How to write a Game Design Document
Game Developer
AUGUST 15, 2023
Game Design Documents (GDD) have a long history and a different place in many designers' toolboxes. Here's how to write a useful, up-to-date GDD.
Game Design Related Topics 
Legendary game designers John Romero and Mabel Addis honored at GDCA 2023
Game Developer
FEBRUARY 23, 2023
Mabel Addis will posthumously receive the Pioneer Award, which honors breakthrough business, tech, and game design milestones. The award-winning game designer, level designer, and programmer John Romero will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on iconic and genre-defining first-person shooters.
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Major Game Design Elements
Juego Studio
SEPTEMBER 21, 2023
Every successful video game features a few common elements- clear goals, surprise elements, a clean core loop, good graphics and sound, and so on. In short, they feature the major game design elements. Game designers follow a combination of certain basic elements to make it memorable.
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Importance of playtesting in game design
Logic Simplified
AUGUST 14, 2023
It is one of the best ways to improve the game quality by focusing on real player behaviour and learning what players really think about particular aspects of your game. Designers use this method to test different game versions frequently to find faults and provide input for improvements. Let’s find out.
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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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What Does it Mean to Analyze Game Design?
Game Developer
JUNE 8, 2023
If there's one aspect of the game industry that is as mysterious as game design, it is game analysis. There may be hundreds, or even thousands at this point, of magazines, sites, journalists, and YouTubers, all reviewing video games, but it takes a careful eye to analyze a game.
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Game art vs game design: What is the difference?
Logic Simplified
AUGUST 8, 2023
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. In this blog, we will discuss the difference between game art vs game design and how each plays a unique role in game development. Who is a Game Designer?
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7 Essential Game Design Principles – Every Game Designer Should Know
Juego Studio
JULY 25, 2023
Games are fun. Or to put it in this context, video games are meant to be fun. And a good game design makes sure that it stays fun throughout the entire game. When we say […] The post 7 Essential Game Design Principles – Every Game Designer Should Know appeared first on Juego Studio.
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What Is Iterative Game Design?
Game Designing
SEPTEMBER 7, 2023
One of the most important steps in game development is iterative game design. It’s built on the idea that games aren’t perfect after one round of development. Let’s learn more about iterative game design and what it entails. Let’s learn more about iterative game design and what it entails.
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The Evolution of Action Game Design
Game Wisdom
MARCH 23, 2023
The Evolution of Action Game Design Josh Bycer josh@game-wisdom.com width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" With Wo Long released, for the Key to Games cast, we’re talking action game design and specifically how the genre and its major elements have changed over 40 years of the industry.…
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Think Like A Game Designer Podcast
Designer Notes
AUGUST 30, 2023
At this year’s GDC, I mentored Justin Gary on his Tabletop Summit talk on SolForge Fusion and, afterwards, he invited me onto his excellent game designer podcast Think Like A Game Designer.
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This Baldur's Gate 3 quest is a must-play for game designers
Game Developer
SEPTEMBER 6, 2023
The design of Baldur's Gate 3's Auntie Ethel encounter is a stellar example of open-ended quest design.
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Kind Games: Designing for Prosocial Multiplayer
Lost Garden
JULY 8, 2023
This paper was originally published here as part of the Polaris Game Design Retreat 2022 papers. WORKGROUP MEMBERS INTRODUCTION What if we proactively design our games to facilitate positive human relationships? We propose that games built on a foundation of kind aesthetics can […]
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The Clash of Choices in Game Design
Game Wisdom
MAY 25, 2023
The Clash of Choices in Game Design Josh Bycer josh@game-wisdom.com One of the many balancing acts of game design is the act of creating cool, interesting, unique, abilities for the player to use, and then balancing said abilities within the scope and design of your game.
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Advanced math in game design: random walks and Markov chains in action
Game Developer
SEPTEMBER 13, 2023
In this article, we’ll analyze two mathematical concepts: Markov chains and random walks.
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A Complete Guide of Mobile Game Design
Juego Studio
JUNE 26, 2023
In 2009, a game designer at a Finnish mobile game development company showed some of their sketches and ideas to others. It inspired others and prompted them to pursue the designer’s idea. Thus, began a […] The post A Complete Guide of Mobile Game Design appeared first on Juego Studio.
BAFTA announces 2023 Young Game Designers competition winners
GamesIndustry.biz
JUNE 22, 2023
Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox BAFTA has unveiled the 2023 winners of its Young Game Designers (YGD) awards. In the ten to 14-year-old category, Max Whistlecraft won the Game Concept award with Polarity, a science-themed title; users can switch the polarities like a magnet to fight bosses.
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A Shout-Out to The Board Game Design Course by Joe Slack
Brand Game Development
FEBRUARY 22, 2021
That’s why I wanted to take a moment to shout out Joe Slack’s website, The Board Game Design Course. Click here to check out The Board Game Design Course. There are two things I particularly like about Joe’s approach to teaching game design: #1. He also does weekly mailers, too !
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What Does it Mean to Analyze Game Design?
Game Wisdom
JANUARY 26, 2023
What Does it Mean to Analyze Game Design? Josh Bycer josh@game-wisdom.com If there’s one aspect of the game industry that is as mysterious as game design, it is game analysis. appeared first on Game Wisdom.
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What is the Difference Between Game Art and Game Design?
Juego Studio
JUNE 19, 2023
Game development is a diverse field that incorporates multiple disciplines. Two of them are game art and game design. As many of us are not aware of the work behind the making of games, we […] The post What is the Difference Between Game Art and Game Design?
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Clockwork Game Design Podcast – Episode #94 – 2022 wrap-up
Keith Burgun
JANUARY 10, 2023
Here’s some of the topics covered: A bit of navel gazing about my own theory and approach to games and how it has changed A short essay I wrote about “speaking the language” and how building off of existing designs … Clockwork Game Design Podcast – Episode #94 – 2022 wrap-up Read More »
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3 Signs It’s Time to Quit Working a Board Game Design Idea
Brand Game Development
MARCH 29, 2021
You have to block off time for your creativity to flow, do the hard work, and take tough feedback to make the best game you can. I also think that if you’re brand new to board game design, it’s worth pushing a small project all the way through its full lifecycle from start to finish. All of this means trying hard!
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Game Design For Everyone Bundle on Fanatical
Game From Scratch
FEBRUARY 7, 2023
GameFromScratch.com Game Design For Everyone Bundle on Fanatical The Game Design for Everyone bundle is currently live on Fanatical. This bundle contains nearly 10,000 assets, mostly graphics, sprites, UI elements and tilesets usable in any game engine.
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The Influences of Car Combat Game Design
Game Wisdom
APRIL 14, 2023
The Influences of Car Combat Game Design Josh Bycer josh@game-wisdom.com width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" For this roundtable discussion, we focus on the genre of car combat-styled games, and how the genre has kind of disappeared over the 2010’s.
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Humble Game Design Book + Pixel Art Course Bundles
Game From Scratch
MARCH 13, 2023
GameFromScratch.com Humble Game Design Book + Pixel Art Course Bundles There are a pair of Humble Bundles of interest to game developers launched today on Humble, the Game Design and AI Featuring Steve Rabin bundle and the Complete Pixel Art Online Course by Mammoth Interactive bundle.
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Learning About Game Design in the Classroom
Game Wisdom
FEBRUARY 13, 2023
Learning About Game Design in the Classroom Josh Bycer josh@game-wisdom.com width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" For this perceptive podcast, I’m talking with Jeremy Yanofsky who hosts the Engage Show to discuss what does teaching game design and using games in the classroom look like today.
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4 Lessons from Imhotep for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JUNE 1, 2020
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. One of the elements of great game design is interaction. Use simple mechanics to create options for counterplay.
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Board Game Designer vs. Developer vs. Publisher
Brand Game Development
DECEMBER 17, 2018
The simple fact is that there are a lot of distinct tasks that have to be handled to turn a game from an idea into reality. 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. Need help on your board game? Designers make the game’s soul.
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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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4 Lessons from Exit Games for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JULY 13, 2020
Certainly, board game designers can learn a lot from well-designed escape rooms. Exit Games by Kosmos are the closest we can get to the authentic in-person experience right now. Some of the puzzles in Exit Games, much like in real-life Escape Rooms, are devilishly hard. Exit Games find a workaround.
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7 Lessons from Monopoly for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
MARCH 9, 2020
.” Besides, when we – as gamers and game developers – put aside our frustration for a moment, we can actually see Monopoly for what it is: a solid concept with bad execution. There are a lot of questionable game design decisions that, if corrected, could have made for a fantastic game.
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6 Reasons Escape Rooms Will Make You a Better Board Game Designer
Brand Game Development
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
Escape Rooms will make you a better board game designer. This is partly because Escape Rooms are everything that board games aspire to be – complex problem-solving games that appeal to a wide audience and provide a remarkable physical experience. Board games often run the risk of having themes that feel pasted-on.
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Game Design Fundamentals: Information Channels
Ask a Game Dev
DECEMBER 29, 2022
So what does this have to do with game design? As a game designer, you’ve got to convey a constant flow of game information to the player, and you want to avoid overwhelming them with it. If you want to be a game designer, you should keep this in your pocket as a tool to use when the time is right.
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4 Lessons from Santorini for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JANUARY 14, 2019
The rules could not possibly be simpler, and yet the strategy of the game gets pretty heady. There are lots of reasons I love, love, love this game. For the purposes of this article, though, we’ll be discussing four lessons for board game designers to take away from it. Physical game presence counts for a lot.
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VR for everyone: Accessible game design tips from Owlchemy Labs
Unity Blog
DECEMBER 7, 2022
Learn how Owlchemy Labs uses accessible game design principles to reach more players and create better VR experiences for everyone.
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Game Design Elements You Don't Want to Forget!
DameDev.tv
FEBRUARY 21, 2023
There are some game design elements you don't want to forget, because if you miss them, your game could lack the polish it needs. Code Your first 3D Unity games for web, Mac & PC. Gamedev I've enjoyed talking to you about these important elements of game design! Start your game engines!
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BAFTA has announced the 44 finalists for Young Game Designers 2023
Game Development News
JUNE 5, 2023
BAFTA has announced the names of 44 finalists for the BAFTA Young Game Designers (YGD) competition - MCV/DEVELOP
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10 Elements of Good Game Design
Brand Game Development
FEBRUARY 17, 2020
By using my own work as an example, I hope you can read their original write-up with a concrete context and use their lessons to make an incredible game of your own. The post 10 Elements of Good Game Design appeared first on Brandon the Game Dev.
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4 Lessons from Sagrada for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JANUARY 28, 2019
Chance elements are valuable in game design because they keep games from being “solved” in the same way that chess – a perfect information, zero luck game – ultimately was. 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 Twilight Struggle for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
SEPTEMBER 3, 2019
No matter how you feel about it, there is a lot that new board game designers can learn from it. Need help on your board game? Join my community of over 2,000 game developers, artists, and passionate creators. In my opinion, pacing is one of the most underrated aspects of board game design.
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4 Lessons from Root for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
SEPTEMBER 16, 2019
By playing it and studying it, we can learn more about effectively implementing asymmetrical game design. It’s also great at teaching us how to use theme to introduce gamers to much grittier games than they would normally play. Not bad for a game about woodland creatures!
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4 Lessons from Ticket to Ride for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
FEBRUARY 11, 2019
On top of that, the experience for beginners and the experience for advanced players are different enough to keep the game engaging even as you learn more about it. For these reasons and more, we’re going to dive into Ticket to Ride and talk about what new board game designers can learn from this 15-year-old game.
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Why are game designers wrong 80% of the time?
Lost Garden
NOVEMBER 12, 2022
The joke goes: An expert game designer is 20x more effective than a newbie. Why are game designers wrong 80% of the time? They are correct 20% of the time instead of 1%. Sometimes they are wrong by a little. Sometimes by a lot. Is it poor planning? Are they morons? An expert painter does […].
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4 Lessons from Quacks of Quedlinburg for Aspiring Board Game Designers
Brand Game Development
JANUARY 27, 2020
Aspiring board game designers should take note of how the name and the theme tear down barriers that would otherwise keep would-be-gamers out of gaming. The play-time is short, keeping the game from feeling like a long game of roulette. It’s absurd and you can’t help but smile at it.
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