Journal

Core Gameplay is King 𝟭. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 🎮 • Choose one crisp verb players will repeat nonstop • Make it feel fast, tactile, and satisfying even when nothing happens • Start simple, then layer timing and combos later𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀:• Super Mario – jump / throw / capture• Call of Duty – aim / shoot / slide• Royal Match – swap / match / decorate𝟮. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 ⚔️ • Obstacles give your verb meaning • Calibrate difficulty to stay in the flow zone • Telegraph danger clearly - no cheap surprises • Mix soft walls (time, resources) with hard walls (bosses, skill checks)𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 👹• Time pressure• Enemy swarm• Limited lives• Precision jumps• Environmental hazards• Hidden info• Boss patterns 𝟯. 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 🥇 • Short-term (seconds–minutes): instant rewards👉 Coins, XP, hit flashes • Mid-term (sessions–days): visible growth👉 Unlocks, new tools, […]

Game designer isn't just a job title. It's a journey of evolving skills.From Junior to Senior, here's how a game designer grows:--- 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 ---Start with the foundations:• Core gameplay literacy – play widely, understand loops and pacing• Basic balancing – tweak difficulty, set reward rhythms• Documentation – write clear specs, map flowcharts• Prototyping – build, test, iterate• Collaboration – sync with art & engineeringYou're learning how games FEEL and how to make them real.--- 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 ---You start thinking deeper:• Analytics – query data, drive design changes with insights• UX/UI excellence – co-create flows, apply psychology• Production awareness – understand scope, risks, limitations• System design – design economies, improve using KPIs• Mentoring – guide juniors, share what you’ve learnedThis is where your impact multiplies.--- 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 ---Now, you lead:• Vision & pillars – define direction, align with business goals• […]

As I'm writing the book on Game Shops in f2p mobile games, I check many top games for best practices. And for bad ones, too.Let's see today, show many of them are presented in Royal Match's game shop:✅ Shop has a title, but just "Shop", which is obvious. Could have named it in some fun manner?✅ Close button is on its traditional place, no habits broken.✅ Coins counter is there, always good to know how broke I am.✅ Bundles come first, so as many as possible players will see it. Visibility is the king. Richard? Robert?✅ Mini-version of the Shop is shown first! That's great. No overwhelming for newbies.✅ Mini-version is showing price range $2-10, which is for casual spenders, not whales. Cozy cheap place, not scary at all.✅ Sorting from low to high prices. Same idea - carrying about […]