Scope News
The latest Scope coverage curated for game developers.
Tim Ruswick argues that an 80-page game design doc often slows solo projects more than it helps. The core warning is simple: feeling professional is not the same as shipping, …
Tim Ruswick says a quick 10-second gut check can expose whether a feature, art choice, or theme is serving the game or just chasing genre trends. The prompt is simple: …
Tim Ruswick says card games can become an art-production trap fast, because every card needs its own visual treatment. A restrained three-color style can keep scope under control and save …
Tim Ruswick argues that “finish my game” is too vague to drive progress, especially for indies juggling scope and motivation. The practical move is to pick one thing that would …
Tim Ruswick weighs in on the advice indie developers keep repeating, from scope and deadlines to Steam expectations and AI assets. The video pushes back on get-rich-quick thinking, argues for …
Tim Ruswick argues that “make small games” is bad shorthand: tiny projects still carry most of the same production overhead as larger ones. He says the real challenge is depth …
Tim Ruswick argues that tool shaming is getting in the way of healthy game dev discourse, especially when developers attack each other over engines, assets, or workflow choices. The broader …
Tim Ruswick lays out a one-page game design doc that can be sketched in about 10 minutes, aimed at keeping early planning focused on the game’s core promise. The template …
Payne Robinson argues that rushing into game production is a common trap, and that it may be healthier to pause and learn the craft first. The practical takeaway for developers: …
Mike Bithell has cut Bithell Games down to three people after 11 redundancies, and is pivoting to a smaller, self-funded experiment: Vampirium 1997. The top-down “im-slim” aims to capture immersive …
Many teams still build as if every player will see the ending, but completion rates rarely support that assumption. The practical takeaway is to design for the first session, not …
Overinvesting in visual fidelity can quietly drain time, budget, and iteration speed without improving the game itself. For teams still early in production, the bigger risk is polishing assets before …
A terse July 3 note captures a familiar reality for game developers: the work can feel like a leap into the unknown. For teams shipping under pressure, that sensation usually …
The practical takeaway is blunt: 1,000 hours of tutorials still won’t teach you how to finish a game. Tim Ruswick is pushing a ship-first approach, arguing that beginners need a …
An indie team fresh out of university says Thank You For Your Application paid back its development costs in just 22 hours. For devs, the interesting part isn’t the headline …