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Characters and Worldbuilding: Analyzing the Strength of Japanese Games 2
This updated post from 2013 offers an in-depth look at Japanese developers' approach to worldbuilding and characters. It also explains key terms like "sekaikan," which is used frequently in discussion of games and other media in Japan.
May 16, 2017
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Video Game Deep Cuts: Phoenix Point's Typeshift Prophet
This week's Video Game Deep Cuts longform articles/videos include Julian Gollop on Phoenix Point, the making of Typeshift & the SteamProphet contest.
May 15, 2017
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Five Suggestions for 4X Fun
4X games often have unsatisfying endgames because their tactics-oriented mechanics get in the way of strategic fun. This article suggests several ways game designers can emphasize strategic play to keep 4X games enjoyable all the way through.
May 15, 2017
JikGuard
Writing a Match-3 game in Unity
An overview of how to build a match-3 game in Unity and detect matches in C# code.
May 15, 2017
JikGuard
7 tips to showcase your game
Showcasing your game is always an adventure, even more so if you're an indie dev. Here are 7 tips we wish we knew when we started showcasing our games.
May 15, 2017
JikGuard
Advice for Game Dev Grads of 2017
Entering a highly competitive, saturated workforce can feel like jumping into a void, but building productive habits can help you get closer to that dream job. Here are some helpful tips that I've learned along the way!
May 15, 2017
JikGuard
The rapidly changing landscape of accessibility for blind gamers
Accessibility for blind gamers has been a difficult area for the games industry. An under-served audience who want content, developers who want to offer it, yet often an unnecessary technical barrier between. That is finally starting to change.
May 15, 2017
JikGuard
6 Reasons For Having a Defenseless Protagonist
Not having any combat can be really helpful to horror games and crucial in delivering the desired experience. This article presents the top 6 reasons for this and also explains how it ties into narrative games in general.
May 12, 2017
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What makes Dead Cells' reveal trailer damn-near-perfect?
Dead Cells is out! And I’m there. Why? Because the reveal trailer is damn-near-perfect.
May 11, 2017
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Osmos, Updates, and Floating-Point Determinism
A case study about maintaining a multiplayer game that relies on lockstep simulations. Or, a classic tale of painting yourself into a technical corner, and painstakingly finding your way out.
May 11, 2017
JikGuard
Six Tips to Get a (Better) Metacritic Score
An easy and quick guide featuring six supertips on how to get a (better) Metacritic score for your video game; by doing the right kind of research, and the right kind of outreach.
May 10, 2017
JikGuard
Against score systems (and for success and failure)
Strategy game designers should start thinking about alternatives to “score systems” for their games. In this article I talk about why we use score systems right now, what their weaknesses are, and how we can (as well as why we should) move beyond them.
May 10, 2017