Demo, Game Developer and Prototyping - Game Developers Network

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. Meet with AWS for Games experts to learn about the transformational power of generative AI and cloud game development.

AI

AI Demo Games Build

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.

Development

Development Playtesting Prototyping Point and Click

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. This is one of the most crucial parts of game development that can boost the game’s overall quality and success. What is a video game prototype, and why is it essential? Why do you need video game prototyping?

Prototyping

Prototyping Game Developer Game Development Development

How to Make a Tabletop Simulator Demo of Your Board Game

Brand Game Development

MARCH 2, 2020

Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. I’d like to explain to you exactly how to create a demo of your board game on Tabletop Simulator, but first let’s discuss what I perceive as its five main benefits: 1. It saves you a ton of money and time on prototyping.

Simulation

Simulation Demo Point and Click Prototyping

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. Examples might be character movement, a combat combo system, or a specific game mechanic. The above screenshot is from the Breath of the Wild systems prototype - wind, fire, etc. a specific system, a feature, etc.).

Prototyping

Prototyping Demo Dev Concepts

How to Get Started with Board Game Conventions as a Board Game Creator, Part 1

Brand Game Development

JUNE 11, 2018

As such, board game developers often find their own interest in conventions piqued. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. I met many of my local testers at Wiscon – many of whom backed the game on Kickstarter.

Prototyping

Prototyping Games Localization Demo

GDquest Kickstarter Stretch Goals, Free Tutorials and Demos

Mircosoft Game Dev

JANUARY 30, 2019

Since then, we kept working hard on: Game creation tutorials. Godot demos. On top of everything else, we're looking to create: Two detailed Godot learning paths , for beginners and experienced game developers. Great 3d prototyping assets to help you develop games faster. Free tools. 3d tutorials.

Demo

Demo Prototyping Animation Animation

Two engineers build the physics-driven engineering parody The Enjenir

PreMortem.Games

OCTOBER 9, 2023

We effectively combined our love for gaming, our skills in the Unreal Engine, with our engineering profession. What originally started out as a treehouse building simulator prototype, slowly evolved as the duo gradually added different mechanics. “It Consequently, they’ve adopted a simple and low-poly visual style for the game.

Engineering

Engineering Engine Build Mechanics

Bringing it Together – The Board Game as a Project

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? Games are more than just what’s in the box. Who is Carla?

Playtesting

Playtesting Games Advertising Prototyping

Talking Without Words

Brand Game Development

JULY 21, 2017

Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. This week, in Start to Finish: Publish and Sell Your First Board Game , I released Five Levels of Communication through Game Development. Need help on your board game?

Communications

Communications Point and Click Dev Art

How to Get Your Board Game Reviewed

Brand Game Development

JANUARY 19, 2018

Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. The board game review process is one of the most important parts of game development. Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators.

Games

Games Media Point and Click Dev

In regard to the vertical slice. Do studios work on/produce it to pitch a game or is it used as a milestone to reassure the money people that the game is progressing? (or both)?

Ask a Game Dev

MARCH 27, 2024

The vertical slice is a big milestone in a game's development because it shows the entire game coming together in a cohesive play experience. Because it's a showcase, the vertical slice is an excellent demo to pitch to executives and publishers. Call of Duty, Pokemon, Madden, etc.).

Culling

Culling Demo Prototyping Dev

Double Fine PsychOdyssey recaps / viewing guide, episodes 01-17

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. This is a more business-oriented aspect of game development that we rarely see, and frankly, an aspect we rarely associate with DF either.

Art

Art Concepts Dev Studios

Godot 3 at the Capitole du libre

Mircosoft Game Dev

DECEMBER 5, 2017

We used Fracteed's demo to showcase the engine, along with Zylann's Wallrider. Enthusiasts, hobbyists, and even some Unity users looking for an alterative to their game engine! More importantly, we met people who are deeply involved into the game developpment community. Big thanks to Fracteed and Zylann for their demos.

Demo

Demo Engine Engineering Alpha

Solo dev ansdor loves his total creative control: “I don’t like too much planning”

PreMortem.Games

JUNE 20, 2023

As far back as solo developer Sandro Luiz de Paula (aka ansdor) can remember he always wanted to be a game developer. But that didn’t discourage him at all: “I wouldn’t feel comfortable working on a game if I had to just follow someone else’s ideas.” What’s your creative process? “I

Dev

Dev Art Prototyping Development

How do you Choose the Best Game Design Software for your Project?

Big Games

JANUARY 30, 2024

Game design software does play a pivotal role in bringing the digital world to life, which allows game developers and designers to create immersive and engaging experiences. The world of game design is a captivating landscape brimming with possibilities.

Software

Software Game Design Game Designer Cross platform

Reality, Upgraded: Navigating VR/AR Gaming with Alex Silkin

Game Dev Unchained

JUNE 27, 2023

Virtual Reality’s Second Surge As the first decade of commercial virtual reality (VR) draws to a close, we caught up with seasoned game developer, Alex Silkin , to discuss the twists, turns, and future of the VR and augmented reality (AR) industry. Their demo already shows that they get it,” he noted.

Technology

Technology Games Concepts Platformer

Oscar Salandin, developer of BOTSU Ridicuous Robots: “Solo dev can be lonely”

PreMortem.Games

JULY 29, 2024

Oscar Salandin , known as Peculiar Pixels, received a major validation for his debut game, BOTSU Ridiculous Robots , by being named the Overall Winner at the Develop Indie Showcase Awards 2024. The English solo developer began his journey right after the Pandemic. Inevitably, I’ve gone over time and over budget,” he says.

Dev

Dev Development Sandbox Indy

Use Custom Render Pipeline to Enhance your Game Graphics - Guide to Cocos Cyberpunk Source Code

Cocos

MAY 5, 2023

Cocos Cyberpunk is a complete open-source TPS 3D game developed by the Cocos Engine team to showcase the engine’s capabilities of making heavy 3D games and boost community learning motivation. I hope to help everyone advance further in 3D game development. Ok, without further ado, let’s get started.

Render

Render Graphics Code Baking

Introducing the Godot glTF 2.0 scene exporter

Mircosoft Game Dev

JANUARY 4, 2021

For example, creating a blockout or prototyping within Godot, then exporting as glTF to further edit in Blender, and finally bringing the geometry back into Godot. Godot exposes the internal glTF data structure to allow creating extensions as game developers wish. From @HugoLocurcio 's Godot Reflection demo.

Animation

Animation Animation Engine Engineering

Here comes Godot 3.2, with quality as priority

Mircosoft Game Dev

JANUARY 29, 2020

installment, bringing dozens of major features and hundreds of bugfixes and enhancements to bring our game developers an ever-improving feature set with a strong focus on usability. C# version of the Dodge the Creeps demo running in Firefox. Holger Dammertz's Voxel Works Quest prototype made with Godot for Oculus Quest.

Feature

Feature Render Shaders Bug

What Is AI Art and How is it Created?

Game Designing

JULY 18, 2023

It improves the visuals and the performance of game simulations and provides more realistic, interactive, and immersive gaming experiences. AI art makes games look and feel more natural and life-like while recreating new digital gaming environments and worlds with real-time lighting.

Art

Art AI Editing Software

I Make Board Games in Tabletop Simulator (A Guest Post)

Brand Game Development

MAY 18, 2020

That’s because it’s easy to make board games in Tabletop Simulator, an inexpensive board game simulation tool available on the Steam store. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Need help on your board game?

Simulation

Simulation Games Demo Playtesting

How to Play-Test the Mechanics of Your Board Game

Brand Game Development

NOVEMBER 27, 2017

Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the fourth of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Need help on your board game? How do you test game mechanics?

Mechanics

Mechanics Games Development Balance

Renee Gittins, developer of Potions: A Curious Tale faced death threats after the game’s release

PreMortem.Games

JUNE 11, 2024

Renee Gittins , indie game developer of Potions: A Curious Tale , faced severe harassment after the release of her game on Steam earlier this year. When EA unexpectedly dropped their back catalog just hours after her game’s release, it derailed Gittins’ carefully planned path to success.

Development

Development Playtesting Indy Prototyping

Game Developers Network

AWS to showcase tools for breakthrough gaming experiences at GDC 2025

Solo developer Voidmaw on creating Katanaut: “Done is better than perfect”

Trending Sources

Video Game Prototyping and Its Importance in Game Development

How to Make a Tabletop Simulator Demo of Your Board Game

Game Dev Glossary: Prototype, Vertical Slice, First Playable, MVP, Demo

How to Get Started with Board Game Conventions as a Board Game Creator, Part 1

GDquest Kickstarter Stretch Goals, Free Tutorials and Demos

Two engineers build the physics-driven engineering parody The Enjenir

Bringing it Together – The Board Game as a Project

Talking Without Words

How to Get Your Board Game Reviewed

In regard to the vertical slice. Do studios work on/produce it to pitch a game or is it used as a milestone to reassure the money people that the game is progressing? (or both)?

Double Fine PsychOdyssey recaps / viewing guide, episodes 01-17

Godot 3 at the Capitole du libre

Solo dev ansdor loves his total creative control: “I don’t like too much planning”

How do you Choose the Best Game Design Software for your Project?

Reality, Upgraded: Navigating VR/AR Gaming with Alex Silkin

Oscar Salandin, developer of BOTSU Ridicuous Robots: “Solo dev can be lonely”

Use Custom Render Pipeline to Enhance your Game Graphics - Guide to Cocos Cyberpunk Source Code

Introducing the Godot glTF 2.0 scene exporter

Here comes Godot 3.2, with quality as priority

What Is AI Art and How is it Created?

I Make Board Games in Tabletop Simulator (A Guest Post)

How to Play-Test the Mechanics of Your Board Game

Renee Gittins, developer of Potions: A Curious Tale faced death threats after the game’s release

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