News

JikGuard
Kirby Super Star Retrospective
A deep dive into one of the more unique game releases on the SNES. Kirby Super Star managed to redefine what it means to be a Kirby game.
Jan. 10, 2020
JikGuard
Steam in Graphs in 2019
I collected data on almost every game on Steam and estimated their revenue. Get access to the data as well as my analysis and a tool for marketing research.
Jan. 9, 2020
JikGuard
Analyzing the top Steam tags 2
Based on Danny Weinbaum's Steam tag research, what I wanted to do was comment on the tags by revenue that stood out to me - and actually might be something you’d want to target when making games.
Jan. 8, 2020
JikGuard
Shovel Knight: King of Cards Hearts
A deep dive into King Knight's health mechanics in Shovel Knight: King of Cards.
Jan. 8, 2020
JikGuard
A Condemnation of Time
A discussion of how to tell a linear story in a medium that is inherently nonlinear.
Jan. 8, 2020
JikGuard
Level Design Case Study - Recreating the First Level in God of War (2018)
What made the first mission of God of War (2018) so memorable? This article examines my journey to uncover the level design techniques and design decisions used to construct the iconic introduction to the game.
Jan. 8, 2020
JikGuard
Game accessibility quotes of 2019
A few accessibility quotes from 2019 that stood out for me. Some are inspiring, some thought provoking, some practical advice – and some a wake-up call.
Jan. 6, 2020
JikGuard
3 Disruptive Game Design Trends to Look Forward to in 2020
There’s always innovation happening in the game industry, and disruptions can happen in the blink of an eye. 2020 can be the year that we shake up the status quo, with new kinds of gameplay that will energize players, both old and new.
Jan. 6, 2020
JikGuard
Video Game Deep Cuts: Doom, Final Doom, Doom 2020 2
The latest highlights include two standout articles about id Software's classic Doom, as well as some picks for the top upcoming games of 2020, some final 'best of 2019' charts, some great retro game articles, & lots more besides.
Jan. 5, 2020
JikGuard
Kill 'Em With Charm - Luring Players with Gratification
Dive into one of the most crucial ingredients in mobile games called gratification, and how you can use this 'dark' art to create fun & delightful experiences.
Jan. 2, 2020
JikGuard
Why I Love: The Interjections [Disco Elysium]
How Disco Elysium turns information into gameplay.
Jan. 2, 2020
JikGuard
Breaking the Rules of Unity Garbage Collection
What happens when memory allocations go out of hands, are out of your control and you have to ship a game?
Jan. 2, 2020