As game designers, we want our players to fully explore the games we create. But they sometimes ignore aspects of our games. In my game Sprocketforge, for instance, I often see new players
What is your game about? As designers, we have an idea of what matters and what doesn't in our game. We want the player's experience to match our vision.
The biggest advantage of turn-based games is the spotlight. When it is your turn, you can show off your clever plays to other players. Everybody loves an audience. But this also causes
When understanding the state of a game, the greatest mental burden is parsing unique, complex text effects. Yet these effects create some of the most interesting content. One way to reduce the attention
The lock-and-key puzzle is a popular pattern in video games. The player wants to bypass an obstacle but must first acquire something that allows them to do so, whether a literal