#GameDev

𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗟𝗬’𝗦 𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗧 𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗥 𝗛𝗜𝗧: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 Monopoly Go (MoPoGo) spent truckloads of capital quickly, but UA is simply maxed out. There’s no better evidence than the game’s shift to celebrity-driven TV advertising following a nearly linear decline in downloads since its August 2023 highs, dropping from 13m a month to 3m. Stocked in the F2P dev/pub medicine cabinet is F2P's natural aspirin, a prescription known for its reliability and convenience: a game extension/re-skin. Embraced by the warm arms of Machine Zone (Game of War/Mobile Strike), King (Candy, Soda Saga), Playtika (Grand Harvest, Disney Solitaire), it’s both a cost and design play. The re-skin "sweet spot" combines what's proven, what's improved, and new audiences—a bastardization of Sid Meier’s Rule of Thirds.The Game of Life (GoLife) leverages what's proven: wealth accumulation, a coop-competitive core, live ops tied to IP, and […]

Casual game trends in March 2025 𝟭. 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 ⏱️ Time-limited levels that add pressure and excitement. • Faster finish = better rewards • Players rush → make mistakes → use more boosters • Example: Tile Busters – Countdown Frenzy𝟮. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 💰 A pricing tactic that plays on FOMO. • Choose 1 pack or 2 for nearly the same price • Side-by-side comparison makes the “2” offer shine • Example: Hidden City, Domino Dreams𝟯. 𝗩𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 🗳️ Gamified creativity + community feedback. • Limited-time design contests • Players vote using special event currency • Winners get exclusive rewards • Example: Project Makeover – Autumn Inspirations𝟰. 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲-𝟮 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 🔓 Progression now tied to events, not level. • Merge tasks fill a progress bar • Unlocks new areas and content • Example: Gossip Harbor – Taylor’s […]

In a time when many games lean heavily on established systems — battle passes, gacha mechanics, and copied meta loops — this post is about looking beyond. In this post, I’m exploring, and discussing, Manipulator Mechanics (more specifically, “modern” Manipulator Mechanics in a systemic form, as we’ve had some forms of manipulator mechanisms in games existing for ages, e.g., time manipulation tied to a core gameplay — so, just for clarity, every time I discuss about Manipulator Mechanics / systems in this article, it’s about these “modern” types of systems instead of simplified ones) — a system that lets players tweak and influence the very nature (/the core) of gameplay runs through meta layers; offering a new layer of agency, strategy, and excitement across genres. The aim of this post is to inspire developers to imagine beyond what's typical and […]

Playtesting can make or break your game. Here’s a simple 10-step checklist:𝟭. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 • What are you testing? Mechanics, pacing, difficulty, UI? • Set clear goals and decide how you'll measure success.𝟮. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 • Use a stable build or prototype. • Provide clear instructions or a tutorial. • Remove distractions and get tools ready (feedback forms, screen recorders, analytics).𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 • Include your target audience, plus some outsiders and experts. • Mix skill levels (kids, casual players, hardcore gamers). • Set expectations and communicate session details.𝟰. 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 • Focused tests to dive deep into specific features. • Blind tests to observe natural behavior. • Exploit tests to see how easily things can break.𝟱. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 • Don’t guide or coach, just brief them. • Let players fail to […]

Warning ☢️ Heavy Game Design post ahead. How about we talk about a game genre that essentially self balances itself? 😱 Rogue-lite mechanics are one of the few systems in game design that self-balance itself. Of course its not completely hands off, you still need to make sure that you are creating difficulty spikes, flow curve, etc. But it is much more forgiving than other genres, especially compared to its hard brother Roguelike. There, you loose everything ☠️ and the main focus is rewarding player skill above all. If you learned and know the game, it doesn't matter if you always start from scratch. But Rogue-lites rewards you for every run that you do, giving you resources even if you fail, which makes that time meaningful, instead of zero progression you would get during a fail state in Roguelike 😭.This […]