Start Here

Welcome! This site is home to a series of short, practical essays on game design that explore the underlying principles and psychology behind successful games. If you’re new, this page will help you decide where to start.

These essays are a good place to start:

The Cure for Downtime Is Emotional Investment, Not Frequency of Choices

Every Unsolicited Resource is a Goal

Foreshadowing Makes Event Cards Feel Fair

Applying Sanderson's Laws to Board Game Design

The Most Satisfying Reward Might Be To Remove a Problem

(Links will be updated as new essays are published)

What I write about

My writing tends to revolve around several recurring themes:

  • Side Effects/Externalities: Actions taken to achieve a goal can create new opportunities and costs, or externalities, for players. This helps new players learn the game and maintains a state of flow.
  • Foreshadowing: Games feel fairer when players know what might happen next, or at least feel they could have figured it out.
  • Nonlinear Rewards: Our brains are wired to pay attention when rewards greatly exceed our expectations. Leveraging this bias greatly improves the appeal and replayability of games.
  • Upkeep Reduction: Effort without adequate reward is the sludge that makes games feel like more trouble than they are worth. Eliminating upkeep is an easy way to make any game feel more worth a player's time.
  • Attention Budgets: Players only have so much attention to give. Managing this helps prevent frustration and keeps the game engaging.

How to navigate this site

  • Home - the main list of essays with the newest at the top
  • Start Here - introduction for new readers
  • About - who I am and why I started this site
  • Newsletter - subscribe for email updates