Designer Notes

MARCH 31, 2023

Here are the games that I’ve worked on. Spoiler alert: Civilization 3 and 4 are going to come up a lot in the presentation… I also do a podcast where I interview game designers about why they make games, so check it out if you have time for 4-hour interviews. So, why should I go back to make a historical, tile-based 4X game?

Tile 98

Tile Point and Click AI Mechanics 98

Mircosoft Game Dev

JULY 3, 2021

Windows Mixed Reality headsets are currently only supported through SteamVR as WMR natively only supports DirectX game engines. Mobile GPUs are very different from desktop GPU, to make better use of limited access to fast memory mobile GPUs use a tile based architecture. This means that the render buffer is divided into smaller tiles.

Tile 52

Tile Render Prototyping Mobile 52

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

Designer Notes

AUGUST 2, 2021

The game, a historical 4X set in classical antiquity, released on July 1, 2021, and is available for purchase here. One challenge that has haunted all Civilization games since the beginning is Infinite City Sleaze (ICS). The following is an excerpt from the Designer Notes for Old World.

Tile 52

Tile Build Mechanics Prototyping 52

Brand Game Development

JUNE 15, 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 one of them was about how much to spend on board game advertising. Need help on your board game?

Advertising 130

Advertising Point and Click Games Media 130

Brand Game Development

MAY 18, 2020

As the coronavirus lockdown continues, a lot of people are having a hard time getting their board game fix. The ability to play board games online, however, has never been easier. That’s because it’s easy to make board games in Tabletop Simulator, an inexpensive board game simulation tool available on the Steam store.

Simulation 130

Simulation Games Demo Playtesting 130

Brand Game Development

NOVEMBER 19, 2018

For the last few years, we’ve been living through a glorious age: the Great Board Game Renaissance. In a world aglow with smartphones, tablets, and those annoying billboards that change every five seconds on the side of the road, analog gaming has become a welcome retreat for millions. Need help on your board game?

Games 130

Games Art Media Game Design 130

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? Jesse and I will explain further.

Mechanics 130

Mechanics Games Game Design Game Designer 130

Interesting Choices

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

I've been fascinated by board games that revolve around drafting for years now, and in early 2011 I wrote a post on the pillars that make these games click. I've created an online prototype for playtesting that has seen almost 2000 games completed with at least a dozen players clocking in at over 100 games apiece.

Build 40

Build Tile Point and Click Games 40

Mircosoft Game Dev

DECEMBER 11, 2020

While development keeps going at full speed towards Godot 4.0 (see see recent devblogs on GDScript typed instructions , Complex Text Layout , Tiles editor , documentation , and 2D rendering improvements !), Improved Web editor prototype and AudioWorklet support for multithreaded HTML5 builds. branch for the upcoming Godot 3.2.4.

Beta 52

Beta Dev Render Bug 52

Keith Burgun

JANUARY 4, 2023

Back in September, I introduced people to my upcoming card game, Spellstorm. Let me quickly explain how the game worked in broad strokes, and then I can explain the main problem. ” A lot of the basic MOVE/BUMP dynamics were inherited from my 2019 card game, Dragon Bridge. What Spellstorm Was. The Problems.

Mechanics 52

Mechanics Game Design Game Designer Playtesting 52

The Liquid Fire

DECEMBER 1, 2023

As I start fleshing out the “tactics” side of the game, where position actually matters, then I could also use physics to see what is within range of an attack or a cast spell. Because of the grid-based nature of my game, I position my sprites at whole number coordinate positions like "(2, 3)". Visit my Patreon page here.

Scripting 52

Scripting Asset Tile Collision 52

Deconstructor of Fun

MARCH 22, 2021

Early this year the Turkish mobile startup Dream Games has raised $50 million in new funding ($57.5M total funding), despite having only soft-launched its first game, Royal Match. Dream Games was founded by two of Peak’s former Product Directors. Thus a full breakdown of the newly released game is warranted. It made $5.1

Puzzle 69

Puzzle Mobile Mobile Mechanics 69

Radiator Blog

JUNE 30, 2022

Zugzwang by Robert Yang This post details my process and intent for making my new release Zugzwang (pronounced in German like /ts'OOK-ts'VAHng/ ) a tactical sex dungeon roguelike cum ritual game. I first prototyped it back in 2019, but I didn't really know how to finish it. SPOILER ALERT: This post spoils what happens in the game.

Code 52

Code Educational Education Prototyping 52

Designer Notes

OCTOBER 14, 2021

The game, a historical 4X set in classical antiquity, released on July 1, 2021, and is available for purchase here. I don’t think it’s possible for a 4X game to consistently provide a satisfying, climactic ending; the genre’s strengths come from the vast possibility space, the lack of guardrails, and a commitment to reward smart play fairly.

AI 40

AI Simulation Mechanics Mobile Gaming 40