my competence as a game designer.  The story gave me the answer.   I am able to create the perfect environment to reflect on my hypothesis.

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Prototyping Terrain Open World Rigging 52

PreMortem.Games

DECEMBER 24, 2024

Human touch Operating under the name RodentGames , Jason Larabie has taught himself the necessary skills to create his upcoming game Artificers Tower , a happy mix of base building, management sim and boss battles. I simply couldnt shake off my passion for making games, says Larabie. Its up to you if you work alone.

Development 197

Development Dev Horror Playtesting 197

Grid Sage Games

JULY 17, 2022

I considered a lot of options here, going as far as thinking of building a new generator from scratch (one that would make encounters much easier to implement), but I liked the established and consistent core theme of existing Garrisons and didn’t want to mess with that.

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Beta Content Balance Mechanics 52

Grumpy Gamer

JANUARY 18, 2018

How you divide your time between making games and living "real life" ? When I need to compile a Windows or Linux build, I start up a VM. Dividing my life between making games and real life is a struggle. I also had the idea of making adventure games for kids. I floated it by Lucasfilm Games and they weren't interested.

Puzzle 130

Puzzle Point and Click Playtesting Art 130

Grumpy Gamer

JANUARY 17, 2018

How you divide your time between making games and living “real life” ? When I need to compile a Windows or Linux build, I start up a VM. Dividing my life between making games and real life is a struggle. I also had the idea of making adventure games for kids. Headphones and music while doing?

Puzzle 130

Puzzle Point and Click Playtesting Art 130

Designer Notes

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

Game designers would just be guessing. So, what can games simulate? Strangely, the best example I can think of is a game trying to recreate a situation MUCH more difficult to simulate than baseball, life as a border agent in a totalitarian country. However, Wright was not making a game in the abstract.

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Simulation Agent Game Design Game Designer 78

Rindoku

OCTOBER 7, 2016

Moving from full-on development to showcasing your game is a huge shift. You’re working in a bubble for 12 hours a day to get that last build ready for the demo and then suddenly: BOOM! Fix the problems we identified during the playtest. Paint a picture of the final game. Except for Ovi; he can’t pull gangsta.

Point and Click 52

Point and Click Dev Demo Playtesting 52

Deconstructor of Fun

OCTOBER 17, 2022

However, even back then, Chinese players would spend a substantial amount of money in microtransactions which, thanks to a massive gamer population, were driving multiple franchises above the annual billion dollar revenue mark, making the free-to-play model the only way to build a viable business.

Content 52

Content FPS Mobile Mobile 52

Brand Game Development

JULY 20, 2020

Garret: I have been making games all my life, from building and tweaking Amiga Basic examples from a textbook when I was 8, to making Quake2 mods in my teens, to redesigning an all new dynamic version of Axis and Allies with my friends in university. Garret: My name is Garret Rempel, I’m a 34 year old Canadian father of 4.

Prototyping 130

Prototyping Games Dev Playtesting 130

Brand Game Development

JULY 22, 2019

Perfect board game pacing is one of the most underrated aspects of board game design. Somewhere between overwhelm and ennui, there lies a middle ground where a game is perfectly paced. A great board game feels challenging and interesting throughout. In playtesting, the time between turns has rarely been an issue.

Tile 130

Tile Games Playtesting Balance 130

Brand Game Development

JULY 15, 2019

One of the hallmarks of good board game design is being able to create hard choices. Sounds easy enough to do, but it’s actually really tough from the designer’s perspective! Let’s talk about how you can create hard choices in your board game. Particularly when hard choices come from simple mechanics.

Tile 130

Tile Mechanics Games Puzzle 130

Radiator Blog

JUNE 30, 2022

Can we build a sex dungeon that would do Jane Jacobs proud? This points to a general problem with treating sexual moods like immutable video game character classes. So in hindsight, a better game design analogy for sexual roles would've been "stances" or "buffs" that freely change and/or stack.

Code 100

Code Educational Education Prototyping 100