PreMortem.Games

MARCH 30, 2023

The debut game Dredge from New Zealand-based indie studio Black Salt Games oozes atmosphere and manages to combine multiple genres into one haunting adventure. Also, it makes working on the game extra interesting, because we’re trying to create a unique mixture of components that players haven’t seen before.

Playtesting 104

Playtesting Prototyping Mechanics Games 104

iXie gaming

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Getting started with your first NFT game development venture can be interesting. But is the NFT game development market worth entering? The global play-to-earn (P2E) NFT games market is predicted to reach $3.6 So, yes – NFT game development is worth it. But what are NFT games? billion by 2028.

Game Developer 52

Game Developer Game Development Development Asset 52

PreMortem.Games

JANUARY 8, 2024

During the day he works as a Senior Software Engineer at Blizzard Entertainment, creating games like Hearthstone, together with a large group of specialized professionals. This game represents me as a developer”, he says. This game represents me as a developer”, he says. “I

Dev 158

Dev Playtesting AAA Indy 158

PreMortem.Games

AUGUST 16, 2023

The Ancients is a turn-based survival strategy game where players lead a prehistoric hunter-gatherer tribe through the last ice age. It’s the debut game of Turkish studio Gorilla Softworks. It’s the debut game of Turkish studio Gorilla Softworks. “We We are a team of 5 developers”, says Şakar. “We

Technology 104

Technology Indy Playtesting Games 104

PreMortem.Games

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

For some, the idea of developing a game alone is daunting. Sadly, the reality of the business showed me that the type of games that pay the rent weren’t the type of experiences I wanted to create”, he says. After a five-year hiatus from game development, he returned as a solo developer to create his debut game Repunk.

Dev 158

Dev Playtesting Art Games 158

PreMortem.Games

MARCH 20, 2023

The debut game Dredge from New Zealand-based indie studio Black Salt Games oozes atmosphere and manages to combine multiple genres into one haunting adventure. Also, it makes working on the game extra interesting, because we’re trying to create a unique mixture of components that players haven’t seen before.

Playtesting 104

Playtesting Prototyping Mechanics Games 104

Big Games

DECEMBER 5, 2023

Game development isn’t as smooth and glamorous as many newbies imagine. It comes with challenges like tight deadlines, production obstacles, publisher pressures, and long work hours, which are just a glimpse of every developer’s hurdles. Many newbies ask the question, what are the stages of game development ?

Game Developer 52

Game Developer Game Development Development Bug 52

PreMortem.Games

MAY 19, 2023

Wikkl Works , a Netherlands-based game studio, is working hard on the climbing game New Heights. By using photogrammetry the game offers real life locations like famous rock faces or even well known landmarks. Then we got the idea to scan real world cliffs and mountains into the game using photogrammetry.

Indy 104

Indy Dev Studios Playtesting 104

iXie gaming

MAY 3, 2024

Despite the ever-evolving popularity of gaming consoles, the Nintendo Switch stands out as one of the most versatile and beloved platforms for gamers of all ages. Its unique ability to seamlessly transition between handheld and docked modes and its diverse library of games has solidified its position in the gaming industry.

Communications 52

Communications Bug Games Localization 52

PreMortem.Games

MAY 24, 2023

White Star Studio, a small and ambitious game development studio based in Shenzen, China, has captured the essence of ancient China in their game Thriving City. When the team first decided to make a sim management style game, they quickly settled on a city building sim. “We by Emperor Taizu of Song.

Studios 104

Studios Balance Content Playtesting 104

Brand Game Development

APRIL 7, 2017

I’ll be explaining my development processes for this game so that you can learn from them. My hope with the Dev Diary series is that by being really direct and transparent about my own development experiences, you’ll see how I respond to real problems. We’re in this together, game devs.

Mechanics 130

Mechanics Dev Simulation Games 130

iXie gaming

SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

The last thing you need is to release a faulty or error-prone video game to players. Players will not like it and may create a negative impression of your video game due to the poor gameplay experience. Remember, we live in an interconnected world where your video game can go viral overnight, attracting significant traffic.

Quality Assurance 52

Quality Assurance Bug Cross platform Playtesting 52

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. No matter what type of game you’re making, these 10 elements are critical to making a good game. Need help on your board game? Constraints.

Game Design 130

Game Design Game Designer Tile Games 130

Brand Game Development

MARCH 31, 2017

Need help on your board game? 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. I’ve created a playtesting log and I’ve done 11 tests so far.

Dev 130

Dev Playtesting Simulation Editing 130

Brand Game Development

MARCH 9, 2020

Monopoly: it’s one of the oldest board games in the store. It’s one of the top 10 best-selling board games. It’s also a terrible board game. When board gamers need a game to mercilessly mock , they look no further than Monopoly. Need help on your board game? Monopoly has a staggeringly low 4.4

Game Design 130

Game Design Game Designer Playtesting Games 130

Brand Game Development

APRIL 27, 2020

Play-testing is the most important part of board game design. It’s how you turn rough, raw ideas into polished, ready-to-play games. ” Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Visit your local game store.

Demo 130

Demo Playtesting Simulation Advertising 130

Brand Game Development

SEPTEMBER 24, 2019

This week while working on my current board game design, a lot of things have come into focus. Now it’s time to start tweaking board game rules. This is where board game design often becomes very tricky. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators.

Balance 130

Balance Games Communications Mechanics 130

Brand Game Development

JUNE 20, 2019

In fact, I’ve even said: “ don’t build a board game, build a business.” Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Allow me to introduce you to Jeff Beck of Grandpa Beck’s Games. Check it out and see what you think!

Asset 130

Asset Mechanics Games Balance 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. Need help on your board game? But how do you do that?

Tile 130

Tile Games Playtesting Balance 130

iXie gaming

OCTOBER 10, 2023

Testing console games is crucial in ensuring your game functions as intended before releasing it to the audience. While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach for testing your console game, several best practices can help you test your console game thoroughly. But why is console game testing important?

Console 52

Console Localization Games Mechanics 52

PreMortem.Games

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

When Jonathan Barbosa Dijkstra lost his job, just before the pandemic hit, he decided to give his dream of making a game by himself a proper go. But going through 3 years of development by himself has made him realize that solo is not really for him. “I Why did you become a solo developer? “I And the biggest pitfalls?

Dev 104

Dev Puzzle Prototyping Playtesting 104

Brand Game Development

JULY 15, 2019

One of the hallmarks of good board game design is being able to create hard choices. Particularly when hard choices come from simple mechanics. Let’s talk about how you can create hard choices in your board game. Need help on your board game? When selecting a game mechanic, it is the most familiar solution.

Tile 130

Tile Mechanics Games Puzzle 130

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 130

Playtesting Games Advertising Prototyping 130

Brand Game Development

DECEMBER 3, 2018

It’s no secret that board game publishers like to reduce risks. Most publishers have a system in place to help them filter marketable game ideas from unmarketable game ideas. Yet the process, so heavy on rejection, has left many game designers heartbroken. Need help on your board game?

Games 130

Games Retail Game Design Game Designer 130

iXie gaming

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

The gaming sector has experienced numerous changes over time. Whether it’s game development , every aspect of creating games has experienced new trends in recent times. One of the notable introductions in the industry has been video game test automation.

Simulation 52

Simulation Scripting Games Playtesting 52

Brand Game Development

OCTOBER 23, 2017

I’ve talked about the benefits and challenges of working alone in the board game industry. Yet I’m a bit of an odd beast in the board game development world since most people prefer to work in teams. Need help on your board game? How long have you been making games? What games have you worked on?

Prototyping 130

Prototyping Playtesting Games Game Design 130

Grid Sage Games

DECEMBER 22, 2023

Development Time As of the latest tally I’ve reached a total of 16,785 hours of work in these 10 years. Sure even now I still spend lots of time engaged directly with the active player community (which has other benefits for development like feedback!), Numbers go up. All your base are belong to us.

Beta 105

Beta Alpha Mechanics Build 105

iXie gaming

OCTOBER 3, 2023

Testing your game before releasing it to the public is crucial. It helps you identify, document, and mitigate defects and bugs in your video game. This improves the game’s overall performance, stability, and security. Also, game testing increases the chances of your game’s success. But what is gameplay testing?

Bug 52

Bug Mechanics Beta Playtesting 52

Brand Game Development

JUNE 3, 2019

The concept is simple: through gamification, you take the elements we associate with games – point scoring, competition, rules – and apply them to something else. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. Gamification is a fantastic tool.

UX 130

UX Playtesting Game Design Game Designer 130

Brand Game Development

MARCH 16, 2020

To get the Start to Finish series going, I’ve spent some time discussing games, game development, and the amount of careful messaging that is needed to create and sell a great game. At this point, you may be beginning to have some healthy doubts about the benefits and drawbacks of self-publishing a game.

Games 130

Games Quality Assurance Art Game Developer 130

Brand Game Development

JULY 20, 2020

Over the last four articles of Start to Finish: Publish and Sell Your First Board Game , I’ve talked about a lot of things that are more complicated than you’d think. That includes the unexpected depth of the board game industry as well as the surprising variety of responsibilities which a self-publishing developer must handle.

Prototyping 130

Prototyping Games Playtesting Dev 130

Grid Sage Games

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

Beta 11 was a huge milestone in Cogmind development, having completed a comprehensive review of all items and their stats and mechanics in order to rebalance where necessary, a process I wrote about in detail last year. As part of this drive, for months I’ve been creating over 100 new items, most of them including new mechanics.

Balance 52

Balance Mechanics Beta Alpha 52

Brand Game Development

DECEMBER 26, 2017

Board game development is a very individual process. Every single developer has different methods for creating their games. This article is the eighth of a 19-part suite on board game design and development. Need help on your board game? Playtesting storytelling. Not allow you to, but make you.

Art 130

Art Mechanics Games Game Developer 130

Keith Burgun

JANUARY 4, 2023

Back in September, I introduced people to my upcoming card game, Spellstorm. For month after month, I tried fixing them with different supporting mechanisms, different ways that cards were obtained, different ways damage was dealt, and a lot more, but nothing really fixed the fundamental problem. What Spellstorm Was. The Problems.

Mechanics 52

Mechanics Game Design Game Designer Playtesting 52

Game Analytics

FEBRUARY 14, 2023

It’s about allowing players to lose themselves in more than just a game, but a new world. This goal is always top-of-mind for Schell Games. In this interview, we spoke to Schell Games’ Vice President of Product, Charlie Amis, to learn their story. This isn’t as true or a high priority in PC and console games.

Dev 91

Dev Playtesting Fantasy Render 91

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. His data and insights were based on US data as a proxy for the western market, and focused on platform privacy, or the “Apple global mobile game recession”.

Games 59

Games Cross platform Mobile Mobile 59

Grid Sage Games

MARCH 10, 2022

A decade of development into a huge project is almost unavoidably going to accumulate some amount of cruft. Cogmind began its life as a 7DRL , and a portion of items designed back when the game was overall a very different environment didn’t evolve at the same pace. That would be bad :P.

Balance 52

Balance Mechanics Beta Prototyping 52