I am working on this settlement builder / god game with an unusual resource system and running into a design challenge I could use help with.

The core mechanic is that divine powers cost settler lives instead of mana or cooldowns. Want to terraform terrain? 20 settlers die. Lightning strike enemies? 10 settlers gone. Your workforce literally shrinks every time you use emergency abilities.

The goal was creating meaningful resource tension - every special ability competes with your labor force. Do you sacrifice workers now to solve problems instantly, or try conventional solutions and risk losing infrastructure?

But here's the design problem: how do you make players actually feel invested in losing those settlers?

Right now it's purely tile-based interaction. You designate what gets built, settlers handle construction timing. They're functional work units without personalities, names, or individual traits. When you cast spells, the population counter drops and you see settlers fall over on screen, but it still feels pretty abstract.

I want that moment of sacrifice to have emotional weight, not just mechanical impact. The strategic cost is there - fewer workers means slower building and resource gathering - but the emotional cost isn't really landing.

The question is: what design techniques actually create player investment in functional units? Is it visual details? Audio feedback? Emergent storytelling? Something about the interface design?

My Demo launching Steam Next Fest October so I'll find out how players actually respond, but curious what other designers think about this challenge.

Hi everyone,

a bit of context, I would like to make a minimal RTS or a tower defense with RTS elements in it. I am currently in a exploration phase, trying other games, watching play, ect.

Currently, my list of games in mind for minimal RTS are: Death Crown, Bad North, Tooth & tails, Clash Royal, Warpipes.

I am currently looking at the interesting decisions around which units to deploy/unlocking/upgrading. Like, if I know my opponent have heavy slow infantry, I should deploy archer and improve archer, but less in a meta-way (like, oh, my opponent is this faction who have a this slow infantry, so I know what to build) and then my opponent decided to invest into quick units to dispose of my many archers, and so on.

I noticed that most game you don't have much reaction against your opponent unit selection during play.
In Bad North and other games, tower defense, you might have the information of which enemies you are going to face and make interesting decision about it. (Been a while since I've played Bad North)

Clash Royal, you have counters, if your opponent is using a single high damage units or a tank, swarming it will defeat it, but then, they could use a spell or a unit with an AoE to create a synergie, but then you could also couple the swarm of weak units with a high damaging unit, ect. You have this constant acting/reacting, but it is based on counting what your opponent had played before, ect. You might have a deck that is not great against your opponent because they have cards that counters your win conditions. (I've only started playing Clash Royal a few week ago for research).

You could have a version CR when almost all your deck is done but during play adding one unit to counter your opponent.

I feel like classic RTS, you deploy units more related to their own strengths an less about your opponent weakness.

I am looking for 2 things. First, suggestions of games (not necessary RTS, but all wargames, 4X, turn-based, ...) where player makes decision about which units to deploy taking your opponent current units into account in a more obvious way.

And second, what could achieve this push back unit selection in a dynamic way.

In Undertale barely 3 minutes in, the first character you meet will greet you, talk to you like a friend, then stab you in the back.

That early moment gave me a very strong first impression that drove me to discover the rest of the game.

But I also feel like these sorts of intros are surprisingly rare. If anything some games can take dozens of hours before the story finally clicks.

Aside from Undertale, are there any other story focused games that gripped you from the very beginning?

(I wrote this partially because I'm working on my own story focused game!)

Hey guys, this is the description of my game i am working on alone in unity 6. (the description was made with the assist of chatgpt but accurately describes my game)

MONSTER AI: The monster learns from you, predicts you to trap you in places. Make you move in specific places to kill you, the more you play, the more he becomes intelligent

📝 Game Description (Straightforward)

You are homeless, with nothing but a bag. Seeking shelter, you enter an abandoned kids’ play center… but something else lives here. Survive the nights, manage your hunger, thirst, and sanity, and find a safe place to rest — while avoiding the animatronic that hunts you.

In Early Access, you’ll experience the core survival horror loop: scavenging, managing your stats, choosing a room to call “home,” and trying to survive against an AI-driven monster that learns how you play.

⚡ Current Early Access Features (v0.1 “First Shelter”)

Intelligent AI monster that predicts and ambushes players

Player survival stats: Hunger, Thirst, Fatigue, Sanity

Bag Shelter System: place your bag in a room to rest and make it your temporary “home”

Basic loot system: find food, water, and books to keep going

Sanity effects: low sanity makes the monster more dangerous

1 main playable zone: Party Room + 2 Corridors

Survive 5 nights to “win” the Early Access build

📦 Next Update (v0.2 “The Trader”)

Wandering Trader NPC → spawns in random rooms

Basic trading system: swap found items or money for food/books

Expanded loot variety

Minor AI improvements

🛠️ Roadmap

v0.2 “The Trader” → Trader NPC + basic trading

v0.3 “Safe Rooms” → Room preparation mechanics (lock doors, close curtains, barricades)

v0.4 “Deeper Fear” → Sanity hallucinations (fake footsteps, shadows, voices)

v0.5 “Expanded Map” → More rooms, branching paths, and hiding spots

v1.0 Full Release → Multiple endings, polished AI, achievements, and full environment

Where i do my devlogs:

https://discord.com/channels/280521930371760138/1411844718912082011

So i don’t know how to code. Computers are basically dark magic to me it’s just hard and confusing. Yet I absolutely love game design in purely narrative story telling point. I would really like to go to study game development some more and to get to some half decent school I think I would need some experience.. I would really like to take place in some kind of game jam but i really don’t know how to start…. Currently i have big dreams but zero experience… what do i do!!

Hi, idk if this is the right place to post this but i wanted to ask people who do game design or make games which popular fps games in their opinion have bad game design and why. Ive been debating with some of my friends and id like to know what the opinion of people who know more about this stuff is.

I find that working with design goals (pillars, axioms, same thing) is the best way to stay focused on player fantasy. And they let you compare mechanics against each other.

For example: Which health model to I pick for my Rogue-like? Permanent health bar, or regenerating health? Both are fine, but if one of your goals is "Violence Is Risky", it probably makes more sense to have permanent health. Now every combat encounter, big or small, risk escalating consequences that impact the rest of your run.

Another example: One of your goals is "Reward Player Aggression". What does that mean? Probably:
* Attacks should have low windup. Locking the player into long animations leaves the player vulnerable. * Should player attacks interrupt enemy casts/windups? Very likely yes. Interrupts feel great, and rewards aggressive play styles if timed correctly. * A dash/reposition tool. If the player easily gets locked in a bad situation, he needs to be able to escape. Or he will be much more cautious in committing to a fight, i.e. rewards waiting for JUST the right opportunity. This one is less clear cut though.

For me the hard part is coming up with good goals in the first place. I have vague notions of what makes a good goal but the lines are blurry:

• Lets you compare mechanics.
• Not too vague ("make a fun game", too vague and too obvious to be useful.)
• Not too specific ("Ammo is limited", more of an implementation mechanic than a goal.)

What do you think makes for a good design goal, and how do you come up with them?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMw0vP2vsnU&ab_channel=LastIberianLynxGameDev

The flags gave me some work though. Let me know what you think

Hi guys, can y’all fill that form? It’s about a game I’m making, a game about grief. And let’s see if you have any ideas. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15zqj6xygqWIJT4YJz2ACg3ZJ42PxBJocjmh56xh19bU/viewform

I am currently building the lobby logic for my web app, and players can create a match listing with their settings etc that they like, and other players can then join the queue for that match if they want to play with those settings too (like most lobbies). however, when the host leaves before the match starts for whatever reason, i'm debating how to handle it. usually a player leaves, they are just removed from the queue. But for the host, well, they're the host.

So what would you prefer if you were playing a game and the host for a match you queued for leaves: The match listing gets deleted and you get a notification alerting you. OR, the next player in the queue becomes host and gets a notification? I'm leaning towards the second, just thought i'd get some feedback

suppose you have a game where you're character is traversing a hallway, how would you hide corners from the game's perspective? in fps the corner is obviously hidden but what about top down?

Well, we all have experienced games where we instantly fall inlove with one of the characters. Whether it be how they make important decisions for the advancement of the plot, how their dialogue let's their true nature shine etc. To you, what makes a game character unforgettable?

This has been a feature for my dream game that I have dwelled on for a while. In this game, when a player dies, instead of being sent to a respawn screen, they turn into a ghost. As a ghost, they would be able to lightly interact with players but also be able to force a respawn if necessary. They cannot kill or harm opposing players, they can support allies with heals and spotting enemies...

Would this be a weird idea to include in a hero shooter? For context, this game would be both PvP and PvE in two separate modes, and the mechanic would be in both. Any thoughts on this in general?

Hey there!

I am working with a friend to make a mini-soulslike, and as I was playing the games for research, I noticed how unfair they were from an outside perspective. Some of them just drop you into a location and expect you to figure it out, with little to no guidance. Yet, the game is still fun, even though this seems like a fundamentally bad idea. Why is that?

I wish people were creative, because then I wouldn't fantasize about designing one for a big studio. I would just play them. I can think of 100 different new sub-genres that I would really like to see being made. These would be like new sub-genres like the Soulslike sub-genre, but with mechanics that are significantly more original than that sub-genre. I have no idea what the hell is happening and why people have a hard time thinking originally.

Hey! I'm a game developer (primarily designer) of 19 years and I write monthly blog posts on related topics. Mostly on game design and systemic design.

This month's blog post serves two purposes:

1. To share some of the excellent work that has already gone into defining what makes games work and how to work with game design.

2. To touch on why you need to set your own terms for your own team and project, and how general definitions actually harm game design.

Enjoy, or disagree in comments!

https://playtank.io/2025/09/12/definitions-in-game-design/

Take a look at a game series such as Katamari. The idea of rolling a ball to make it bigger isn’t mind blowing, but the execution was done amazingly. The game is really charming, and it expands upon the idea of rolling a ball really well, adding different types of missions. It's art style is extremely creative.

Hey devs,
I had this idea for a game that combines the creativity of City Skylines and the detail of The Sims, but focused entirely on real-life construction.
I’d love to share it here and hear your feedback.

1. Core Concept

A construction simulator where players build everything from the ground up — brick by brick, wire by wire, pipe by pipe, and finally, interior design.
Instead of managing a city from above, you manage the actual construction process in detail.

2. Game Modes

• Easy Mode Full assistance: the game guides you with snapping, structure validation, and auto-calculated loads.
• Medium Mode Shows errors (bad wiring, weak foundation, leaks), but players must fix them manually.
• Hard Mode No help. Mistakes lead to realistic disasters: fires, leaks, cracks, or structural collapse.

3. Grid System

• Grid = 10x10 cm (the size of a real brick).
• Every element (walls, beams, pipes, cables, furniture) aligns with this grid.
• Gives a LEGO-like precision but with real engineering logic.

4. Story Mode

• Player starts as a rookie builder, taking small contracts.
• Progression: house → office → bridge → mall → skyscraper.
• Each contract has a budget and requirements.
• First 3 missions = tutorial:
  1. Land prep + foundation + structure.
  2. Plumbing + electricity.
  3. Interior design + client satisfaction.

5. Gameplay Mechanics

• Materials: brick, concrete blocks, drywall, steel, wood, 3D-print houses.
• Structural engineering: foundations, beams, columns, weight distribution.
• Plumbing: pipe diameter, water pressure, tanks, pumps.
• Electrical: wire gauges, outlets, switches, breakers.
• Interior design: furniture, lighting, windows, ergonomics.
• Consequences: wrong decisions = realistic issues (short circuits, mold, flooding, cracks).

6. Game Modes Beyond Story

• Sandbox Mode: unlimited money, pure creativity.
• Challenge Mode: build with constraints (low budget, eco-friendly, small space).
• Multiplayer / Competitive Mode: who builds fastest, cheapest, and/or safest — with a global ranking system.

7. Target Audience

• Casual players: fans of The Sims, Minecraft, Skylines.
• Professionals/students: architecture, engineering, construction (could even be an educational tool).

8. Monetization Ideas

• Base game + expansions: new materials, new construction techniques, new regions.
• Cosmetic packs: furniture, decorative styles, cultural sets.
• Multiplayer DLC: competitive contracts or co-op building.

9. Why It’s Unique

Most building games focus on city management or aesthetic building.
This one blends technical accuracy + fun creativity. It could appeal to both gamers and real-world professionals.

10. Looking for Feedback

• Do you think this level of detail is technically feasible for an indie team?
• Would a simplified prototype (e.g. brick/block placement + basic plumbing/electricity) be enough for a demo?
• What engine would you recommend to start: Unity, Unreal, Godot, or even Roblox/Minecraft for prototyping?

Would love to hear your thoughts, advice, or if anyone would be interested in prototyping something like this together.

(Idea originally developed by me, translated and organized with ChatGPT’s help to ensure coherence — I’m from Brazil, so English isn’t my first language.)

Hi All!

Researching any gamification methods that were used to promote:
sustainability-related games or
energy sector games in the past or present for marketing purposes and how effective/engaging they were.

What are the best platforms and game engines that were used to establish such games, in your opinion?

I am searching for a collab for a project which would create a game or collaborate with an already existing game to implement sustainable fuels in it to raise awareness in the public.

Many thanks !!! Your answers are highly anticipated !

I usually graybox my prototypes — cubes for doors, ramps for stairs, nothing fancy. It keeps me focused on whether the mechanic itself works or not.

The other night I got lazy and typed “medieval door with iron hinges” into one of those AI tools. Half a minute later I had a mesh that honestly looked better than anything I would’ve hacked together myself. Dropped it in, and suddenly the puzzle that felt dead with cubes felt… decent? Which kinda freaked me out.

Now I can flip the same level between a dungeon vibe and a cartoony temple in under an hour. Cool for iteration, sure, but I keep wondering if I’m just dressing up weak mechanics instead of fixing them. Anyone else dealing with this?

I am currently pursuing a bachelors in game design and a certificate in game studies, and because of dual enrollment I can add another major and graduate in four years. I was thinking of adding a degree in Narrative Studies or Creative Writing (or some other major, if that would be more helpful, I'm open to suggestions) but I don't know if it would look good on applications or be helpful trying to work my way into a game writing or narrative design job. Cost is not a prohibitive factor thankfully, I'm on a full ride scholarship so that's not factoring into my decision.

Should I graduate in 3 years with a degree in game design, or add another year (another summer for internships too) and get a degree in narrative design/creative writing? Thanks

Hi everyone 👋
I’m currently doing my Master’s in Interaction Design and I’m looking for inspiration to define the topic of my thesis/project.

My main interest is in the area of games (game design, gamification), and ideally, I’d like my work to involve childrenin some way (as users or beneficiaries). However, this is not a requirement — I’m open to any idea that fits within the field.

In general, Interaction Design covers a wide range of topics, such as:

• Interfaces and interaction: graphical, natural, tangible, voice, multimodal;
• Emerging technologies: IoT, AR/VR, machine learning, artificial intelligence, shape-changing interfaces, printed electronics;
• Processes and methods: prototyping, wireframing, sketching, design research, research through design, co-creation;
• Experience and culture: emotional design, affordances, data visualization, hybrid media, digital cultural heritage, more-than-human design;
• Human and social aspects: accessibility, ethics, education, health, community participation, human-computer interaction.

Any idea, reference, or practical suggestion is more than welcome 🙏
Thank you so much in advance for your help!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sTK-j9wQE8

 Most 3D Metroidvania inspired games (Metroid Prime, Control, Darksiders) use a free camera.

Here’s a different take:

• Fully 3D world, but with fixed/semi-fixed cameras like classic Resident Evil or Onimusha.
• Each space framed like a cinematic diorama → camera itself highlights gates, secrets, and foreshadowing.
• Unlocking new abilities (wall climb, grapple, phase shift, etc.) changes how you see spaces, suddenly that weird angle makes sense.
• Core loop is still classic Metroidvania: explore → gain ability → return → recontextualize → unlock bosses/shortcuts.

Potential upsides:

• Keeps the clarity of 2D Metroidvanias in 3D (no spinning camera mess).
• Creates a composed, cinematic atmosphere.
• Survival horror used this successfully, but Metroidvania never really has (unless I missed it).

Question: From a design perspective, does using fixed cameras strengthen exploration in a Metroidvania, or does it undermine player agency?

I am looking for inspiration. I would like to play a few games similar to the one in the post title to gain some insight into how a game with this combination of systems works / plays.

A well-known example is BG3 with its Movement Speed on an unstructured map canvas. I'm looking for 2D games with similar movement systems. Thanks in advance!