Signs and Feedback are the language of video games.
The player sees a sign, they provide input, and then receive feedback. Repeat. This loop is the heart of how games create a dialogue with the player.
Why it matters: Sending clear messages and feedback about the state of the game allows the player to react and make informed choices. This is a critical element to making a game more enjoyable.
The bigger picture: Creating gameplay that provides clear signs and feedback is more than just crafting a more fun experience. It’s about making a more accessible experience so that more people can enjoy games.
Deeper dive: If you’re interested in this area of game design, check out GDKey’s excellent article (5 minute read).
Game Idea: An action-shooter where your bullets become more powerful the less ammo you have. 🕹️
I can finally talk about what I’ve been working on for the last few years! Life By You is an open-world life simulation game coming to Early Access in September 2023. 🕹️
Great article from design legend, Warren Spector.
TL;DR: In game dev, success comes from delivering something new and fresh. Copying others won’t cut it. Therefore, mash-up genres and give players the freedom to create their own unique experiences. That’s how you stand out. 🕹️
It’s been a relaxing break, but it’s rained quite a bit. So, we decided to go through the Sinister Six campaign. Just got to the final villain.
Got to check out a penny arcade museum at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco yesterday and it was pretty awesome. However, I did see a bunch of games I used to play as a kid in the museum. So, now I feel old. 🕹️
🕹️ I’m calling it now: the GOTY will be an action-adventure game, because, if we’re honest, that’s pretty much who wins every year. #TheGameAwards
Cold. Windy. Rainy. Going to light a fire and stay in my pajamas all day. Remote work is a beautiful thing.
🕹️ A friend and I recently started working on a freeware game called Merchants of Mie and it’s been a lot of fun. However, this is my first time working on a turn-based tabletop style video game. So, I’m probably making every mistake imaginable.
“Introduce yourself with five TV shows” 📺:
- Seinfeld
- Chuck
- V.G.H.S
- Spongebob Squarepants
- It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
📺 I’ve watched a lot of tv shows in my life, but Chuck will always be in my top 5 of all time. So, if you haven’t seen it, do your eyeballs a favor!
Commercial #gamedev pays the bills and allows me to contribute to an industry I love, but freeware gamedev corrects the soul and reminds me of the joys of making games.
I feel like more devs making freeware games leads to a happier industry.
“Introduce yourself with five video games” 🕹️ This was surprisingly hard:
- Def Jam: Fight for NY (ps2)
- The Sims 3 (PC)
- Journey (ps3)
- Rocket League
- Uncharted 2 (ps3)
My curiosity got the best of me, and I finally joined Mastodon (game dev server). But I have no idea what I’m doing. So, if anyone has any tips for getting started, I’ll gladly take any advice I can get.
SM companies make it so easy to distribute content. But, relying on Twitter and SM platforms to distribute our content will always be risky.
Own your content! Post to your own site first and then syndicate content out to other platforms. Stay independent on the web.
Today I started playing around with AI art generation with #dalle2
Here’s a colorful graffiti painting of a corgi.
Game design tip: The simplest way to make an interesting game is to give it unusual design constraints.
We @HomeTeamGameDev just released our 100th game! This was a fun project to contribute to. gamkedo.itch.io/springfie… #gamedev
