Join others who get a notification ever time I post a new lesson around game design. I aim to do at least 1 a week to stay regular.
Below is a full list of all the articles that I have written and I really hope they help! Be sure to check out my development diary as well because it’s where I use the things I talk about!
- #0 – Where Do I Begin
- #1 – Mechanics, Rules and Goals
- #2 – Theme Building VS Mechanic Building
- #3 – Player Experience
- #4 – Iterative Design
- #5 – Playtest, playtest, playtest
- #5.5 – No Really! Playtest
- #6.1 – Tweaking: 5 whys and the ACTUAL problem
- #6.2 – Tweaking: Constraints and Min/Maxing
- #6.3 – Tweaking: The rubber duck and simplification
- #7 – Game Dynamics
- #8.1 – Chance, Why?
- #8.2 – Dice
Some of my lessons come with exercises that can be carried out. This will help you better understand the reasoning behind what I discuss. I advise you to either work along with me and design your own game as you work through the exercises because doing is always better than reading.
Alternatively, in most cases I include an option to iterate on an existing game. Because game design is such an iterative process this is a great way to come up with new ideas.
For those looking for even more – I stongly recommend Game Lab. You can also get loads of tips, tricks and advice on the Board Game Geek Forums.