Crafting a Tiny Open World - A Short Hike Postmortem
Explore game development insights as Adam Robinson-Yu shares his journey creating "A Short Hike," discussing design choices, technical solutions, and lessons learned in crafting a small open-world game.
Storytelling with Verbs - Integrating Gameplay and Narrative
Explore how common gameplay verbs shape narrative and player experience. Learn to integrate storytelling with mechanics for coherent, engaging game design across various genres and platforms.
Empires to Ages - Storytelling Lessons Learned in 14 Years at BioWare
Former BioWare creative director shares insights on integrating narrative in games, fostering cohesive storytelling, and collaborating effectively within development teams.
Designing Path of Exile to Be Played Forever
Explore game design strategies for long-term player retention and community growth, focusing on Path of Exile's successful approach to content creation and player engagement.
The Making of Divinity - Original Sin 2
Larian Studios' strategies for improving Divinity: Original Sin 2, covering game design, development challenges, and innovative features that enhanced the sequel's success.
Into the Breach Design Postmortem
Explore the design journey of Into the Breach, from early concepts to final balancing, as Subset Games co-founder Matthew Davis reveals insights on constraints, iteration, and challenging design decisions.
Level Design in Hitman - Guiding Players in a Non-Linear Sandbox
Explore level design strategies for guiding players in non-linear sandbox games, focusing on Hitman's tutorial and linear guidance system implementation.
Looking Back and Moving Forward with Pillars of Eternity
Explore the development of Pillars of Eternity, examining how Obsidian updated classic PC RPGs while honoring their legacy. Gain insights into art, mechanics, narrative, and post-launch support.
Mansions of Madness 2nd Edition - Postmortem of an App-Integrated Board Game
Explore the development insights, challenges, and lessons learned in creating an app-integrated board game, focusing on Mansions of Madness: Second Edition's successes and failures.
Iterating Design and Fighting Fires - Updating Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride
Explore Halfbrick Studios' evolving process for updating popular iOS games, focusing on iterative design, user engagement, and balancing hardcore and casual elements.
Rick and Morty - Virtual Rick-ality Postmortem - VR Lessons Learned
Explore VR game development insights from Owlchemy Labs' creators of Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality. Learn about room-scale design, portals, character interactions, and overcoming UI challenges in this postmortem analysis.
The Shapes in Your Story - Narrative Mapping Frameworks
Explore narrative mapping frameworks for game storytelling, enhancing creative and analytical tools. Learn to craft engaging, choice-driven narratives with effective story structures and mapping techniques.
Design in Detail
Explore detail-oriented game design principles applicable across genres and generations, focusing on significance, power, subtlety, portability, and manageability of details in game development.
Breaking Through - Psychosis and the Making of Hellblade
Explore Ninja Theory's innovative approach to depicting psychosis in game development, focusing on research, collaboration, and pushing narrative boundaries in AAA-quality production.
How to Find and Engage a Great Artist - A Non-Artist Primer
Discover strategies for finding and collaborating with talented artists to enhance your indie game's visual appeal. Learn about compensation, search methods, and key considerations.
Ahead of the Curve - The SpaceChem Postmortem
Explore SpaceChem's unique design-based puzzle mechanics, community features, and development insights. Learn to create engaging puzzles and build player communities around them.
There's Goofs in Them Thar Hills - The West of Loathing Approach to Comedy in Games
Explore comedy in video games with West of Loathing's creative director, covering techniques, advantages, and challenges in crafting humor for interactive experiences.
Procedurally Generating History in Caves of Qud
Explore procedural history generation in game design, focusing on Caves of Qud's innovative approach to creating dynamic, rationalized historical events without full simulation.
Democratizing Real-Time Filmmaking Technologies for Indie Game Developers
Explore democratizing real-time VFX and virtual production tools for indie game developers, covering curriculum updates, cost reduction, and quality preservation.
No Man's Sky - Grit
Sean Murray shares insights on Hello Games' journey through No Man's Sky's tumultuous launch, detailing how the team's resilience and focus on improvement led to record player numbers and positive reception.
Building Headquarters - The Social Hub in Call of Duty WWII
Explore the creation of Headquarters, a 48-player social hub in Call of Duty WWII, featuring interactive storefronts, minigames, and community engagement opportunities.