5 tips for no-bull indie game design
Game Developer
OCTOBER 24, 2024
Solo VR dev Zander Dejah, formerly gameplay programmer on Vader Immortal, explores finding the fun with Vendetta Forever.
Dev Game Design Game Developer 
Jussi Kemppainen is exploring AI-assisted game development with Echoes of Somewhere
PreMortem.Games
AUGUST 30, 2023
With the discussions over the use of AI in game development raging on, Jussi-Petteri Kemppainen , Lead VFX Artist at Mainframe Industries and founder of Dinosaurs Are Better , spends his spare time to see what all the fuss really is about. are answered in his regularly updated dev blog. With his free, experimental 2.5D
AI 
190
190 Join 5,000+
Insiders
Sign Up for our Newsletter
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Trending Sources
Solo dev Jason Nicot on his new project Sanctua “A more mature party game”
PreMortem.Games
MAY 24, 2024
Jason Nicot , a French solo game developer operating under the name Choose Red , recently announced his latest game Sanctua. In this co-op multiplayer game a group of players have to work together to escape a cursed tomb. He went into transportation management, but game development never really left his mind.
Dev 239
239 
Solo dev Tomasz Kaye: “ChatGPT massively sped up the development of Axe Ghost”
PreMortem.Games
OCTOBER 2, 2024
Tomasz Kaye had prior game development experience, with credits on Ibb & Obb and Chalo Chalo , but this time he went solo for his latest creation Axe Ghost. “It 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.”
Dev 104
104 
The key to future employment in games dev is diversifying your skill set
Game Developer
MARCH 20, 2024
Game design professor Jeremy Bond shares how to prepare your students for the uncertain game industry future.
Game Design 284
284 
Summer 2025 Game Development Student Internship Roundup, Part 2
Ask a Game Dev
NOVEMBER 14, 2024
If you’re a student and you have an interest in game development as a career, you should absolutely look into these. Internships are a great way to earn some experience in a professional environment and to get mentorship from those of us in the trenches. This is part 2 of this year’s internship roundup. Click here for part 1 ].
Co-op 52
52 
Game devs talk design methods, system mechanics in design summit
Game Developer
MARCH 13, 2023
For anyone with an interest in game design, Polaris' developer summit has different articles covering various aspects of design development.
Mechanics 246
246 
12 Simple Ways To Get Better At Game Development
DameDev.tv
DECEMBER 12, 2022
Do you ever wonder how you can get better at game development? If so, keep reading for some great tips and watch the Livecast for all 12 ways to get better at game development. He's done it all, from Game Designer, Producer, Creative Director and Executive Producer to GameDev.tv's
A Crash Course in Board Game Development
Brand Game Development
SEPTEMBER 9, 2019
Let’s pick up from there and talk about what specifically goes into making a game. What is board game development all about? Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. ” So what goes into game development?
Game Development 130
130 
How much freedom does a game designer have at a non-indie studio? Are they able to pitch and create their own ideas or are they basically project leads that get assigned games to make/design (ie that time everyone was making a WW2 shooter)?
Ask a Game Dev
AUGUST 5, 2024
I think you have the wrong idea about what game designers do. We're not project leads that pitch entire games, we're [ content creators ] that build the bits of specific content in games - the spells, the monsters, the fights, the classes, the races, the quests, the environments, the stats, the companions, and so on.
Game Design 52
52 
EA rejection of Alice sequel marks end of American McGee’s game dev career
Game Developer
APRIL 10, 2023
With his Alice: Asylum pitch rejected by Electronic Arts, game designer American McGee is leaving the game industry entirely behind.
Electronics 256
256 
Korean indie dev Funnylocks “We made Unstoppable for a global audience”
PreMortem.Games
JANUARY 29, 2024
More and more South-Korean indie game developers take aim at the PC and console market. Set in a New York office building in the 1990’s, the game plays out as a action-filled mini series, including cutscenes that unravel the plot. “To Si-wooks’s deep passion for game development inspired Hee-sang to take a leap of faith.
Indy 104
104 
3 Signs It’s Time to Quit Working a Board Game Design Idea
Brand Game Development
MARCH 29, 2021
Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. If you don’t consistently work to improve, you won’t make the game you want to make. Note that when I say “quit”, I don’t mean “quit board game design.”
Game Design 130
130 
4 Lessons from Imhotep for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JUNE 1, 2020
Naturally, we needed to set the game up and take a few photos to send to her, if nothing else. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Like many board games, Imhotep has a lot to teach board game designers. CC BY-SA 3.0
Game Design 130
130 
How To Know When to Pivot on Your Board Game Design
Brand Game Development
JUNE 29, 2020
A couple of months ago, I asked the readers of this blog to send in answers to the question “ what confuses you most about board game development ?” ” I got a lot of responses, and two of them were about knowing when to pivot during a game design project. Need help on your board game?
Game Design 130
130 
Board Game Designer vs. Developer vs. Publisher
Brand Game Development
DECEMBER 17, 2018
This is why I urge each new board game designer to share the workload , delegating tasks to a team instead of doing them all alone. Let’s start with three roles: board game designer, developer, and publisher. Need help on your board game? Designers make the game’s soul.
Game Design 130
130 
4 Lessons from Exit Games for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JULY 13, 2020
Certainly, board game designers can learn a lot from well-designed escape rooms. Exit Games by Kosmos are the closest we can get to the authentic in-person experience right now. Exit Games by Kosmos are the closest we can get to the authentic in-person experience right now. Need help on your board game?
Game Design 130
130 
Why You Can’t Objectively Build Great Games
Game Wisdom
NOVEMBER 8, 2024
Why You Can’t Objectively Build Great Games Josh Bycer josh@game-wisdom.com I was reading a piece over on Game Developer that gave me pause for a second about whether this is what game design at the AAA level is about now — focusing on analytics and trying to “math” the perfect … The post Why You Can’t Objectively (..)
Build 105
105 
The Clash of Choices in Game Design
Game Wisdom
MAY 25, 2023
The Clash of Choices in Game Design Josh Bycer josh@game-wisdom.com One of the many balancing acts of game design is the act of creating cool, interesting, unique, abilities for the player to use, and then balancing said abilities within the scope and design of your game.
Game Design 59
59 
7 Lessons from Monopoly for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
MARCH 9, 2020
When board gamers need a game to mercilessly mock , they look no further than Monopoly. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Monopoly is a bad game, but have a little respect. This is a critical element of good game design.
Game Design 130
130 
6 Reasons Escape Rooms Will Make You a Better Board Game Designer
Brand Game Development
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Escape Rooms will make you a better board game designer. With this in mind, here are six reasons I believe that Escape Rooms will make you a better board game designer. Escape Rooms are master classes in theme.
Game Design 130
130 
Photogrammetry for Game Development
That One Game Dev
FEBRUARY 4, 2023
Read this article to understand what photogrammetry is and how it can help you today to generate reallistic 3D models for your next game. The post Photogrammetry for Game Development appeared first on That One Game Dev.
4 Lessons from Santorini for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JANUARY 14, 2019
It has been given the modern board game polish, though, with adorably cutesy art of Greek gods, and an incredibly photogenic set of stackable plastic components. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Physical game presence counts for a lot.
Game Design 130
130 
20 New Year’s Resolutions for Board Game Devs in 2020
Brand Game Development
DECEMBER 30, 2019
Need help on your board game? 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.
Dev 130
130 
Make a Board Game in 28 Days: A Challenge by Brandon the Game Dev
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. Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Play-test your game alone again.
Dev 130
130 
10 Elements of Good Game Design
Brand Game Development
FEBRUARY 17, 2020
When I was a neophyte game developer, I found an excellent article by Wizards of the Coast, creators of Magic: the Gathering , called Ten Things Every Game Needs. This two-part article was so influential in my initial design of War Co. This two-part article was so influential in my initial design of War Co.
Game Design 130
130 
My week at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) and what I learned
CG Spectrum
APRIL 3, 2023
The annual Game Developers Conference (GDC) was held last week in San Francisco, boasting 28,000 attendees ! Penny was kind enough to share her experience at GDC and why she believes it's such a valuable event for people looking to break into the games industry. Meet Penny!
6 Underrated Skills That Make You a Better Game Developer
Brand Game Development
APRIL 14, 2017
I realized that in my push to create Highways & Byways , I’ve neglected six very powerful background skills that make game developers great. Game development is about more than just game development, folks. Need help on your board game? Guiding Lights: Make great games.
Game Development 130
130 
4 Lessons from Sagrada for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JANUARY 28, 2019
It is also a smashing success of a game – so let’s talk about why that is. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Take note, aspiring game designers! This is arguably one of the worst feelings that a game can give you.
Game Design 130
130 
4 Lessons from Root for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
SEPTEMBER 16, 2019
Indeed, on the Pangea Games Facebook group where we regularly give away free board games, Root has by far the most popular prize we’ve ever given away (all three times we’ve done it)! Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators.
Game Design 130
130 
Hello, I’m an aspiring game developer generalist but I honestly have no clue where to start, and my lack of attention span does not make it any better, do you have any advice on how to start learning to become a generalist?
Ask a Game Dev
SEPTEMBER 10, 2024
If you want to be a hobbyist, then I suggest reading my guide on the [ minimum competence needed ] to be able to contribute to a game development team. As you learn to do these tasks and level up, you'll become a generalist that's able to make a lot of contributions to a dev team.
Dev 52
52 
Let’s say someone becomes a game developer, but realizes the gaming industry is not for them for whatever reason. What opportunities there for game developers, particularly designers, outside of the video game industry? I imagine one of them is your former job at the gambling industry.
Ask a Game Dev
DECEMBER 22, 2023
You are correct in that it is possible to transfer that body of knowledge over to the other gaming industry that is casino machines. Beyond that, here are some other roles that game design skills could transfer to. Tabletop, board, or card game design. It's still game design, just not in video games.
UX 52
52 
4 Lessons from Ticket to Ride for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
FEBRUARY 11, 2019
For these reasons and more, we’re going to dive into Ticket to Ride and talk about what new board game designers can learn from this 15-year-old game. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Games need stakes to be satisfying.
Game Design 130
130 
4 Lessons from Twilight Struggle for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
SEPTEMBER 3, 2019
No matter how you feel about it, there is a lot that new board game designers can learn from it. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. In my opinion, pacing is one of the most underrated aspects of board game design.
Game Design 130
130 
Timing is Everything in Board Game Development
Brand Game Development
JUNE 23, 2017
Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Stages of a Board Game Project. His name is James Masino.
Game Development 130
130 
4 Lessons from Quacks of Quedlinburg for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JANUARY 27, 2020
It has since remained a hot game on Board Game Geek and a perennial favorite in Pangea Games board game giveaways! So with that in mind, what can we learn from this award-winning board game with a silly name? Need help on your board game? It’s absurd and you can’t help but smile at it.
Game Design 130
130 
Out Now • Solo dev Pat Naoum of the handpainted The Master’s Pupil: “Creativity is a tool”
PreMortem.Games
AUGUST 9, 2023
“Every man and his dog has made an indie game but no one has painted a game yet. A point of interest in the indie game sea.” Naoum calls himself a jack of all trades, a master of none, so going solo on game development made a lot of sense. Pat Naoum: “Game development takes so long!”
Dev 104
104 
4 Lessons from Twilight Imperium for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
Twilight Imperium is among the greatest board games of all time according to BoardGameGeek. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. No two games should be the same. Within that notoriously hard-to-please community, it holds a staggering 8.7/10
Game Design 130
130 
4 Lessons from Paladins of the West Kingdom for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
NOVEMBER 11, 2019
Ever since then, Paladins of the West Kingdom has been on the Board Game Geek Hotness list nearly every time I’ve checked. For this reason, we are going to dig into what makes this game so successful. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators.
Game Design 130
130 
4 Lessons from Pandemic for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JANUARY 21, 2019
Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. In it, I talk about why I love Pandemic for introducing me to hobby games and why I find its take on cooperative gameplay particularly effective. Photo taken by Jana Reifegerste and posted on Flickr.
Game Design 130
130 
Dev Diary: 03/31/17
Brand Game Development
MARCH 31, 2017
Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Naturally, this game is nowhere remotely close to completion. Also, the game doesn’t have a defined win condition yet. The post Dev Diary: 03/31/17 appeared first on Brandon the Game Dev.
Dev 130
130 
5 Lessons from Catan for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JANUARY 7, 2019
Catan was the first major hobby board game to come into existence. Even 24 years later, we can still look back at this game and learn lessons from it. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. A lot of games have come and gone and Catan endures.
Game Design 130
130 
Solo dev Pat Naoum of the handpainted The Master’s Pupil: “Creativity is a tool”
PreMortem.Games
FEBRUARY 13, 2023
“Every man and his dog has made an indie game but no one has painted a game yet. A point of interest in the indie game sea.” Naoum calls himself a jack of all trades, a master of none, so going solo on game development made a lot of sense. Pat Naoum: “Game development takes so long!”
Dev 104
104 
4 Lessons from Everdell for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
OCTOBER 28, 2019
Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. The post 4 Lessons from Everdell for Aspiring Board Game Designers appeared first on Brandon the Game Dev. But why exactly is that? Cute fantasy themes go a long way.
Game Design 130
130 
Let's personalize your content