Aggro Crab shares early prototype of Another Crab's Treasure
Game Developer
OCTOBER 4, 2024
Take a peek at a 2021 build of the 2024 hit.
COCOON creator Jeppe Carlsen “I never compromise on playability”
PreMortem.Games
OCTOBER 11, 2023
At Geometric we put gameplay first, and we will always build our games around strong gameplay ideas”, says Carlsen. Complex feature The core concept of worlds within worlds was the first feature prototyped for Cocoon, undergoing substantial improvement and iteration. Cocoon’s development journey spanned a challenging 6.5
Puzzle 
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Ubisoft debuts NEO NPC AI prototypes | GDC 2024
GamesIndustry.biz
MARCH 19, 2024
Ubisoft has shown three behind-the-scenes demos at GDC this week on the potential of AI when it comes to building NPCs. Dubbed NEO NPCs, Ubisoft's efforts involves combining AI responses with narrative back stories and prompts designed to avoid making the NPCs appear 'soulless'.
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Fruit Ninja-creator Luke Muscat on the highs and lows of solo development “I’m just super motivated”
PreMortem.Games
MARCH 10, 2025
To find his first solo project, he developed a new brainstorming approach: he built a prototype in roughly 100 hours and let people play it. I build a prototype in roughly 100 hours, and then make a video about it for my YouTube channel and let people play the prototype.
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Solo developer Voidmaw on creating Katanaut: “Done is better than perfect”
PreMortem.Games
JANUARY 30, 2025
His design process is highly iterative, starting with loose ideas and evolving through sketches, prototyping, and constant refinement. I started tinkering with small projects on my own, and over time, I realized I enjoyed the freedom of building something exactly the way I envisioned it. It wasnt really a big decision.
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Video Game Prototyping and Its Importance in Game Development
Logic Simplified
JULY 27, 2023
Therefore, before developing the game's final version, you must test a prototype. What is a video game prototype, and why is it essential? Video game prototyping is the process of developing a rough plan for your game. Video game prototyping also aids developers in determining what works in their game and what does not.
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The walls are alive with tiny people in Cyborn’s Mixed Reality game Wall Town Wonders
PreMortem.Games
NOVEMBER 27, 2024
The game invites players to interact with tiny townsfolk, build unique structures and explore surprises, all while pioneering the possibilities of mixed-reality technology. Then I wondered, ‘Where would they build houses?’” Miniature people came to mind almost instantly.
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AWS to showcase tools for breakthrough gaming experiences at GDC 2025
AWS Games
MARCH 13, 2025
Experience first-hand how Amazon Web Services (AWS) for Games helps build breakthrough gaming experiences at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), March 17-21, 2025 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Join the team behind Netflixs Squid Game Unleashed as they lead you through building the backend for a fast-based action mobile game.
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Two engineers build the physics-driven engineering parody The Enjenir
PreMortem.Games
OCTOBER 9, 2023
With the game’s 100% physics-based building system, players can solve each mission in infinite ways. 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.
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Game Dev Glossary: Prototype, Vertical Slice, First Playable, MVP, Demo
Ask a Game Dev
MARCH 29, 2024
Prototype - A playable example of a single gameplay system to prove out the concept. The above screenshot is from the Breath of the Wild systems prototype - wind, fire, etc. was modeled in this prototype before being translated to the 3D game world. a specific system, a feature, etc.).
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Matt Handrahan of Kepler Interactive: “Playing it safe doesn’t have any value”
PreMortem.Games
OCTOBER 4, 2024
Kepler Interactive strives to build a portfolio that reflects creativity and innovation. Developers need to demonstrate a clear understanding of their game’s full scope, progression, and mechanics, even if those details aren’t immediately visible in an early prototype.
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Rebots by FlatPonies launches after 6 years “We’re ready for more ambitious projects”
PreMortem.Games
OCTOBER 7, 2024
Jake Rasmussen , the game’s director, wanted to create a game about building and programming robots,” says Porkoláb. It brings together resource gathering, crafting, building and working with robots, while also telling stories through the game’s alien characters.” Don’t make a game for six years!” Rebots came from a simple concept.
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Game Prototype Development – Everything you need to know
iXie gaming
AUGUST 8, 2023
In game development, one of the most essential aspects is prototyping. It is essential to avoid skipping the process of creating a “physical” prototype to understand and overcome the complexities associated with game production. What exactly is a game prototype?
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Funding challenges in the era of evidence-based investing
GamesIndustry.biz
APRIL 23, 2024
This need for evidence, or traction, is a whole layer developers need to worry about beyond just building a great prototype and putting a strong team together. This was very much echoed in the investor update article posted on this site prior to GDC. Read more
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Doing this on anon for obvious reasons but is there any chance of getting hired as an entry level game dev in 2025? I’ve been unemployed for nearly two years since graduating from uni and I’m just getting rejection after rejection from game companies. All the posts are looking for senior devs, team leads, or managers. I have friends who’ve given up on the industry entirely. Is there any hope? Or am I fighting a losing battle here…
Ask a Game Dev
APRIL 16, 2025
New studios do start up, but entry level positions are rare since most of the new studios are looking for funding and they need the core senior dev team to build enough of a prototype to sell the idea to the money people. Create art assets, build gameplay systems, create game content, do stuff to level up and grow your skills.
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Yume RPG Builder
Indie DB
OCTOBER 14, 2023
I created a small prototype to a game core, which allows to create dynamic RPGs similar to YRPG Builder and that without programming knowledge (or here blueprint building knowledge).
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A Little Something
Grumpy Gamer
MARCH 14, 2018
It's interesting to build an RPG (using the term very loosely) where you have the option to play the entire game with no combat and it's still fun. I posted some previous screenshots of this prototype, but since then I've ripped out all the tile graphics and started over with a much simpler (almost icon) art style.
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A follow up to your answer about veilguard (was really hoping you would touch on that one). Why do game companies that have a “bad” release always seem to start from the bottom of the pyramid when it comes to restructuring and recouping losses? Why fire low level devs who did their best with what they had, when the companies have people in senior positions making hundreds of thousands of dollars (if not more) that they could just cut from? Why do the trenches always get the punishment first?
Ask a Game Dev
FEBRUARY 3, 2025
This is because a given project is at its maximum headcount right before it ships - you need all hands on deck during full production, building and validating all of the content in the game. The next factor is that most big layoffs come after a project has shipped.
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A Little Something
Grumpy Gamer
MARCH 13, 2018
It’s interesting to build an RPG (using the term very loosely) where you have the option to play the entire game with no combat and it’s still fun. I posted some previous screenshots of this prototype, but since then I’ve ripped out all the tile graphics and started over with a much simpler (almost icon) art style.
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The Vertical Slice
Grumpy Gamer
JULY 8, 2011
It's just a dumb way to build a game and it results in wasted time and money and doesn't produce the best game possible. You build foundations and the build up from there. The publisher I'm working with now doesn't want a vertical slice, some don't, but there are quite a few that do. They are an iterative processes.
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The Vertical Slice
Grumpy Gamer
JULY 7, 2011
It’s just a dumb way to build a game and it results in wasted time and money and doesn’t produce the best game possible. You build foundations and the build up from there. Maybe writing a novel works this way, but making movies and games do not. They are an iterative processes.
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Polyarc leaps into multiplayer VR with Glassbreakers: Champions of Moss
PreMortem.Games
SEPTEMBER 26, 2023
He explains: “Interestingly enough, when the studio was founded, there were two prototypes that were built. And then the second prototype was a multiplayer kind of board game, still set in the same universe as Moss. .” Prototyping abilities The size of the team working on Glassbreakers fluctuates between 25 and 30 people.
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Do publishers have their own “quality control” standards? For example, do publishers have any “we will not release a game unless it meets X standard of quality based our own playtesters/etc” systems in place? If so, what happens when a game near release does not meet those requirements? Are games that clearly aren’t going to meet X standard usually cancelled before announcement?
Ask a Game Dev
JANUARY 24, 2025
Really early on, you only have one to five senior devs working on building a prototype for the approved pitches. If the prototype gets approved, the team ramps more and builds an entire playable demo that demonstrates all of the major game systems at work. At the start, you have one or two developers who write a pitch.
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Two part question. 1) Where does a decision like taking DA4 from single player to live service back to single player most likely come from? Do studio leads make that kind of call, or project leads? Or is it a publisher-side “mandate” based on market trends? 2) Rebooting like that must come with significant costs given all the “wasted” dev work, so what needs to happen to make them that confident that staying on course will result in smaller returns than starting over?
Ask a Game Dev
FEBRUARY 13, 2025
Those content updates and patches are the "service" part - we have to build them, they go live and get pushed out to the public. The "live service" part means that the game is "live" (it is out in public) and that we "service it" by building additional stuff for it over time. Now let's get to your questions.
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Ten Years Running!
Grumpy Gamer
JULY 13, 2014
But the honest truth is… I’ve been in this creative funk since Scurvy Scallywags Android shipped and I find myself meandering from quick prototype to quick prototype. The most interesting prototype is about being lost in a cavern/cave/dungeon. The environment programmatically builds itself as you explore.
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GenoTerra - The finished prototype.
Mnenad
JULY 8, 2018
Prototype is ready! But I can now proudly announce that a playable prototype for the video game GenoTerra is finished (and I graduated with the Master in Design *yay*). But before I explain the narration, I want to jump back in time when I started building the endless terrain generator. Master in Integrative Design.
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Dean Gichukie’s studio Kunta Content delivers authentic African stories
PreMortem.Games
OCTOBER 30, 2023
He navigated the challenges of running a tech company, pitching to investors, collaborating with artists, and building the platform. In his words, “It did not work out but it got me into a non-traditional career path which revolved around figuring out how to build and create things while telling stories. It’s a long one.
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Ascent of Ashes dev switches to Godot halfway development “Not as chaotic as Unity”
PreMortem.Games
DECEMBER 16, 2024
That’s when I formed the idea of building a new colony sim from the ground up, centered around the idea of exploration and travel. Identify key features you need your engine to support, make some prototypes and see if Godot suits you and your game. I remember when an Early Access update added the overworld feature.
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Makhoba Kamogelo: “Don’t let fear stop you from reinventing yourself”
PreMortem.Games
NOVEMBER 13, 2023
She’s been with me every step of the way as I try to build a career in this industry.” African Game Dev Prototype Fund They say the best leaders lead by example. The title has gone on to win awards and funding from the African Game Dev Prototype Fund and Humble Bundle. That’s where Dungeon Crawler was conceived.
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The One Thing That Can Sink Sales for Board Games
Brand Game Development
OCTOBER 13, 2017
I’ve spent a lot of time building up this blog, the email newsletter , and the Discord community. That was fine for getting the ball rolling, but now that the physical prototype has arrived, that changes things. The Highways & Byways physical prototype arrived this week! I see people helping each other in the chat.
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20 New Year’s Resolutions for Board Game Devs in 2020
Brand Game Development
DECEMBER 30, 2019
If you’re the kind of creator who has a few prototype board games in your closet somewhere, consider playing one of them with a few game designers. Order a professional physical prototype of one of your board games. Build up one or more social media accounts on a site such as Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
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COCOON creator Jeppe Carlsen “I never compromise on playability”
PreMortem.Games
SEPTEMBER 17, 2024
At Geometric we put gameplay first, and we will always build our games around strong gameplay ideas”, says Carlsen. Complex feature The core concept of worlds within worlds was the first feature prototyped for Cocoon, undergoing substantial improvement and iteration. Cocoon’s development journey spanned a challenging 6.5
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new Quake map: Breakfast Under The Balloons
Radiator Blog
AUGUST 12, 2022
I liked the idea of climbing / descending a big weird tree, and building it in Quake would be a big challenge, so that's what I prototyped first. This early prototype felt weird to play, because the player could just run around the big open landscape and lead monsters on a big chase.
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Playing both sides: How senior marketing leaders can ensure they build winning gaming teams
Game Daily
MAY 19, 2023
Transforming creative Mobile gaming advertisers build a high volume of new ads and new iterations, feeding these into marketing platforms seeking increased ROAS or reduced cost of acquisition. Both of these examples show an inherent autopilot mindset and impatience that exists in gaming teams.
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How open are hiring managers in the game industry about what they are specific requirements they are looking for? In my industry I often find them looking for a generic position without listing what specialized task they are specifically looking for. Any suggestions on how to handle unclear hiring criteria?
Ask a Game Dev
MARCH 10, 2025
They use proprietary tools to build content. This is likely a scripter who can help be the glue that gets prototype and placeholder gameplay elements up and running. For example, this current opening listed at EA's website for a [ mid-level designer on the Sims franchise ] is very specific about what they are looking for.
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How to build successful VR games as a solo developer
Game Analytics
JANUARY 3, 2023
Building video games has never been a simple task. And that resulted in the first prototype of Dreadhalls. Build on your strengths. I always prototype the core gameplay first, and then tackle the environment, background story and all those other elements later. Not that this stopped Sergio Hidalgo.
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Scurvy Scallywags
Grumpy Gamer
MARCH 16, 2013
I might have found a way to get xcode to build objective-c for Android, if so, we’ll port it there. A little over a year ago I pulled a match-3 prototype out of the closest and started working on it. It will be coming out for the iPhone and iPad in a couple of months. With any luck, it will be out in the next month or so.
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Ten Years Running!
Grumpy Gamer
JULY 14, 2014
I've been in this creative funk since Scurvy Scallywags Android shipped and I find myself meandering from quick prototype to quick prototype. The most interesting prototype is about being lost in a cavern/cave/dungeon. The environment programmatically builds itself as you explore. I think I'm up to eight so far.
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Godot Showcase - Museum of All Things
Mircosoft Game Dev
FEBRUARY 25, 2025
I have prototypes of the game going back a few years, but I started really working on this iteration in November 2024. And the beauty of this museum being a virtual experience is that theres no space to rent or building to upkeep, so I can afford to make it free! Its also my first real 3D game. How did you discover Godot?
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How to Make a Tabletop Simulator Demo of Your Board Game
Brand Game Development
MARCH 2, 2020
It saves you a ton of money and time on prototyping. It takes less time to create a prototype. It makes it easier to build an audience before you have a physical copy of the game. If you plan on using Tabletop Simulator for anything other than rapid prototyping, it’s not enough to simply create a Tabletop Simulator demo.
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How to Get Started with Board Game Conventions as a Board Game Creator, Part 1
Brand Game Development
JUNE 11, 2018
Wiscon I’ve attended even early in development to test out ideas, check reactions, and see players interact with everything from paper prototypes to physical, professional printed game versions of State of Wonder. Brandon: Right, and building an audience is a long, slow endeavor (at least at first). What to Do at Cons.
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En Garde! by Fireplace Games is the right blend of cheesy, slapstick and endearing
PreMortem.Games
JULY 12, 2023
The developers of Fireplace Games made an early prototype of the game while still in school, but are now well on their way to release it as a full-fledged game. The original 8 member team that built the prototype at Rubika – school for Game design and animation in Valenciennes, France- all went their separate ways after graduating.
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Enticing mix of genres in Ghibli-inspired The Brew Barons by Lifetap Studios
PreMortem.Games
MARCH 1, 2024
As we were prototyping there was still a feeling the game needed more action. Thus I make an effort to use purchased art assets only as a starting point to then be modified into something more unique and fitting of the aesthetic.” “We built a prototype in our spare time and saw the potential. But that’s not all.
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Penny Wise and Pound Foolish
Grumpy Gamer
JUNE 25, 2018
We did a lot of things right when building Thimbleweed Park. It was bare bones, but it got the job done for the simple prototypes I was working on at the time. On the PC side, David and I started to build the game and with that came wiring in sound effects. We also did a few things wrong. The two big choices were Wwise and FMOD.
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