Game, Develop, Repeat

Game:  Mindless Games  Accelerated productivity  Constant rewards  "Oddly Satisfying"  Develop:  Marketing: Serve specific communities  Build rewards into gameplay  Accelerate real life satisfaction  New project update  Repeat:  What mechanics do you find deeply satisfying?  What niche hobbies do you have that might inspire a game?  Seek out fresh perspectives My first game, "Sut&qu...

Game:  Big Picture: Poor communication, taking control from player  Unskippable filler content/cutscenes  Bad default controls  Horrible marketing  Constant waiting  Removing interaction indicators Examples: Skyrim, Celeste, Breath of the Wild  Develop:  Communicate clearly  Have multiple people test it  Don't make assumptions about player mindset  Don't waste people's time  Repeat:...

Game:  Choices-matter genre  Baldur's Gate 3  The Quarry  Disco Elysium  Diablo II and re-rolls  Investment  Develop:  Immediate feedback  Frustrating consequences  Satisfying consequences  Proving impact  Repeat:  What in-game choices do you find most satisfying?  Do you prefer experiencing every option, or embracing one path?  Roll with the consequences. My first game, "Sut" is ou...

Game:  Creating Space  Emotions and Indie Games  A quick note about practical skills  Taking the training wheels off  Game of thrones taught me about myself  Develop:  Just be open  I'm not advocating for preaching  Doesn't have to be a whole emotional journey  Repeat:  How do games help you?  Start experimenting a little more. My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampo...

Game:  What does making games do for you?  Love of the results  Chasing some goal  Fame and Fortune  Develop:  Love of the process  Learning new skills  Growing as a person  Repeat:  What is your favorite part of making games?  Are you taking time to enjoy the process?  Don't overthink it, just enjoy it. My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/ Em...

Game:  The Worms series  Less story  Goofball immersion  Develop:  Knowing your game's emotional impact  Creating space for unintended fun  Repeat:  What is fun for you?  Is your game idea fun?  Should your game idea be fun?  Goof around in games, game development, and life. My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/ Email me: anxiousbuddhagames(thi...

Game:  How reality improves gaming  Childhood love of gaming  Childhood love of touching grass  Develop:  Incentives in Game Development  Players need to digest  Repeat:  What games have you thought about during real life?  How has real life made gaming more fun? Tip: "Touch grass" as often as possible My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2638880/Sut/...

Game:  No bad ideas  Insane concept  First rhythm game  Deeply beloved despite absurdity  Just make games  Develop:  Art style   Pure, goofy gameplay  Stop being serious  Design standards and preconceptions  Repeat:  What dumb idea can you think of right now?  How could you make it interesting?  Tip:  It's about skills, not success. My first game, "Sut" is out: https://store.steampo...

Game:  How a few games impacted me:  Final Fantasy 7  Morrowind  Starcraft  Diablo II  Warcraft 3  Stardew Valley  Celeste  Spiritfarer  Develop:  Don't be afraid to share  You can't know what someone else will get from yo ur game  Excessive Gaming  Repeat:  How has gaming impacted you at different points in your life?  Notice the little positive things My first game, "Sut" is...

UPDATED CONTEXT: About half an hour after I finished editing this episode, Sony announced via twitter that they will not be moving forward with the update that initiated this controversy. Game:  Incredible satirical propaganda  Community controls the marketing  Great lore, full commitment  Accidentally creating a union  Develop:  "Everything is game design" - Jonathan Rogers Interview (P...

Game:  Celeste - Confidence  WoW - Investment  JRPGs - Power  Dark Souls - grit  Develop:  The spiral curriculum  Small projects, footholds  Acknowledging victories  Velocity and Acceleration  HealthyGamerGG  Repeat:  What footholds have you recently found?  How might you build your current victories? Tip for myself: Be patient, work consistently My first game, "Sut" is out: https://stor...

Game:  My current project is bad  Gameplay loops  A sense of risk  Develop:  Overcoming Struggles  Exploring new areas  Leveling up  Building a party/community  Repeat:  What type of gameplay is most motivating for you?  What part of working on a project is most motivating for you?  Tip for myself: Sort out priorities, filter for what's most important. My first game, "Sut" is out: h...

Game:  No guarantees, just like creating  Things that paralyze you  Is there ever only one path ahead?  Risk less, work patiently  Develop:  What power do we actually have?  Notice, notice, notice  The invisible work  Considering trying might be harder than trying  Repeat:  What is the worst thing you can do for your creative energy?  How can you get to know yourself better?  Tip for myself:  What...

Game:  Creature collector without the cuteness  Creature Combinations  A darker, otherworldly aesthetic  Story is pretty good, but probably nostalgia  Develop:  A little bit of choice adds a lot of potential  Allow players to explore systems   Check-In:  Still learning how much I have to learn.  Looking into more formal education paths.  Repeat:  What game do you almost love, but something is off?...

Game:  I got a world record  246 way tie  Awesome community  Flowy, skill based speedrunner  Satisfying skill development, significant space for mastery  Incredible soundtrack  Beautiful animations and art  Develop:  Navigating levels in game, alternative selections  Blocking levels based on ability to reach them Leader-boards add a lot to the gameplay  Check-In:  Great programming progress, learn...

Eastshade Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCzhyUsDHPE Game:  Backstory of my current project  Full description of the project  Getting stuck after the prototypes  Develop:  Eastshade Studios video: "Marketing is not why most indie games fail"  Why I'm considering scrapping this project  Scope realizations  Too much stuff to polish  Check-In:  Godot Terrain system  Ko-Fi and T...

Game:  Different types of grinding  Loot Grind  Player Skill Grind  Character Power Grind  Video Game Grind vs Day Job Grind   Develop:  The obvious stuff  Flashing lights, audio rewards  Story with clear conclusion  Near-guaranteed success  No need to plan  Check-In:  Building up momentum  Twitch has been a fun way to start working on art more and bonding with community  Repeat:  What is your mos...

Games:  Chess as a psychological horror game  Chess as a fast paced shooter  How bad I am at chess  Crushing failure  Forcing you to recognize the inaccuracy of your own confidence.  Develop:  Chess - learning a theory, applying it, appearing worse at the skill  Learning about lighting, making uglier art.  "The next big step forward" will often make you worse before it makes you better....

Games:  Truly relaxing games:  Eastshade  A Short Hike  Mountain  Dragon Quest 11  Walking simulators  Most games I play are stressful:  Cook Serve Delicious  Almost any Real Time Strategy game  Almost any MOBA  Chess  Shooters and such  Many games that we think of as relaxing can be quite stressful:  Stardew Valley  Roller Coaster Tycoon  Develop:  What makes a game truly relaxing?  What amps up...

Game:  Front Mission 3 vs Front Mission 1st remake, initial impressions.  Design Fundamentals  The UI and maps in Front Mission 3  The difficulty tuning in Front Mission 3  RNG Damage sponges in Front Mission 1st  Develop:  Design Fundamentals  Examples of bad vs good execution  Things that age poorly  Fine tuning the player experience  Putting time into the bits that seem frivolous  Long term, su...

Game:  Deep and wide gameplay  Practice does not make perfect  Difficult learning environment  What matters is hidden until you look for it  Lot of misinformation  Unwelcoming culture  Develop:  Discovering what matters by observing others  "High Ranked" game developers  Avoiding misinformation/misleading paths  Finding a welcoming culture (avoid the doom and gloom)  Actual practice invo...

Game:  What makes Incredible Crisis special?  Ska soundtrack  Completely absurd story  Brutal button mashing (creates physical response)  High pressure, simple minigames  Develop:  The utility of panic  The utility of frustration  How your players physically interact with your game  Impact of emotional moments on gameplay  My own development  Keystone Habits  Working through struggle  My on/off sw...

Game:  Cleaning up  Planting Seeds  Maintaining  Connecting and exploring  Harvesting  If you over-plant...  Develop:  What stardew teaches us about development  How much can you really plan   Patience and Consistency  Energy Management  Community  Process  My own development  Struggling with rest vs burnout Negativity spirals Believe in yourself, not in your accomplishments or potential. Belief i...

Game:  Subnautica's air mechanic  Exploring and discovering more and more cool stuff  How easy it is to drown  Develop:  Drowning in development and/or features  Subnautica oxygen as a metaphor for effort over time  Weightlifting and rest days  Why this segment is called repeat  Sacrificing the short term for the long term  Ego lifting and ego game dev  Repeat:  What are the signs that you&ap...

Game:  Scams in loot based games  Justifying scams in video games  Items with real world prices  Ethical lessons learned through gaming  Develop:  Scams that target developers  Post-launch scams  Game Dev Courses that toe the line  Cheating, shortcuts, and player behavior  My development progress over the past three weeks  Repeat:  What mechanics in your game will your player want to shortcut?  Ho...