The Appeal of Push-Your-Luck
Push-your-luck mechanics present players with the dilemma of whether to stop or keep going. Each time you keep going, your rewards increase, but you might lose everything. This simple choice is
Texture
Games feel flat when the same effort always produces the same reward. Texture describes how games vary the rewards players earn.
Exciting Moments Require Agency
One of my current projects is a game called "Letterjack" that involves playing cards to spell words. Gameplay felt flatter than I wanted, so I came up with an exciting new
The Advantages of Binary Health For Combat
In the real world, injuries weaken people. A healthy soldier is more capable than a wounded one. In most games with HP and damage systems, however, health is binary. TCG players like to
Double-Spending Improves Texture
There are many types of resource costs in games. Some permanently sacrifice a resource; others only temporarily exhaust it. Some only require reaching a threshold without spending anything. Multiple cost types in one
Threats in Cooperative Games Should Compound
At the heart of any cooperative tabletop game is its challenge system. In the absence of a human opponent, players expect the game to offer a challenge appropriate to their skill level. Challenge