Why randomness can make strategy better
Randomness is fun when it creates uncertainty, but frustrating when it takes the decision away. The best luck gives players a new problem to respond to.
Design Notebook
Short thoughts on games, systems, and why players do weird things.
These are short observations, not finished essays. They are mostly questions I did not want to forget.
What Pokémon taught me about balance
A metagame never stays still. When players solve one strategy, new counters appear.
Players optimize the fun out of games
If the strongest strategy is boring, players will still use it. The strong choice has to be interesting too.
Probability is not the same as fairness
A result can make sense statistically and still feel unfair if the player had no way to prepare or respond.
The moment players broke my game
Playtesting Meteor Mayhem showed me strategies I had never considered. That was useful, even when it meant changing the rules.
Good UI should almost disappear
The player should be thinking about the decision, not searching for the button that lets them make it.
A tutorial is part of the design
Teaching the rules is part of the game. It shapes the player’s first experience before the game really gets started.
Constraints can improve ideas
Limits force me to decide which mechanics actually matter.
The difference between difficult and confusing
A hard choice can be satisfying. Not understanding what the game wants is usually just frustrating.
Why small changes matter
One number, rule, or card frequency can affect several connected parts of a system.
Players need room to surprise you
A game becomes more interesting when players find strategies the designer did not plan.
Build the smallest test first
A rough prototype can answer a design question faster than polishing an idea that has not been tested.