Antti Kananen

What makes a good Game Designer? A big part of it is build around a simple thing: Routines. 💪 Overall I have worked with tens of Game Designers throughout my career so far and can nowadays identify best ones quite easily. How? Seeing their routines through, which will reveal how they think, approach design and overall tackle challenges from a larger picture on top of other important factors. 💯👍Why routines? They make one always go through different questions and details, which formalizes to proper game design that really have been thought and walked through by looking into all necessary details. When used properly, even someone who would have not been a Game Designer previously, but have been in games in another role, can produce an ok outcome just by following routines through that e.g., higher positioned Game Designers follow through […]

The most important part in games production, on a quest to build a successful game, is getting iterative development right - yet, most don't get it right nor don't even know how to approach it right. Where someone approaches games production or project management through regular agile, lean, etc. methodologies, the biggest trap one falls is just following up processes & frameworks - and believing things will work out. I mean, it's fine, but as an outcome you end up shipping less greatness & mediocre games.How one can achieve more? The biggest truth is in the 'iterative' approach. And, specifically, in terms of iterative development, it's not really about processes nor frameworks -- it's all about: Mindset; mindset of team, leads, etc. as well as stakeholders involved in. This is the key to crack it right in the first place.Where […]

While the game industry is having turbulent times, recently I got happy after seeing one person from my network, who's been searching for a job for a long time, getting hired! 💪👍 The specific reason I'm happy for this person is that I had given some career tips for career development, portfolio and such, which apparently did pay out well (at least a bit) in terms of getting hired. Feels really good during these turbulent times, and I'm really proud of this person finally making it! 🎓👌In terms of jobs market in games, when looking further, what is amazing is how some people in this industry can effect positively so much to people's careers and the opportunities they get. 🤝When I look towards some persons' profiles, who I've had the pleasure to work with (including also hiring them in most […]

Let's talk about different forms of Supercell-syndrome. 1. During its brightest moments, when Supercell was at the top, everyone went copying their small independent teams model in a syndrome-like manner believing it results in greatness - eventually failing on it. Even investors & VCs fell in love with it - but if you try to pitch same now, they won't invest in you as they don't buy it.🤑😬2. Based on Ilkka Paananen's latest blog post, Supercell clearly did fall being a victim of their own Supercell-syndrome; which resulted after shipping Brawl Stars to not shipping a game and realizing the hard truth that even they need to adapt to where the market is, incl. publishers that topped them by taking engagement, monetization & distribution means to another level in unique ways. Now, as a result, Supercell is moving from small […]