If you’re testing for an hour with 4 other people, that’s 4 hours of designer time you’ve used. Give as much time as you can back to your fellow designers.
— Emma Larkins
It’s natural for players to want have discussions or make comments midgame as issues emerge. Develop a sense as a moderator for when to cut off those conversations and refocus players back to gameplay.
— John Brieger
For those creating co-op games, create uncertainty. That way each player feels they are making their best decision for themselves rather than solving an equation. Each player should feel that they are the hero when it is their time to act. Create interactivity, otherwise, it is just a group of people playing solitaire.
— Michael Lipton
Asking whether to design a game theme-first or mechanics-first is like asking whether to paint with red paint first or black.
— Jay Treat
What you choose to leave out of your design is as important as what you put in - if not more so. Simplify.
— Emma Larkins