Deconstructor of Fun

OCTOBER 23, 2023

Merge Dragons never strayed from merge mechanics and exclusively contained puzzles that players could solve by merging various items. The core gameplay was true and tested Match-3 puzzle while the meta game was merge inspired. The game combined two different core loops but didn't make either of them obligatory.

Mechanics 59

Mechanics Puzzle Tile Mobile Gaming 59

Deconstructor of Fun

JANUARY 31, 2021

Likewise, states like Pennsylvania (edit: already allow real money gambling) and Michigan are moving to allow real money gaming (RMG), further squeezing the free-to-play casino audiences while also potentially creating new opportunities for social companies to expand into RMG. Feathers & Dragons Happy 2020!

Mobile 52

Mobile Mobile Games Feature 52

Deconstructor of Fun

MARCH 14, 2023

Last week in Istanbul, Google and Deconstructor of Fun brought together a thousand-strong group of high-level mobile game execs to talk about the future of the business. You can find edited highlights of each talk below, and videos of each session – just hit play to start watching. Shooters got creamed”, too, he said – down 33%.

Games 59

Games Cross platform Mobile Mobile 59

Raph Koster

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

Most Dikus could, with minor text editing, share their zone files, because they almost all played exactly the same! This, in fact, was what my signature design style was. Highly narrative, intricate puzzles, and immersive storytelling. It’s stuff that single-player game designers know how to do.

Sandbox 59

Sandbox Simulation Content Scripting 59

Deconstructor of Fun

APRIL 25, 2022

This post is written by the fantastic Game Bakery substack team of Chase, Zixuan, Haiyin, Caitou, Fish, Amy, Chow, Jing, Wanzi and edited by Caitou, Rob. From our sponsor: Do you need funds to finish, release, or promote your game? 2021 Global Team Battle RPG - Mobile Games Revenue (excluding Android in China Region).

Baking 52

Baking Simulation Build Animation 52

Grumpy Gamer

MAY 31, 2009

About a year and a little more ago, as I began designing the uber-awesome DeathSpank , I played all the way through The Secret of Monkey Island to refresh myself on the puzzles and dialog. No point in having to solve the same puzzle over and over. Never be afraid to edit you game down if it needs it.

Puzzle 130

Puzzle Point and Click Fighting Animation 130

Grumpy Gamer

MAY 30, 2009

About a year and a little more ago, as I began designing the uber-awesome DeathSpank , I played all the way through The Secret of Monkey Island to refresh myself on the puzzles and dialog. No point in having to solve the same puzzle over and over. Never be afraid to edit you game down if it needs it.

Puzzle 130

Puzzle Point and Click Fighting Animation 130

Grumpy Gamer

JANUARY 18, 2018

I had worked at Lucasfilm for 8 years and learned a lot, not just about game design and programming, but also marketing, PR, and production and I felt like I needed to try it all for myself. I also had the idea of making adventure games for kids. I floated it by Lucasfilm Games and they weren't interested.

Puzzle 130

Puzzle Point and Click Playtesting Art 130

Grumpy Gamer

JANUARY 17, 2018

I had worked at Lucasfilm for 8 years and learned a lot, not just about game design and programming, but also marketing, PR, and production and I felt like I needed to try it all for myself. I also had the idea of making adventure games for kids. I floated it by Lucasfilm Games and they weren’t interested.

Puzzle 130

Puzzle Point and Click Playtesting Art 130

Deconstructor of Fun

JULY 8, 2024

Written by Phillip Black , Game Economist, Game Economist Consulting. Listen to Game Economist Cast for more juicy Game Economist insights. Thanks to Krishna Israney , Mishka Katkoff , and Kenneth Landen for feedback and editing! This decision remains puzzling, as there was no pressure to launch Squad Busters.

Mobile 110

Mobile Mobile Platformer Feature 110

Sirlin

APRIL 26, 2019

Edit: It turns out that the last four episodes disappointed pretty much everyone. I leave this prediction post up for reference anyway —- I’m going to give my predictions for how Game of Thrones ends up. By looking at the show from a game design standpoint, I think we see how a lot of it has to end up. Bran’s power.

Game Design 40

Game Design Game Designer Games Writing 40

The Bottom Feeder

MAY 15, 2024

The first edition. It was famously designed by Gygax to mess with the players in his own campaign and provide meat for players who came to him and said they could beat anything he threw at him. The main problem, alas, is that, while it IS a fascinating landmark for game design, it is not a good adventure.

Horror 78

Horror Fighting Game Design Game Designer 78

iHobo

OCTOBER 26, 2022

In 2023, the game I'm most proud of in my long and distinguished career as a game designer will be twenty years old. Why is this game so beloved? Before I talk about the ghosts, I need to start with where this game began. But I was wrong - we had one more game together.

Film 73

Film Horror Concepts Animation 73

Deconstructor of Fun

JANUARY 10, 2021

Laura Taranto has 12 years experience in casual games and is a product advisor and puzzle game aficionado. Special thanks to Niek Tuerlings for the Merge Game insights. and Michail Katkoff for edits and data. In casual games overall, puzzle games account for just over 50% of all revenue for 2020.

Puzzle 52

Puzzle Mobile Mobile Games 52

Brand Game Development

JULY 15, 2019

One of the hallmarks of good board game design is being able to create hard choices. Sounds easy enough to do, but it’s actually really tough from the designer’s perspective! Let’s talk about how you can create hard choices in your board game. Need help on your board game?

Tile 130

Tile Mechanics Games Puzzle 130

Brand Game Development

JULY 22, 2019

Perfect board game pacing is one of the most underrated aspects of board game design. Somewhere between overwhelm and ennui, there lies a middle ground where a game is perfectly paced. A great board game feels challenging and interesting throughout. Below, I have lightly edited the original work from his blog.

Tile 130

Tile Games Playtesting Balance 130

Radiator Blog

JUNE 30, 2022

A broughlike is a variation on a roguelike named after designer Michael Brough , who has spoken before on his design patterns like square tiles, orthogonal movement, turn parity, glitching, limited info, simple maze designs, minimal resources. A dense randomized mini-chess puzzle where everything matters.

Code 100

Code Educational Education Prototyping 100