Welcome to The Game Prodigy, a collection of essays and articles about game design and game development. You can find some of the top articles below as well as more on the right.
Enjoy your stay!
Case Studies
Studies of how different designs work in a variety of games.
- The Game Design that Made FarmVille
- What Makes a Mobile Blockbuster? Designs in Top Mobile Apps
- Terrifying Immersion: Dead Space’s Masterful UI
- Keeping Players Awake with Humor and Narrative
- How Trauma Evokes a Realistic Atmosphere
The Game Design Canvas
The Game Design Canvas was a framework that I used to analyze and develop games. While not perfect a replacement for other great models out there (Rules of Play, Art of Game Design), many readers found it useful.
Game Designer Practices
Tools, tricks, and tips.
- How Smart Designers Prep with Game Research
- Tackling Hard (Really Hard) Design Problems
- Bang For Your Buck: Getting the Most Out of Your Dev Time
Brice’s Favorites
Some articles that I really enjoyed writing.
- Game Designs that Failed…Then Hit the Big Time
- How Structured Exploration Turned “Zelda” into a Worldwide Icon
- The 5 Degrees of Fun
For Students
For those interested in pursuing a career in game development.
- Game Development Hero: Create Games, Get Job Offers, and Find Your Way in the Games Industry
- Video Game Internships: Capitalizing on a Golden Opportunity
Video Tutorials
From the Youtube Channel.
- Presenting Perfect Puzzles
- Minecraft, SimCity Illustrate Sandbox Gameplay
- Making Your Game by Breaking Your Game
- From Seconds to Hours of Gameplay
Guest Articles
Generous contributions.
- 2D Boy’s Ron Carmel on Rules for Playtesting
- Wario Land 4 – Teaching, Baiting, and Tension
- The “Alamo Standoff” Level Design Technique
Designer Interviews
Questions and answers from some independent designers and developers.
- Jeroen Stout of IGF Nominee “Dinner Date”
- Kurt W. and Mike P. from Kinetics
- Brendon Chung of Atom Zombie Smasher
- H.G. Wells: Game Designer
