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“When play testing a game, if a player asks “can I do this fun thing?” The answer should almost always be “yes!””
— Matthew O'Malley (@BlackOakGames)
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“Think about why your tester said something, not just what they said.”
— Paul Peterson (@warewolf00)
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“Make it smaller. Then make it smaller again. Until you can’t anymore.”
— John du Bois (@JohnduBois)
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“Surround yourself with people who will encourage you and will never, ever let you get by with subpar work.”
— Jason D. Kingsley (@JasonDKingsley)
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“Don’t start with what players do, but rather what you want players to think about. Then focus the mechanics from there.”
— J. Alex Kevern (@AlexWithIdeas)
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“Don’t add something to your game just because it should be there. Add it because it can’t be left out.”
— Nat Levan (@OakleafGames)
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“If you want your game to be published, consider the publisher part of the audience.”
— Steven Cole (@steveongames)
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“Designing a game is an exploration. Guess to start. Seek to learn. No decision is final that isn’t informed by play.”
— Jay Treat (@jtreat3)
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“The ending of a game should feel consistent with the rest. Once the middle is fun, try different ways to end it.”
— Randy Hoyt (@randyhoyt)
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“Listen intently to your playtesters, but rarely do what they say. You must filter the info to deduce the real problem.”
— David Short (@dshortdesign)
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“There are types of gamers, know which type you are designing for and remember, it’s not always you.”
— Luke Peterschmidt (@LPeterschmidt)
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“Test your Minimum Viable Game. Don’t work on a broken game longer than you need to.”
— @AndHeGames
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“Note which rule or mechanic players always get wrong the same way. Try to make it actually work that way.”
— Darrell Hardy (@HardyTales)