Why do game developers love mechs?
Game Developer
SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
Game developers weigh in on the "utter perfection" of giant mechanical robots.
Game Developer Games Mechanics 
Designing maps that complement game mechanics
Game Developer
FEBRUARY 22, 2024
Good level design must support the actual game mechanics – this affects both level design, and ultimately, player enjoyment. This article shows how we do things with our popular multiplayer mobile shooter game War Robots.
Mechanics 
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How to Build Better Mechanics for Rewarded In-Game Ads
Game Refinery
AUGUST 2, 2023
A common way to monetize freemium mobile games is through in-app advertising, where ad placements are sold to generate profit from the entire player base. Freemium games reach wider audiences, but the risk of churn is always looming. The game has several power progression vectors.
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Why Sam Barlow says "witnessing" can be a powerful game mechanic
Game Developer
JUNE 6, 2023
Immortality game director Sam Barlow discusses his inspirations for making games around "witnessing" key events.
Mechanics 317
317 
Book Excerpt: Designing Games Meant for Sharing
Game Developer
JULY 9, 2024
This book talks about the importance of social mechanics in games and how these mechanics evolved over time to accommodate new technologies and new social contexts.'
Mechanics 328
328 
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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Greenheart Necromancer reinvents the idle game, shows how to rethink 'predatory' mechanics
Game Developer
FEBRUARY 6, 2025
Silverstring Media wants to reclaim the "idle game" genre to reward truly idle gameplay.
Mechanics 275
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How Times & Galaxy turns journalism into a game mechanic
Game Developer
MAY 2, 2023
Copychaser Games founder Ben Gelinas discusses how reporting is so vital to Times & Galaxy and how it changes games' relationship with people and investigation.
Mechanics 273
273 
Food for thought: taking food in games beyond mechanics and into the narrative
Game Developer
JANUARY 19, 2024
Despite that and its rich symbolic, cultural, and social meaning, food rarely features in narrative. The rare exceptions are worth a closer look.
Mechanics 328
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How Mobile Game Developers Are Using In-Game Collaboration Events to Boost Player Retention
Game Refinery
NOVEMBER 23, 2022
If you’re looking for ways to improve player retention for your mobile game, hosting a collaboration event with a well-known franchise as part of your LiveOps might be the answer you’re looking for. As an example, collaboration events are used by more than 70% of the top 10% of highest-grossing games in the China iOS market.
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'Touch can bring people together like nothing else': Sparking connections through video game intimacy
Game Developer
AUGUST 12, 2024
Claire Kwong, creator of experimental video game installation Between, shares her findings after exploring the idea of physical touch as a game mechanic.
Mechanics 332
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6 lessons game developers can learn from Epic Games’ cloud governance strategy
AWS Games
MARCH 12, 2025
This blog is co-written by Reza Nikoopour, Principal Engineer, Cloud Governance at Epic Games. For game studios large and small, a smart cloud governance strategy can go a long way in reducing costs and increasing security for a live service game. Shane Smith, VP of Technology Services at Epic Games.
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.
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The memory-altering mechanics of adventure game RE:CALL
Game Developer
FEBRUARY 16, 2023
"The player is an agent of chaos. Lock them up."
Mechanics 226
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Five tabletop RPG mechanics that video games should definitely steal
Game Developer
MARCH 21, 2023
Obsidian senior area designer Evan Hill took to the stage at GDC 2023 to plot a heist.
Mechanics 246
246 
Rogue Snail decouples free-to-play mechanics from Relic Hunters Legend after Gearbox split
Game Developer
AUGUST 29, 2024
The studio is making its Early Access game into a premium title when it hits 1.0 due to a lack of time and effort to dedicate into monetization.
Mechanics 269
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[Event Spotlight] How Mobile Game Developers Are Driving Player Engagement With Race Events
Game Refinery
JUNE 15, 2023
The rise of hybridization in mobile games has resulted in game developers experimenting with new gameplay mechanics and features from other genres to drive engagement, something that’s often done via limited-time events.
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Call for Submissions: Let's talk about photography games
Game Developer
AUGUST 19, 2024
Join us for a discussion on the modes and mechanics that define an emerging genre.
Mechanics 302
302 
Why a recycling mechanic saved Terra Nil's climate cleanup design
Game Developer
APRIL 7, 2023
Environmental strategy game Terra Nil needed to do what no other citybuilding game had done before to cross the finish line.
Mechanics 246
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Solo developer Kaighen Finley: “It’s easy to lose myself in game development”
PreMortem.Games
APRIL 17, 2023
Fresh out of school Kaighen Finley started his own web & game development company Team iNtuition. Just to be on the safe side he mainly focused on web development, but his heart was not in it. It took him 4 years to create his game and in that time he learned some valuable lessons. “If I function well like that.”
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The walls are alive with tiny people in Cyborn’s Mixed Reality game Wall Town Wonders
PreMortem.Games
NOVEMBER 27, 2024
Belgian developer Cyborn has introduced a fresh perspective on mixed-reality gaming with the release of Wall Town Wonders , a game that transforms living spaces into bustling miniature towns built right on the wall. Eighteen months later, the game is here,” he says. But I’m happy we put it in already.”
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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. What are game mechanics?
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How Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew made save scumming a central mechanic
Game Developer
AUGUST 22, 2023
Mimimi Games needed a touch of magic to make save scumming feel like a natural part of gameplay.
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Solo dev Esteban Hernandez spent 7 years on Creo God Simulator: “I’ve learned perseverance”
PreMortem.Games
FEBRUARY 5, 2025
What started as a passion project has grown into a full-fledged god game blending city-building, resource management and player-driven storytelling. I became a solo developer initially because I wanted to make games, plain and simple, he says. I have full freedom and control over every aspect of my game.
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RAM: Random Access Mayhem's body-swapping mechanic was born from playing roguelikes
Game Developer
MARCH 12, 2024
The directors of RAM: Random Access Mayhem talk about how difficulties doing well while playing challenging roguelike games would spark a compelling idea for a roguelike of their own.
Mechanics 246
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The Rise of Hybridization in Mobile Games: How Developers are Genre Mashing Their Way to Success
Game Refinery
MAY 4, 2023
We’ve been writing about the growth of ‘hybrid’ mobile games – when a title merges two or more genres to create an entirely new gameplay experience – since 2020, but hybrid games have evolved a lot since then, especially when it comes to the game genres that are being merged together.
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Cairn's manual climbing system is like a 'vertical Death Stranding'
Game Developer
OCTOBER 3, 2024
The Game Bakers creative director Emeric Thoa explains why the studio built a limb-by-limb climbing mechanic from scratch.
Mechanics 317
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The Top 10 Popular VR Game Development Tools
Logic Simplified
NOVEMBER 7, 2024
Similarly, in a game development setup, various virtual reality tools have become easily accessible to both creators and consumers to create and encounter immersive experiences. 10 Popular VR Game Development Tools There are a range of tools and frameworks that are being used for VR game development projects.
What confuses you most about board game development?
Brand Game Development
MARCH 30, 2020
Board game development is incredibly complex. To create a board game from start to finish , think of everything you have to do: Come up with a board game idea and design a game around it. Create rules and mechanics that help you express your idea in the best way possible. Find artists.
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How Memory Shards help players find secrets in Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
Game Developer
JANUARY 31, 2024
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown has a simple-but-brilliant mechanic to help players remember hidden locations on the game's massive map.
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The Mobile Games Moving Away From Gacha
Game Refinery
APRIL 27, 2023
Mobile games and gacha mechanics have been closely aligned for a significant time. Regardless of the genre, most gamers playing titles on a mobile device will inevitably encounter gacha mechanics in some shape or form, whether that’s a box gacha, sugoroku gacha, timed gacha, or one of many others.
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A Crash Course in Board Game Development
Brand Game Development
SEPTEMBER 9, 2019
Last week, I posted A Crash Course in Games , where I acted as a tour guide to the board game industry, covering much of the contextual information you’ll need to make games. Let’s pick up from there and talk about what specifically goes into making a game. What is board game development all about?
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European Parliament votes to regulate in-game loot boxes
Game Developer
JANUARY 18, 2023
Europe's Parliament plans on regulating loot boxes in video games and ensuring that the controversial mechanic doesn't take advantage of young players.
Mechanics 246
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Attracting investors and publishers with the right kind of game demos
PreMortem.Games
NOVEMBER 29, 2023
Disclosure: This article has been written as a part of a paid cooperation with Xsolla Game demos are as important to a successful game marketing strategy as trailers and advertising. They enable developers to establish a connection with their target audience early on, while turning interested players into buyers.
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Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge hopes to inspire a love for the wetlands
Game Developer
MAY 21, 2024
The developers at Humble Reeds talk about how they wove conservationism into the game's mechanics without bogging the them down in the complexities of environmental care.
Mechanics 300
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6 Reasons Why Board Game Development is So Iterative
Brand Game Development
MAY 13, 2019
Board game development is notorious for its trial-and-error approach. Experienced designers and developers will tell you that it’s all about iteration. You may create dozens of versions of the same game until you finally find one you’re satisfied with. Need help on your board game?
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How Tchia captures the feeling and myths of New Caledonia with its environment and play
Game Developer
MARCH 21, 2024
Phil Crifo talks about the desire and utility of setting a game in their homeland of New Caledonia, as well as how that would shape its mechanics and play.
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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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Kazakhstan-based Goodwin Games takes us on an emotional adventure in Selfloss
PreMortem.Games
OCTOBER 28, 2024
Set in a beautiful, Slavic-inspired world, Selfloss by Kazakhstan-based indie studio Goodwin Games is an adventure that explores themes of grief, healing, and resilience. 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.
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Deliver At All Cost by Far Out Games is a destructive joyride through a 1950s wonderland
PreMortem.Games
NOVEMBER 20, 2024
First-time Swedish developer Far Out Games has meticulously crafted a neon-drenched Americana, complete with pink motels, sun-soaked suburbs and classic diners, all ready to be obliterated by you and your unstoppable delivery truck. We think it brings a certain atmosphere to the game that ties everything together in a nice way.”
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The Sweet Art of Feature Adaptation
Deconstructor of Fun
NOVEMBER 12, 2024
Written by Ahmetcan Demirel , the maestro of product management and a podcast host ( Game Dev Diary ) from Germany! With a knack for puzzles, arcades, and simulation games. In the ever-evolving landscape of the gaming industry, it's no secret that games often draw inspiration from one another.
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How Watch Dogs: Legion changed Ubisoft's narrative design
Game Developer
MARCH 31, 2023
Ubisoft Toronto's Brandon Hennessy spoke at GDC 2023 about the narrative work that went into Watch Dogs: Legion , and how the game's Play as Anyone mechanic required changes to the narrative team's pipeline.
Mechanics 300
300 
Thoughts on Minit Fun Racer
Game Developer
FEBRUARY 22, 2024
We had a lot of fun making this game, with a clear scope and framework to start from, and a lot of room for iteration both mechanically and in adding secrets and surprises.
Mechanics 300
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