The hottest Game design Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Art & Illustration Topics

The Lone Toad Newsletter - April 2024

The Lone Toad - Croaker RPGs Newsletter • 179 implied HN points • 05 Apr 24
🎨 Art & Illustration RPGs Solo RPGs Game design
  1. The OSR (Old School Renaissance) can bring interesting mechanics and principles into solo RPG play, such as focusing on rulings over rules and implementing reaction tables and morale checks.
  2. Retainers in solo RPGs, like torchbearers, mercenaries, and hedge wizards, can add depth and assistance to your character as they navigate dangerous scenarios.
  3. Consider trying out OSR solo RPG suggestions like Scarlet Heroes and Black Streams:Solo Heroes for a different gaming experience rooted in classic tabletop rules.

Video Game Thoughts Bonus Bag #3

The Bottom Feeder • 484 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Video Games Indie games Game design
  1. Steam Next Fest is a good opportunity for indie game developers to showcase their demos, despite the overcrowded market.
  2. Indie game developers often struggle to come up with completely new game ideas, leading to a trend of mixing and matching existing genres.
  3. The video game industry is facing challenges such as burnout, harsh recession period, and layoffs, impacting both developers and players.

Keeping to the Theme

RPG Design Theories • 491 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Game design
  1. In different game genres, the role of monsters can be completely opposite, so their presentation and mechanics should align with the specific genre.
  2. Game rules and mechanics can clearly communicate the focus of gameplay, such as combat-heavy mechanics for tactical games and more narrative-focused mechanics for story-driven games.
  3. Designing game mechanics involves considering the balance between detailed rules for combat, varying levels of action economy, and the degree of narrative flexibility, depending on the intended gameplay experience.

Player Success Versus Character Success

RPG Design Theories • 511 implied HN points • 30 May 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Game design Character development Storytelling
  1. Players and characters should be conceptually separated in terms of success and failure.
  2. Game designers can choose between player-first and character-first gameplay styles, each with its own advantages and challenges.
  3. A balance between player-first and character-first elements can create a dynamic and engaging gameplay experience.

Success

RPG Design Theories • 334 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23
🚌 Education Game design Mechanics Narrative
  1. Game mechanics should aim to be believable, easy-to-understand, and fun at the same time.
  2. Mechanics should tie to what's important in the game, determining when dice rolling comes into play.
  3. Consider the impact of player failure on their gameplay experience and find the right balance of randomization in tasks.
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2023 annual review of "A Good Interface"!

A Good Interface • 39 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🪑 Design User Interface Video Games Newsletter Game design
  1. The writer quit their job, sold belongings, and traveled to create a game and explore, turning this journey into newsletter content.
  2. In 2023, the writer focused on sharing insights on UI/UX design for video games, posting consistently on Substack.
  3. For 2024, the writer plans to continue sharing design insights and personal project updates while aiming for reader interaction and feedback.

TITAA #40: Post-Creative Creativity

Things I Think Are Awesome • 216 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Game design Storytelling Visual Arts TV Poetry
  1. Conceptual artist Sol Lewitt's wall drawings are executed by others based on his written prompts, highlighting different interpretations of instructions
  2. Poetry translation can lead to varied interpretations of the same text in different languages
  3. Copyright laws and the concept of dual authorship raise questions about originality and authorship in derived works

Queenless - A solo RPG by Croaker RPGs

The Lone Toad - Croaker RPGs Newsletter • 79 implied HN points • 28 Apr 23
🎨 Art & Illustration RPG Solo Play Game design Fantasy
  1. In 'Queenless', you play as a Bee trying to save the hive by collecting six jars of Royal Jelly from the valley.
  2. The game features interactions with different insects like the helpful Dragonfly and the menacing Praying Mantis.
  3. Gameplay in 'Queenless' involves a unique system using cards and dice to determine success, offering an engaging solo gaming experience.

TITAA #41.5: Agents and Rich Description

Things I Think Are Awesome • 78 implied HN points • 15 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Games NLP Game design
  1. The post discusses Segment Anything for creative tasks, social agents in game contexts, and new LLMs in the AI landscape.
  2. The content covers AI art tools, game design elements like agents and NPCs, and updates in the field of NLP.
  3. The author mentions increases in paid subscriptions, interesting topics like AI art copyright, and shares a variety of exciting updates.

The Lone Toad Newsletter - April 2023

The Lone Toad - Croaker RPGs Newsletter • 79 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
🎨 Art & Illustration RPGs Solo Play Game design
  1. The Lone Toad Newsletter in April 2023 is dedicated to Stoneburner, an upcoming solo-friendly RPG blending sci-fi and fantasy.
  2. Stoneburner's unique concept involves classic fantasy cultures in a sci-fi setting, making it easy for players to envision the universe without complex explanations.
  3. Designing a solo-friendly game like Stoneburner involves focusing on player-centric mechanics, solid core gameplay loops, and providing tools like oracles and rolling tables for solo play.

Cityscapes: Sim Builder

Have You Played? • 19 implied HN points • 20 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Mobile Game design
  1. Cityscapes: Sim Builder is a real-time simulation game where you build a city by placing blueprints for different types of buildings.
  2. The game lacks challenge due to easy money-making opportunities and simplified mechanics like no running costs for buildings.
  3. Cityscapes was initially designed as a free-to-play game monetized by selling in-game currency, but converted to Apple Arcade with a focus on time-based gameplay.

Eye of the Temple

Have You Played? • 19 implied HN points • 16 May 23
🕹 Technology VR Game design
  1. Eye of the Temple is a VR adventure game with innovative movement mechanics, keeping players within a limited physical space while exploring virtually.
  2. The game lacks fun due to limited story and gameplay elements, such as repetitive puzzles and lack of engaging characters.
  3. VR game design challenges include balancing immersion, comfort, and gameplay mechanics to create an enjoyable experience for players.