25 Unusual Tips for Game Designers

25 Unusual Tips for Game Designers

(To level up your GD skills faster)

1. Play a wide variety of games
→ Not just your favorite genres.
→ Explore indie games, retro titles, and even NFT and casino games.

2. Rapid prototype your ideas
→ Test concepts quickly to see what works and what doesn’t.

3. Analyze successful games
→ Dissect what makes them fun.
→ Is it the mechanics, the story, or the progression?

4. Join game jams
→ Short deadlines force creativity and help you collaborate.

5. Embrace failure
→ Test bad ideas, break things, and learn from what doesn’t work.

6. Play bad games
→ Study why they fail. It’s just as valuable as learning from good games.

7. Watch Let’s Plays
→ Observe how different players interact with the same game.
→ You’ll get a range of perspectives.

8. Try speedrunning
→ Mastering a game quickly teaches you about pacing, optimization, and unintended mechanics.

9. Attend escape rooms
→ It’s a live, interactive puzzle experience that will sharpen your problem-solving skills.

10. Study architecture
→ Learn about how space, layout, and flow impact user experiences in both the physical and digital worlds.

11. Write fiction
→ Building narratives in writing will improve your storytelling in games.

12. Play tabletop RPGs
→ Improvisation and world-building in these games expand your creative horizons.

13. Study classic literature
→ Dive into the great works. Understanding timeless stories and character arcs can help deepen your narrative design.

14. Take an acting class
→ Understand character motivation and how to create believable, immersive characters in your games.

15. Build levels in a non-gaming space
→ Use physical tools like Lego or modeling clay to build environments, thinking in 3D.

16. Watch documentaries on unrelated topics
→ Broaden your worldview. Different subjects can spark unique game ideas.

17. Explore different cultures
→ Read about history, art, and traditions from around the world. It will inform your world-building.

18. Study psychology
→ Understand player behavior and what motivates people to keep playing.

19. Refresh your math skills
→ Statistics, probability, and balance are vital to designing fair and enjoyable games.

20. Take painting lessons
→ Learn about color theory, composition, and visual balance to improve your game’s aesthetic appeal.

21. Practice negotiation
→ Try bargaining in real life (like at a market) to understand how incentives work in in-game economies.

22. Talk to a financial expert
→ Learn about supply, demand, and market systems to design better in-game economies.

23. Meditate
→ It helps with focus and can inspire new ideas when you least expect it.

24. Try different hobbies
→ Whether it’s cooking or woodworking, analyze what makes them engaging, and apply that to your game design.

25. Read player reviews
→ See what real players care about and what frustrates them.

P.S. What’s your favorite way to improve game design skills?