PreMortem.Games

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

. “I try my best to accept that I may not be the most talented or brilliant game developer in the world, but that I am capable of making something fun and beautiful.” Years ago, I became a solo developer initially because I wanted to make games, plain and simple. ” Why did you become a solo developer?

Simulation 118

Simulation Dev Mechanics Development 118

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Reflecting on the game’s core concept, Khoroshavin shares, “The very first idea was that I want to make a game about an old protagonist that can traverse via boat. 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

Brand Game Development

MARCH 9, 2020

.” Besides, when we – as gamers and game developers – put aside our frustration for a moment, we can actually see Monopoly for what it is: a solid concept with bad execution. There are a lot of questionable game design decisions that, if corrected, could have made for a fantastic game.

Game Design 130

Game Design Game Designer Playtesting Games 130

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. Need help on your board game? Rules provide directions on how to execute activities within a game.

Mechanics 130

Mechanics Writing Concepts Games 130

Brand Game Development

NOVEMBER 6, 2017

This article is the first of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. The basic idea is that board games are a means of communication that facilitate gameplay. That’s no accident.

Engine 130

Engine Engineering Mechanics Games 130

PreMortem.Games

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

According to Carlos Casals , 3D Artist and Co-founder of Ticking Clock Games, “We were throwing around all sorts of mechanics and game genres, but we kept coming back to one image; a flying ship.” The seed for Void Sails was planted during one of the team’s early brainstorming sessions.

Point and Click 104

Point and Click Games Feature Balance 104

Brand Game Development

JUNE 3, 2019

The concept is simple: through gamification, you take the elements we associate with games – point scoring, competition, rules – and apply them to something else. Businesses have fallen in love with this concept because they’ve found that gamification works wonders for motivating people. What’s the point?

UX 130

UX Playtesting Game Design Game Designer 130

iXie gaming

FEBRUARY 11, 2024

Generative AI has experienced increasing usage in game design as it accelerates and streamlines different aspects of game development. Generative AI in game design refers to the use of AI techniques, particularly generative models, to develop and improve different video game aspects.

Game Design 52

Game Design Game Designer AI Technology 52

PreMortem.Games

JANUARY 24, 2024

I thought that the core mechanic in this 2D game was extraordinary, so I contacted the developers. I told them I had already created some early concept art and design work for my next game and that it would fit perfectly into it. The Swap The initial idea that ignited the project was the core mechanic: The Swap.

Pixel 145

Pixel Art Mechanics Demo 145

Logic Simplified

FEBRUARY 24, 2025

The Numbers Dont Lie Endless runner games have captivated mobile gamers worldwide, seamlessly blending simple mechanics with engaging gameplay. Take Subway Surfers , for instanceit has surpassed an astounding 4 billion downloads since its 2012 launch, making it the most downloaded mobile game in history. Happy running!

Games 83

Games Mobile Mobile Mobile Gaming 83

Real Programming

NOVEMBER 28, 2024

As industries evolve, so do the applications of mathematical concepts, opening doors to diverse career paths that merge creativity, logic, and problem-solving. Game Designer Game design is a math-intensive career. Opportunities in the growing gaming and entertainment industries.

Data 52

Data Technology Art Game Design 52

Brand Game Development

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Today, I have a challenge for you as a board game designer. I want to see you make a board game in 28 days. That’s why I’ve provided a 28-day game design challenge for you. This 28-day challenge is intended to give you the structure needed to get into the habit of board game design.

Dev 130

Dev Writing Game Design Game Designer 130

PreMortem.Games

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

Cocoon, the intricate puzzle adventure by Jeppe Carlsen , known as the lead gameplay designer of Limbo and Inside, launched to raving reviews after 6.5 The game immerses players in a captivating odyssey across worlds within worlds, beckoning them to master the art of world-leaping mechanics to uncover a cosmic mystery.

Puzzle 104

Puzzle Prototyping Art Communications 104

Brand Game Development

SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

This week while working on my current board game design, a lot of things have come into focus. Now it’s time to start tweaking board game rules. This is where board game design often becomes very tricky. Need help on your board game? 14 Rules for Board Game Rules. Playtest a Ton.

Balance 130

Balance Games Communications Mechanics 130

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 25, 2024

It’s a brutal journey of persistence, frustration, and constant restarts, where the stakes are as emotional as they are mechanical. As first-time indie developers, their journey mirrors the very game they’ve crafted. Internal debate The development of Ascending Inferno wasn’t just about embracing punishing mechanics though.

Studios 118

Studios Indy Mechanics Games 118

PreMortem.Games

MAY 1, 2023

BitCake Studio , an indie game development studio based in Brazil, is celebrating its 10th year in the industry. Eduardo Lamhut, the company’s main Game Designer and Creative Director of the upcoming game Atomic Picnic , explains how the company started. She drew a lot of the first concept art for the main characters.

Studios 104

Studios Build Playtesting Concepts 104

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. Each level also had unique mechanics and art styles that all tied into a cohesive whole.

Art 147

Art Concepts Dev Studios 147

Logic Simplified

APRIL 1, 2024

Game Design and Development Process Let’s quickly walk through what it takes to develop a game from scratch. Each game project has 3 distinct stages- pre-production, production, and post-production. Research: Research is important to the game design process. Will the game be 2D or 3D? Is it an island?

Game Developer 100

Game Developer Game Development Development Engine 100

The Knights of Unity

FEBRUARY 12, 2021

In the previous part of the post, we’ve introduced you to the most important reasons to create a game design document in your project, using three examples: personal project, internal project, and commission work. First two or three paragraphs that should help the reader to become familiar with your concept and its setting.

Game Design 52

Game Design Game Designer Games Mechanics 52

Logic Simplified

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

Core Mechanics of an Endless Runner Game Game mechanics make a video game engaging and challenging for players. They are used in a way to differentiate a game from others and make it stand out. The player’s objective is to survive for as long as possible to reach a high score.

Mechanics 40

Mechanics Games Feature Concepts 40

Logic Simplified

JULY 27, 2023

It enables game app developers to fine-tune their ideas, find possible issues and test gameplay mechanics before the game is built. Discovering whether the game’s ideas are feasible and if they are truly enjoyable is the major goal of the prototype phase. Give your concept a physical form by sketching it out on paper.

Prototyping 79

Prototyping Game Developer Game Development Development 79

Logic Simplified

SEPTEMBER 23, 2024

Let’s begin by understanding the concept of levels in a video game. What drives a video game, and what factors control its engagement? In a game, new motives, challenges, and concepts are added to the game world, while ensuring they increase the degree of difficulty at every level. What is Level Design?

Mechanics 64

Mechanics Games Playtesting Prototyping 64

Brand Game Development

DECEMBER 30, 2019

Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. With that in mind, I want to help you come up with some New Year’s Resolutions of your own, ones specifically related to board game design. Play-test with game designers. Let’s say you’ve made light games.

Dev 130

Dev Prototyping Games Game Design 130

Brand Game Development

OCTOBER 27, 2017

I walk away with the sense that the world’s better off for it even if the game goes nowhere. Their very nature tends to attract more designers than dedicated play-testers, which makes it really important that you help others. This is the most hellish scenario in which a board game can be played.

Prototyping 130

Prototyping Dev Point and Click Mechanics 130

Sirlin

NOVEMBER 15, 2016

We cover the high concept about making a fighting game more accessible from top to bottom than anything else we've seen, the specific game mechanics we chose to accomplish that, and the resulting dynamics of how it plays. We've just announced it and begun crowdfunding for it on Patreon.

Fantasy 40

Fantasy Game Design Game Designer Fighting 40

Brand Game Development

MARCH 10, 2017

However, I think it’s also promising evidence that there is an appetite out there for this content – a desire to view and evaluate gaming through the lens of impairment and exclusion. That’s a conclusion that should matter to any budding game designer, because it suggests what I believe to be a huge opportunity for the whole sector.

Games 130

Games Game Design Game Designer Mechanics 130

Brand Game Development

NOVEMBER 10, 2017

This week, I posted the first article in my 19-part suite on game design. It’s called How to Design the Core Engine of Your Board Game. The basic idea of the core engine is “what’s left when you strip a game of mechanics and obstacles. ” Need help on your board game?

Game Developer 130

Game Developer Game Development Development Games 130

PreMortem.Games

JANUARY 10, 2024

Some publishers now accept games that have undergone Kickstarter campaigns, emphasizing a focus on future collaboration and development potential. Some even engage in Kickstarter campaigns for indie games or support them financially. Kickstarter is viewed as a proof of concept and demand, offering valuable insights”, says Liebe.

Indy 104

Indy Communications Games Build 104

Brand Game Development

JANUARY 29, 2018

Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the thirteenth of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. This week, I want to zero in on the subject of making the perfect board game rule book.

Writing 130

Writing Games Mechanics Balance 130

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 2, 2024

“It wasn’t exactly a deliberate choice,” he explains, “I had a small game idea that I wanted to finish and publish, and it seemed doable alone.” 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

PreMortem.Games

MARCH 22, 2024

So, a turn-based-tactics game based around sabotage and assassination operations felt like something fresh to us”, says Senior Game Designer Lee Brimmicombe-Wood. With the story and art direction locked in place, the game actually went through several changes before it settled on the final gameplay mechanics.

Games 99

Games Concepts Film Balance 99

Logic Simplified

OCTOBER 18, 2023

The Demand for Multiplayer Games There is a great demand for multiplayer games and it is the tech experts, creative thinkers, and game designers who have made them what they are today. Let’s elaborate on how multiplayer game design isn’t as simple as just throwing together some mechanics and calling it a day.

Game Design 52

Game Design Game Designer Balance Concepts 52

PreMortem.Games

JULY 10, 2023

After releasing the mobile game I Am Zombie the 20 member team is now working hard on their newest project which combines action-platformer elements with the souls-like genre. The feedback they received from players will help them further improve the combat mechanics. Team members all operate in accordance with their roles.”

Development 104

Development Platformer Communications Concepts 104

CG Spectrum

JUNE 10, 2024

3D Modelling 3D Animation FX Concept Art 2D Animation Game Design Game Programming 3D Modelling: Shaping Virtual Worlds “3D modelling is a rewarding career where you get to bring concepts and 2D imagery to life, sculpting personality and story into characters, objects, and environments.

Film 52

Film Animation Animation Concepts 52

Ask a Game Dev

DECEMBER 27, 2023

It’s usually easier to start with concepts from cut content, since we’d already started developing it before we realized it wasn’t high enough priority to finish. The concept behind the old stuff might not fit or might not be fun anymore because the game design went a different direction from when we originally came up with the cut content.

Content 52

Content Mechanics Dev Concepts 52

iXie gaming

MARCH 22, 2024

Through mobile game analytics, you can identify pain points, personalize content based on players’ preferences, and improve game mechanics. These insights help you as a developer to make informed decisions, refine gameplay, deliver tailored experiences that excite players, and optimize in-game economies.

Mobile Gaming 52

Mobile Gaming Mobile Mobile Mechanics 52

iXie gaming

MARCH 22, 2024

Through mobile game analytics, you can identify pain points, personalize content based on players’ preferences, and improve game mechanics. These insights help you as a developer to make informed decisions, refine gameplay, deliver tailored experiences that excite players, and optimize in-game economies.

Mobile Gaming 52

Mobile Gaming Mobile Mobile Mechanics 52