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.
Development Game Design Mechanics 
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 
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How to Design the Mechanics of Your Board Game
Brand Game Development
NOVEMBER 20, 2017
Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the third of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Need help on your board game? What are game mechanics?
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Theme vs. Mechanics
Brand Game Development
NOVEMBER 28, 2016
“Theme-first or mechanics-first” might be the most asked “big question” in the board game community. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Theme and mechanics are inseparable parts of board games as a whole.
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Video game mechanics: A Beginner’s Guide
Logic Simplified
JULY 31, 2023
There is one area every game designer must focus on to ensure that their games are captivating enough to entertain and provide an impactful experience to the user: game mechanics. When creating a new game, video game mechanics are often considered the most important factor.
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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? When do you focus on one mechanic?
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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?
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The Basic Fundamentals of Game Design
Logic Simplified
AUGUST 1, 2023
Have you ever designed a game? If yes, then what game design fundamentals do you prioritize in your own designs? Game design is incredibly complex and fascinating, with countless nuances and techniques to master. In this article, we'll explore some key building blocks of game design fundamentals.
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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.
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Importance of playtesting in game design
Logic Simplified
AUGUST 14, 2023
The game development process is a complex and challenging process involving ongoing iteration and improvement in order to develop an exciting and captivating final product. One vital approach used during game development is playtesting. So, what is playtesting and how is it an essential part of game development?
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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
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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. In board games, trading is not uncommon.
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COCOON creator Jeppe Carlsen “I never compromise on playability”
PreMortem.Games
OCTOBER 11, 2023
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 years of development. Carlsen’s vision for Cocoon sprang from a fascination with game mechanics. Cocoon’s development journey spanned a challenging 6.5
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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? Mitigate push-your-luck with a good catch-up mechanic.
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Game art vs game design: What is the difference?
Logic Simplified
AUGUST 8, 2023
Video game development is a collaborative process that involves various people with specialized skills. The two most critical roles in this process are game artists and designers. Since most of us are unaware of the process of creating a game, we usually confuse game design and game art as being the same.
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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. Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators.
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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.
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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. There is a reason this mechanic is present in many BGG Top 100 Games such as Viticulture , Caverna , A Feast for Odin , and Agricola. But why exactly is that? Cute fantasy themes go a long way.
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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?
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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.
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Anima Flux is a co-op Metroidvania with a retro-futuristic visual flair
PreMortem.Games
JUNE 3, 2024
Anima Flux , the latest game by studio Anima Flux, is exploring new territories in gaming. According to Andrey Songraf, Game Designer and Product Owner, this makes them pioneers of sorts. Like any ambitious project, Anima Flux faced some difficulties throughout its development.
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4 Lessons from Spirit Island for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JANUARY 13, 2020
Clearly, there is much more to this game than what immediately meets the eye. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. For that, we’ll reference the game’s Board Game Geek page. There’s a lot we can learn from it!
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Top Unreal Game Development Companies in 2024
Logic Simplified
APRIL 1, 2024
Looking for a Real Unreal Game Development Company? The potential for building epic games on Unreal by game app developers and creators across industries has increased. The potential for building epic games on Unreal by game app developers and creators across industries has increased.
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How to Build Better Mechanics for Rewarded In-Game Ads
Game Refinery
AUGUST 2, 2023
Statista’s Market Insights show that 48% of the revenue in casual games in 2022 came from in-game ads, with the share of IAA revenue increasing each year. Non-paying players generate more costs for the developers, and growing the user base requires constant investment to attract new users through UA practices.
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How to design a great tutorial
GamesIndustry.biz
MAY 28, 2024
Maybe it's the first hour of Fallout 3, which quite literally treats you as a baby, teaching you new mechanics at different stages of growth? Whether you feel developers' fingerprints at the start of your virtual journey or not, tutorials are an essential part of the experience. Read more
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BitCake Studio built online multiplayer game Atomic Picnic completely remote
PreMortem.Games
NOVEMBER 8, 2024
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. There was a bunch of things she wanted in the game.
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How to Diagnose Failure & Move Forward as a Board Game Developer
Brand Game Development
MAY 14, 2018
Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. We’ll use the game development process – from start to finish – as an example. If the audience shows passion and interest, continue to game design.
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How to Design the Core Engine of Your Board Game
Brand Game Development
NOVEMBER 6, 2017
Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the first of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Need help on your board game? How do I turn the idea into a working game engine?
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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. 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? It is the basis of high-quality game development.
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Birth of Byways: A Peek Into My Early Board Game Development Process
Brand Game Development
NOVEMBER 10, 2017
Dev Diary posts are made to teach game development through specific examples from my latest project: Highways & Byways. 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. ” Need help on your board game?
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The gorgeous visuals of Bionic Bay that Juhana Myllys calls Painterly Pixel Art
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.
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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.
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Rablo Games: From solo developer to team collaboration on Necro Story
PreMortem.Games
SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
Small teams and solo developers often produce some of the most unique and personal games, and this holds true for Rablo Games, an indie studio led by founder Pablo Coma. “Initially, I planned to develop it alone, just like my previous game.” By 2020, the two had rebooted Necro Story, this time as a duo.
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The Growing Use of Generative AI in Game Design
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.
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The five pillars of emergent gameplay
GamesIndustry.biz
NOVEMBER 28, 2023
While tools have improved dramatically, allowing smaller teams to produce more graphically and mechanically complex games than ever before, producing equivalent experiences to AAA mega-studios is still prohibitively expensive. That's a lot of development hours with increasingly diminishing returns.
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How to Develop Mentally and Emotionally Accessible Board Games
Brand Game Development
JANUARY 15, 2018
Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the eleventh of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Need help on your board game? Accessibility is a big issue in board gaming.
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How to Choose Your Board Game’s Theme
Brand Game Development
SEPTEMBER 11, 2017
Games, at their core, might just be a series of mechanics and rules, but themes keep us from feeling like we’re playing out the logical conclusion of mathematical functions. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators.
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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.”
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How To Play-Test the Rules of Your Board Game
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? Short-term mechanic testing. Private testing.
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How to Develop Visually and Physically Accessible Board Games
Brand Game Development
JANUARY 8, 2018
Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the tenth of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Need help on your board game? Accessibility is a big issue in board gaming.
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Hypercasual games market is shrinking, still 3.7 billion downloads last 3 months
PreMortem.Games
JULY 4, 2023
Released back in 2022, the game takes its inspiration from the widely popular Piano Tiles series by Umoni Games. The gameplay uses a simple time-sensitive touch mechanic where a user needs to activate 2D tiles to match the beat of various music tracks being played. It’s the case for Burger Please!,
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Navigating the layers of hell: How Oppolyon Studio built their debut game Ascending Inferno
PreMortem.Games
OCTOBER 25, 2024
If there ever was a fitting metaphor for the trials and tribulations that indie developers face while creating their debut game, it’s Ascending Inferno , the upcoming release by Australian developer Oppolyon Studio. As first-time indie developers, their journey mirrors the very game they’ve crafted. experience.
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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.
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How to Play-Test the Core Engine of Your Board Game
Brand Game Development
NOVEMBER 13, 2017
Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the second of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Need help on your board game? At this stage of development, War Co. Not pretty.
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