The Perfect Exercise To Get You Into Game Design

September 29, 2020 Mitchell Loewen

Creating games can be really fun, extremely satisfying, and a great outlet for self-expression. But if you’ve never tried making a game before, it can feel really intimidating to give it a shot. As someone new to the field, where are you even supposed to start?

Luckily, I’ve got an easy game design exercise that is perfect for everyone. It’s the exercise I started out with when I got into game design, and anyone can do it regardless of age or skill level. Check it out below, and then I’ll go through why it’s such a great gateway into game design.

What Makes A Good Zelda Item?

July 27, 2020 Mitchell Loewen

If you’ve ever played a Zelda game before, you know that not every item feels like a meaningful addition to your toolkit. Rather, some items just spend most of the game collecting dust in your inventory. For every amazing item like the Hookshot, there’s another disappointing item like the Deku Nuts. What sets these items apart? What makes an item useless, and what makes an item worth using?

Killer Queen Black: Avoiding The Lock-In Effect

July 20, 2020 Mitchell Loewen

The Lock-In Effect is very common in games with multiple objectives. Achieving a win condition typically requires devoting a lot of time or resources, so logically it should be difficult to have enough left over to successfully pivot to another goal. But what if you want players to adapt their strategy and change objectives throughout the game? How can you avoid the Lock-In Effect?

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