Category Archives: Game Design Theory

Some mechanics are considered weak, redundant, or just plain bad by most gamers, and leading the march of this sorry band is roll and move. Roll and move does what it says on the tin. It’s simple, unsophisticated, and when … Continue reading →

When I started work on the Old Skool Skirmish (OSS) system, the main challenge was to make it feel like it belonged in the 80s. At the heart of my approach was to focus on old mechanics, and I soon … Continue reading →

As I mentioned on Monday, I’m swapping out Project Shuriken for the moment while I polish my drawing skills a bit more. The replacement is a tabletop SF skirmish game called Blast ’Em! This is the first outing of what … Continue reading →

Over the years I’ve often been asked where I get my ideas from. It’s a standard question that is often posed to any writer or designer. There are several ways to reply. The most honest answer is to admit that … Continue reading →

I’ve been working on Project Fishsticks lately. Originally, it was a dice game. For the first playable version it was quite happy being a dice game, though it wasn’t yet good enough for my tastes. More work needed. So I … Continue reading →

Been working on a new thing this week. Surprisingly, this isn’t me getting distracted and butterflying off; it’s actually a core part of my plan. Working on a single project at a time, from start to finish, without a break, … Continue reading →

It’s very easy to get distracted. Happens to me all the time. Distractions aren’t necessarily a Bad Thing. I think they’re a sign of an active and curious mind, and that’s a Good Thing. I definitely don’t want to stomp … Continue reading →

Game design, like every other creative process, starts with endless possibilities. As you go through the various stages, your once infinite options narrow, and the vague initial spark coalesces into a fixed and final form. There are things to like … Continue reading →