About the author
Anton Slashcev
Almost 10 years of experience in Product Management, Business Strategy, and Narrative Design. Consulting in Match-3 / Casual Narrative / Hybrid-casual market.
Journal 27 Anton Slashcev October 7
25 Unusual Tips for Game Designers
(To level up your GD skills faster)
1. Play a wide variety of games
→ Not just your favorite genres.
→ Explore indie games, retro titles, and even NFT and casino games.
2. Rapid prototype your ideas
→ Test concepts quickly to see what works and what doesn’t.
3. Analyze successful games
→ Dissect what makes them fun.
→ Is it the mechanics, the story, or the progression?
4. Join game jams
→ Short deadlines force creativity and help you collaborate.
5. Embrace failure
→ Test bad ideas, break things, and learn from what doesn’t work.
6. Play bad games
→ Study why they fail. It’s just as valuable as learning from good games.
7. Watch Let’s Plays
→ Observe how different players interact with the same game.
→ You’ll get a range of perspectives.
8. Try speedrunning
→ Mastering a game quickly teaches you about pacing, optimization, and unintended mechanics.
9. Attend escape rooms
→ It’s a live, interactive puzzle experience that will sharpen your problem-solving skills.
10. Study architecture
→ Learn about how space, layout, and flow impact user experiences in both the physical and digital worlds.
11. Write fiction
→ Building narratives in writing will improve your storytelling in games.
12. Play tabletop RPGs
→ Improvisation and world-building in these games expand your creative horizons.
13. Study classic literature
→ Dive into the great works. Understanding timeless stories and character arcs can help deepen your narrative design.
14. Take an acting class
→ Understand character motivation and how to create believable, immersive characters in your games.
15. Build levels in a non-gaming space
→ Use physical tools like Lego or modeling clay to build environments, thinking in 3D.
16. Watch documentaries on unrelated topics
→ Broaden your worldview. Different subjects can spark unique game ideas.
17. Explore different cultures
→ Read about history, art, and traditions from around the world. It will inform your world-building.
18. Study psychology
→ Understand player behavior and what motivates people to keep playing.
19. Refresh your math skills
→ Statistics, probability, and balance are vital to designing fair and enjoyable games.
20. Take painting lessons
→ Learn about color theory, composition, and visual balance to improve your game’s aesthetic appeal.
21. Practice negotiation
→ Try bargaining in real life (like at a market) to understand how incentives work in in-game economies.
22. Talk to a financial expert
→ Learn about supply, demand, and market systems to design better in-game economies.
23. Meditate
→ It helps with focus and can inspire new ideas when you least expect it.
24. Try different hobbies
→ Whether it’s cooking or woodworking, analyze what makes them engaging, and apply that to your game design.
25. Read player reviews
→ See what real players care about and what frustrates them.
P.S. What’s your favorite way to improve game design skills?
About the author
Almost 10 years of experience in Product Management, Business Strategy, and Narrative Design. Consulting in Match-3 / Casual Narrative / Hybrid-casual market.
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