#BiteSizeGameDesign
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 179: Voiceover adds characterization & fills gaps.

“Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time." -Jean-Michel Basquiat
(In this case, music = narration)

Quantum Conundrum provided direction & world building by using V.O. work.
#GameDesign #GameDev
April 17, 2026 at 2:21 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 178: Player preference can beat design or innovation.

It’s long debated.
Do you prefer to find your crowd or design for an audience?

Costume Quest hit a lot of the comedy/difficulty/mechanics that I personally really enjoy.
#GameDesign #GameDev
April 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 177:
Game economy 101: Sources = Sinks.

Players need ‘sources’ of commodities AND
places to ‘sink’ (spend) them.

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare had limited ammunition, so it was a big decision to fire or give bullets away.
#GameDesign #GameDev
April 14, 2026 at 3:58 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 176: Don’t ask players to go a bridge too far.

Harvest Moon: The Tale of Two Towns simultaneously had too many & too few things to do.

You could accomplish *almost* every task, or wander empty areas looking for random collectibles.
#GameDesign #GameDev
April 10, 2026 at 1:33 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 175: Getting players to read is tricky.

People read all the time.
You’re reading right now!
But you didn’t think “reading”, you thought “see what's happening”.

I got players to stop & try Confines of the Law with costumes & cookies.
#GameDesign #GameDev
April 9, 2026 at 6:18 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 174: Limit & pace spinning plates.

A “decay” mechanic (where things get worse when the player doesn’t interact) could make a feature compelling - or an overwhelming chore.

Middle Manager of Justice added districts (happiness meters) at a fine rate.
#GameDesign #GameDev
April 8, 2026 at 1:06 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 173: Improve performance with LODs.

Most players don’t notice the different Level Of Detail (LOD) 3D models shown at various distances.
They may call out "texture popping", but overall performance would be worse with a single model.
#GameDesign #GameDev
April 3, 2026 at 3:02 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 172: Puzzle solutions should be one step from “normal”.

🥱 Easy: get key->open door
🔐 Player feels smart: improvise key->open door
😵 Convoluted: need key->get vegetable->do laundry->open door

Beneath A Steel Sky had well balanced puzzles.
#GameDesign #GameDev
April 2, 2026 at 2:38 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 171: The best power-ups let players achieve new goals.

In Pokémon Picross, a benefit would have been to gain energy or earn bonus currency. The only bonuses makes puzzles easier, but…
solving puzzles is what players are there for.
#GameDesign #GameDev
April 1, 2026 at 1:12 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 170: Put a manageable cap on repeat actions.

Players may love to collect things, they will hit a point where engaging with their backlog is overwhelming.

Puzzle Swap was limited to 10 pieces a time, encouraging frequent check-ins.
#GameDesign #GameDev
March 26, 2026 at 6:30 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 169: Continue talking until the plan is clear.

Prepare to discuss your design with various disciplines & skill levels.
You may be trying to solve different problems.

I created Duals! as a teaching exercise for middle schoolers.
#GameDesign #GameDev
March 25, 2026 at 2:36 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 168: Connect the start & end of your game.

Sounds simple, but think on it.
Regardless of re-writes & cuts, your game is going to have a beginning and an endgame.

Gone Home invites the players to make the unfamiliar seem like home.
#GameDesign #GameDev
March 24, 2026 at 3:57 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 167: Speed up tedious, repeating actions.

Star Wars: Uprising had boxes to get gear.
The pre-animation for 1 box was the same as opening 5. For veteran players, it was quicker to open 5 at once. This holds true for crafting too.
#GameDesign #GameDev
March 23, 2026 at 6:28 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 166: You don’t need to be the best at your game.

It is *paramount* you play your own game... you just don’t need to top the leaderboard.

Your job is to know your systems & players.

I knew DomiNations inside & out, but couldn’t always 5⭐️ a battle.
#GameDesign #GameDev
March 18, 2026 at 5:04 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 165: Everybody likes hats! 🤠

Cosmetics show off individually & can encourage players to stick with your game.

Hungry Shark Evolution added in-game bonuses with equipped items; a smart move making the feature appealing to players.
#GameDesign #GameDev
March 17, 2026 at 4:32 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 164: Attacking and movement are linked.

👣 Do combatants plant their feet?
↕️ Follow along a pre-set course?
🕹️ Are move & attack independent controls?

Tiny Troopers was click to move, but allowed you to fire at will in any direction.
#GameDesign #GameDev
March 16, 2026 at 4:11 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 163: Write a post mortem.

Rite to Flight: a Point-and-Cluck Adventure is a game I hold dear. I made it with friends: many who never made a game before.

Writing a postmortem helped us—and other devs—to identify pitfall & success.
#GameDesign #GameDev
March 13, 2026 at 5:13 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 162: Balance encounters by mixing enemy types.

Robert Gallerani had a great GDC talk about balance.
🍿🍿🍿
The term ‘popcorn’ (enemies destroyed with just 1 hit) works so well as something fun to sprinkle in among other enemies.
#GameDesign #GameDev
March 12, 2026 at 6:19 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 161: Make replayability evident.

Players get 2 moments:
🛠️ getting the upgrade
✅ using the upgrade.

LEGO Jurassic World (like all LEGO games) does great at highlighting where tools can be used - even if not currently at the player’s disposal.
#GameDesign #GameDev
March 10, 2026 at 3:32 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 160: Whole numbers are easier than decimals to understand.

Put a zero in the ones or tens place for balance flexibility.

Dealing
10 DMG vs 100 HP
feels BETTER than
1 DMG vs 10 HP.

I enjoyed balancing the ticket economy for Candystand.com
#GameDesign #GameDev
March 5, 2026 at 5:48 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 159: Return to normal play between power-ups.

While PAC-MAN 256 had many power-ups, players could only use one at a time.
If one is active, places where power-up options occur are replaced with time extensions to the current power.
#GameDesign #GameDev
March 3, 2026 at 7:58 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 158: Players don’t know what’s under the hood.

Games *appear* as infinite possibility machines-but are really just cascading if-then statements.

The Stanley Parable Demonstration’s narration had the appearance more *could* happen.
#GameDesign #GameDev
February 27, 2026 at 3:42 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 157: There is an experience happening above the controller.

I first heard this from Frank Lantz at an NYU event, but it’s the core part of Press X to Be Okay.

The stress isn’t on the screen, it’s in the input.
And the stress is real.
#GameDesign #GameDev
February 26, 2026 at 7:53 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 156: It’s OK to have an experience comprised of mini-games.

The “party game” genre is big on this but isn’t the only way.

Professor Layton and the Last Specter ties the experience together with mini-game/puzzles placed in context.
#GameDesign #GameDev
February 25, 2026 at 5:23 PM
#BiteSizeGameDesign Lesson 155: Have rules for the boundary.

Harbor Rescue had lots of obstacles in play:
💀I didn’t want to kill players for hitting the wall.
🧗I also didn’t want a “hold” where they could plan ahead.
🌊Instead, there’s a current pushing around the edge.

#GameDesign #GameDev
February 24, 2026 at 4:10 PM