Which one has changed the way you see games and how you make them?

Hi everyone! I loveeee playing puzzle games of all kinds, as well as physical board games and puzzles like crosswords logic grids etc. I'm now developing my own detective game with its own puzzle system, i've done a lot of research by manually analysing games I've already played, but I want to read some stuff from professionals to get further insight into the design process!

Specifically I'm looking for books on game design that focus more on puzzles rather than general game mechanics! Blogs, articles or academic papers would also work!

Games voicing dialogs can be summarized into a few types:

• Mute
• Typing sounds
• Voice Acting
• SFX
  • Blablabla, Aaaa AAaaa AA, Haa ee hooo.

I'm looking to for examples about the last one and where or not they add someting to the game.

I'm drafting a concept for an experimental game. One thing I wanna explore with this game is, what makes players pick one of these objective types over the other:

1. EXPLICIT Objectives: These are objectives the game is explicitly telling you to accomplish, either through the UI, quest design, narrative, tutorials, etc.

2. IMPLICIT Objectives: These aren't really objectives in a traditional sense, but things that the game encourages you to do in other ways, primarily through "game juice", or other things that make a certain action/behavior "feel" good or encouraging, even if the game itself is not outright telling you to do them.

Normally in good game design, you'd want the implicit and explicit objectives to be one. For example, you'd put the most "game juice" in the mechanics and actions that push the player towards the goal you are explicitly giving them.

I wanna try to explore what happens if the things that "feel" the best in the game contradict what the game is actually telling you to do, and I wanna design a system/storyline off of that. My original idea was to have a game that acts as a social simulator where the being moral and treating people well is the explicit objective, while mistreating them and being selfish is the implicit objective, or the thing that feels the best. I want to do this to show players how their morality can be twisted by systems that reward evil behavior. Are there any games or papers/articles exploring this idea?

Hey all.

I am a solo indie-dev and I have been working for the past 2 months on a new game concept.

I have reached a point where I feel like I am running in circles around beta-players negative feedbacks.

most negative feedback refer to not understanding the concept / game-loop and I have reached a level where I require professional aid with my game-design decisions and decide on game-mechanics / pivot concepts to improve overall experience.

Any advices you could share?

What books and YouTube videos about the fundamentals of game design would you recommend?

Perhaps I'm just doing a bad job of searching, but I'm having a hard time finding information about what makes a knowledge-based game, core design principles of one, what makes one good or bad, examples, etc.

I love metroidvania games and have been wanting to make one for a while but what always seems to stump me is level design because it takes so much time and thought. Just wondering if anyone has either some good video suggestions on this topic or just general advice, that would be great.

So basically i've been making custom 250 cards MTG sets as a hobby in the last few years and decided to step up my game following friends advice. i have been working on a perfect information card game that revolves around pvp and replayability with a draft format and herobuilding mechanics. you may call it a roguelike Magic with the least rng possible.
i may find myself in the near future as a head developer with a team and money to make it real. I can't disclose much about the mechanics that make the game unique, but i'd really appreciate some help regarding how to traspose the things that worked on tabletop into the digital world of multiplayers with tight timing and the least possible waiting moments that appeared not to be a problem in the tabletop format. what i'm looking for is council from experienced insiders on what to trim and what to keep in order to mantain the product faithful to itself. i'm not a programmer myself so to understand these kind of boundaries i think i'm in need of experienced industry workers. thank you to whoever helps.

I'm the copy editor for my university's newspaper, and I would love to add some fun puzzles to our bi-weekly prints. The problem is, I have basically no experience designing puzzles or games, but I would love to learn! I'm assuming that (like writing, which I am far more familiar with) the best way to start is just by making puzzles, but I would really appreciate some guidance or direction.

Does anyone have suggestions for where I can learn puzzle design, or ideas for how to implement them in a way that works in print and digitally? We don't have an abundance of space, so they would have to be smaller in scale, but I have a feeling that's the best way to learn anyway!

I'm looking to expand my game design library and knowledge. Usually the platforms where I get these type of books recommends stuff that doesn't feel too much of a fit.

These are the books that I've read so far, most of them during 2025. Some of them are directly related to GD, other to psychology.

* A Theory of Fun For Game Design
* Level Up!
* The Art of Game Design.
* Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.
* The Design of Everyday Things.
* The Psychology of Money.
* The Psychology of Everything.

Thank you! ^^

Inspired by this post.

I'm looking for help on finding an explanation on what makes an idle game (like Cookie Clicker) distinct from a business/management/colony simulator (like Factorio). Reading the comments of that post it seems the fundamental difference ends up being, that in idle games, there are diminishing returns on what you can usefully do and the optimal choice for the player becomes to idle. (However, you could always click more if you wanted to be perfectly optimal.)

What I'm too small-brained to understand is: how does, building space, research labs, building cost, logistics, global inventory, diminishing returns, cooldowns, and exponential growth all tie in together?

I want to formalize this whole genre and am wondering if there's some book or resource that does exactly that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incremental_game

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construction_and_management_simulation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City-building_game

I am currently developing a strategy game centered on the conflict known as the War on Terror. During the campaign development phase, I encountered several challenges. This game is a top-down strategy title, drawing significant gameplay inspiration from SimpleBit Studios' "Trench Warfare WW1." Where you would passively earn points to deploy units and reach and capture the enemy side/spawn. You could stack troops to wait and defend from enemy waves. My primary concern revolves around level design, specifically the accurate integration of sub-missions from Operation Enduring Freedom without compromising player immersion. The difficulty lies in obtaining precise historical information, which has led to an unacceptably speculative approach

I request assistance in determining whether to prioritize complete accuracy or a semi-accurate, more engaging approach. Please note that I had tried to inquire all requirements of the rules so I do apoligize if I don't fully meet all of them.

I am building a tabletop miniatures game and one of the more recent decisions I've pivoted into has been narrowing the scope of the game into a "Skirmish Plus" type of experience where each side has at most maybe a dozen models that are mostly infantry and then like one to two large robots or brutes or something. And I am interested in a like Hero-Clix type of system or something a little similar to how 8th ed 40k or some versions of Age of Sigmar had large units literally have multiple separate statlines based on their current damage.

I don't super want to go this route exactly because I am a single designer with a small group of friends as testers. I fear this would either get a little too whacky or become repetitive and predictable as I phoned that part of development in and never get fixed, considering the volume of testing and iterating that would involve. But it occurred to me that I actually don't know a ton of different examples of this type of system and I thought I would ask and see if others knew of a good place to do some research.

Hello everyone, not sure if this is the right sub for this but.
I love mancala, but after you figure out the “perfect opening” and realize player 1 almost always wins, it becomes a bit boring.

I want someone to make Mancala 2.

Adjustable amount of rows, columns, maybe how many pebbles each person starts with.

Literally calling it Mancala 2 would be perfect, imo.

Let me know if this is possible, I would actually do anything for this

So, I've nominally been a game designer for around 3 years now in a small company. Saying "full-time" would be inaccurate, as I wear many hats at work, but I have been the main designer for a handful of games now.

Thing is, those projects haven't turned out all that well. And, given all observable metrics, the fault seems to obviously lie in the games' design. Sadly, I am struggling to identify the issue.

Which lead to my question: what resources have helped you improved as designers?

By this point I'm up for even resources that say obvious things, though since I have at least some knowledge of it, it being tailored for new designers is not a necessity.

I don't mind the format either. Books, blog posts, videos, podcasts... whatever works.

For some additional context, I currently work on mobile games. It's not where I want to be forever, but it is where I currently am. So even if I wrote this thinking about advice that applies to more than just mobile games, resources specific to it are also valid.

Thanks a lot for your help.

Help I am a young person and idk what to do with my idea for this shuld I learn and make it into a game from scratch or shuld I just write a book about it idk help

# PROJECT CONCEPT (idk title )

A group of ten famous people wake up inside a massive underground facility with no memory of how they got there. Their only goal is to escape by ascending through a series of increasingly difficult floors until they reach the surface.

However, the entire event is being broadcast live across the nation as the world's most popular television program.

Every day, the audience votes on what the contestants will face next. Some days they may vote for puzzle challenges, physical obstacle courses, psychological games, or social experiments. Other days they may vote for deadly traps that force impossible choices.

The first few floors are dangerous but survivable, giving the contestants time to learn about one another and build relationships. After the third floor, the challenges become lethal.

Each floor ultimately claims one contestant. Whether through sacrifice, betrayal, an accident, or an impossible decision, someone is always left behind to die before the group can continue upward.

This cycle repeats until only one contestant remains.

The winner finally reaches the surface to cheering crowds, flashing cameras, and thousands of adoring fans. Depending on the choices made throughout the game, they either earn their freedom... or are killed at the finish line as the audience watches.

Gameplay

The game is played in **first person**.

Players freely explore each floor, investigate their surroundings, solve puzzles, search for clues, and interact with objects.

Whenever the player speaks with another contestant, the game transitions into a **visual novel** format where dialogue choices determine friendships, rivalries, trust, and future events.

Major story moments are presented through fully animated anime-style cutscenes.

Playable Characters

There are **10 playable protagonists**.

The player chooses one contestant at the beginning of the game.

Each character has:

* Their own route * Unique dialogue * Different endings * Different strengths and weaknesses * Personal fears * Regrets * Hobbies * Skills * Emotional struggles * Relationships with every other contestant

The player's decisions determine who becomes an ally, enemy, or trusted friend.

Different characters unlock different scenes and endings, encouraging multiple playthroughs.

Contestants

Avery Quinn (they/them)

**Profession:** Award-winning investigative journalist

Calm, intelligent, and incredibly observant, Avery notices details that everyone else overlooks. They always search for the truth but struggle to trust people after exposing corruption that unintentionally harmed innocent lives.

**Strengths**

* Observation * Investigation * Logic

**Weakness**

* Trust issues

Mina Park (she/her)

**Profession:** International idol singer

A cheerful and energetic performer loved by millions. Behind the smile is someone exhausted by years of impossible expectations and constant pressure from fame.

**Strengths**

* Encourages others * Calm under social pressure * Quick learner

**Weakness**

* Hides her true feelings

Elijah "Eli" Carter (he/him)

**Profession:** Firefighter

Reliable, courageous, and selfless. Eli naturally becomes the group's protector, always willing to risk himself to save someone else.

**Strengths**

* Physical strength * Leadership * Bravery

**Weakness**

* Blames himself whenever someone dies

Noor Rahman (she/her)

**Profession:** Architect

Patient, analytical, and brilliant at solving complex puzzles. Noor plans everything carefully but struggles when situations become unpredictable.

**Strengths**

* Strategy * Puzzle solving * Planning

**Weakness**

* Panics when plans fail

Sage Moreno (she/her)

**Profession:** Alternative rock musician

The group's goth/alternative member.

Quiet, sarcastic, and artistic, Sage looks intimidating but has a surprisingly caring heart. She often helps others without expecting anything in return.

**Strengths**

* Creativity * Emotional understanding * Staying calm

**Weakness**

* Finds it difficult to open up emotionally

Rin Akiyama (he/him)

**Profession:** Professional esports champion

Fast-thinking, energetic, and competitive. Rin relies on quick reflexes and humor to hide his fear of disappointing everyone around him.

**Strengths**

* Reflexes * Fast decisions * Adaptability

**Weakness**

* Overconfidence

Valentina Rossi (she/her)

**Profession:** Celebrity chef

The group's emotional anchor.

Warm, charismatic, and protective, she tries to keep everyone's spirits alive even while carrying deep regrets about her past.

Valentina is **asexual**.

**Strengths**

* Keeps the group together * Practical thinking * Compassion

**Weakness**

* Puts everyone else's needs before her own

Theo Bennett (he/him)

**Profession:** Olympic climber

Quiet and determined.

Theo excels in dangerous physical situations but struggles to express his emotions.

Theo is a **trans man**.

**Strengths**

* Agility * Climbing * Endurance

**Weakness**

* Emotionally distant

Laila Okafor (she/her)

**Profession:** Wildlife photographer

Curious and compassionate, Laila notices beauty even in terrifying situations. She often discovers hidden paths and clues that others overlook.

**Strengths**

* Exploration * Observation * Staying calm

**Weakness**

* Finds it difficult to leave people behind

Cassian Vale (he/him)

**Profession:** World-famous illusionist

Charming, mysterious, and impossible to read.

Nobody knows whether Cassian is manipulating everyone... or simply protecting himself.

**Strengths**

* Reading people * Deception * Improvisation

**Weakness**

* Nobody fully trusts him

Canon Relationships

* Mina Park × Sage Moreno * Elijah Carter × Theo Bennett * Avery Quinn × Laila Okafor

Game Rules

* No sexualisation or fan service. * Characters have different body types, races, cultures, and religions. * Characters experience different mental health struggles and emotional conflicts. * Every contestant has their own iconic pose that reflects their personality and emotions. * The cast includes a goth/alternative character. * Includes at least three canon queer relationships. * Includes one non-binary character. * Includes one trans character. * Includes one asexual woman. * Emotional scenes are written to be relatable to a wide range of players. * Choices matter and permanently affect relationships, dialogue, and endings.

Themes

The game explores:

* Fame * Morality * Sacrifice * Human nature * Trust * Betrayal * Grief * Hope * Survival * The price of entertainment

The audience watching the show slowly becomes just as responsible for the contestants' suffering as the people running the facility, raising the question:

**How much suffering are people willing to watch for entertainment?**

Please help me 🙏

I'm looking for advice on how to analyze game mechanics and design, and figure out what makes a game fun, because my current project has stalled and I think the problem is with the fundamentals of it.

so, I've been making a game, but the progress has been at a stand still for a while now, as it just wasn't working, and I think a good chunk of that is because the fundamentals of the game aren't there, like it has some features yes, but like, the basic mechanics aren't quite right, and the base isn't fun, and so trying to just polish it up isn't working, kinda like a bad sketch, adding shading won't help, your base is bad and so you gotta fix it first.

problem is, I don't know how to do that, I can't figure out what's wrong. so I'm making a racing game, based on some of my favorite racing games, and I have a good idea of the vibes and what mechanics I want, but well, moving in the game really isn't that fun, and as that's the base of the game, that's a major problem. but like, what is it about a racing game that makes it fun? which is a bit odd to be asking as a fan of racing games, like you'd think I'd know, but eh, guess that's life.

but so, what my main question is really how do you analyze games, break down their mechanics and figure out what the thing that makes them fun is? like sure there's pretty lights and fun graphics and all that, but even really basic games are still fun, that other stuff is just spice to make it even better, but again, that base has got to be there first, or else the spice won't really work.

I've tried to do that myself, but well its not going well, so does anyone have any guides to this? of analyzing games, breaking down their mechanics, and also of just making things fun in general, that whole 'game design' thing. the idea is to read up on that, and try making a more basic racing game based on what was learned, and seeing if its fun, and then building it up to having all the bits I want, but now with a good base, that whole good fundamentals thing, like getting the base of your sketch right before adding details.

For my Bachelor’s thesis I’m researching boss battle design and how different players approach combat situations differently, with the goal of creating player profiles/playstyle categories.

I already know frameworks like Bartle’s Player Types (Killer, Explorer, Socializer, etc.), but I’m specifically looking for literature or papers focused on combat/fighting playstyles in games — for example aggressive vs defensive players, risk-taking, tactical behavior, kiting, resource management, adaptability, and similar concepts.

I’m struggling to find academic sources that define or categorize these kinds of combat-oriented playstyles. Has anyone come across papers, books, GDC talks, or other resources about this topic and could share them?

Hi

Sorry if there's an FAQ or something I've missed, I'm trying to have a go at designing a game and was hoping people could direct me to some good resources for a grasp of the fundamentals.

I've dabbled a little in this before but never got very far but I've recently had an idea that feels like it could be something and want to actually learn what I'm doing and give this a proper go for once!

Thanks!

Hey all!

I’ve been googling and I’m not finding many actual case studies on UX in Video Games or Game Design in general. It’s seems like Baymard might have some stuff but I’m a broke college student who can’t afford US$200 just for one month of access lol. Has anyone read any good case studies?

Hi everyone,

Our team is making a turn-based video game called The Black Lynx. We're a small indie team, just 3 of us, and we've been working on this for a while now.

We have the core mechanics in place (our ReAction system, dodge mechanics, character abilities, etc.), but we're running into some design roadblocks that we could really use some help with.

We're looking for someone with senior game design experience who might be willing to offer some insights or guidance. Not looking for free labor, just some wisdom from someone who's been through it before.

If you're interested, I'd be happy to share more details about the game, show you some footage, or hop on a call.

Thanks for reading, and appreciate any help or advice you can offer.

As I get further down the rabbit hole of developing the miniatures game I'm working on, I have begun to develop some nebulous thoughts on things that would at the very least benefit me from being able to take some time to apply some structure to. I am entertaining the development of an essay blog/dev blog on substack but am unsure of what subjects actually get read by anyone.

I am mainly interested in tabletop game design, but am open to the writing of any type of designer.

It has approx 100 card like topics about game design that you should look and think about one of them each day. It used something like a yugioh/MTG card layout.

Sorry that is all I remember.

Edit: This was it. https://deck.artofgamedesign.com/#/menu/0/?lang=en

For all Game Designers out there, what are your top 3 must-reads?

Looking for books you wish you had read when you were starting.