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187 results

News

Echo Weaver: Building a time-loop metroidbrainia in Unity 6

Unity details how Moonlight Kids built Echo Weaver, a time-loop metroidbrainia launching today on PC and consoles. The team uses Unity 6 to stream an open world with no loading …

Unity ·
unity 6 metroidbrainia time loop indie development game design +1
News

Stop Asking If Your Game Is Good

Tim Ruswick argues that “good” is the wrong question for game developers, because quality only matters in the context of a specific audience and goal. The practical takeaway is to …

Tim Ruswick ·
game design game criticism audience fit production marketing
News

Control Resonant director lays out case for avoiding excessive 'yellow paint'

Game Developer reports that Control Resonant director Kyle Rowley is pushing back on excessive “yellow paint” in level design. His argument is that players should feel ownership over what to …

Bryant Francis ·
level design game design player agency visual guidance environmental storytelling
News

Why Your Game Feels Bad (6 Design Fixes)

Tim Ruswick lays out six design pillars that can make a game feel better almost immediately, especially for teams still finding their footing. The focus is less on content volume …

Tim Ruswick ·
game design player feel visual hierarchy difficulty curve indie development
News

How Remedies Shape Progression in Hela: Of Mice & Magic

XBox Wire says Hela: Of Mice & Magic will launch day one on Xbox Game Pass on December 1, 2026, and it’s using brewing as more than a menu-driven crafting …

Danielle Partis, XBOX Wire Editor ·
xbox game pass crafting progression co-op open world +1
News

Shinji Mikami to join AIAS Hall of Fame at 2026 DICE Awards

Game Developer reports that Shinji Mikami will be inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame at the 2026 DICE Awards. Goichi Suda will present the honor to the Resident Evil …

Diego Argüello ·
shinji mikami dice awards aias hall of fame resident evil horror +1
News

The Slasher Returns in Fallout 76

XBox Wire says Fallout 76 is bringing back the Slasher, giving players another chance to lean into a brutal melee-focused build. For teams watching live-service tuning, it’s a reminder that …

Mike Nelson, XBOX Wire Editor ·
fallout 76 bethesda live service game design
News

Open vs Linear | Setting the Stakes Early On in The Outer Worlds 2

GDC Festival of Gaming highlights how The Outer Worlds 2 opens with a tightly scripted level instead of dropping players into a broad sandbox. The goal is to establish stakes, …

GDC Festival of Gaming ·
the outer worlds 2 gdc game design level design open world +1
News

Indie Games Need a Punk Movement

Payne Robinson argues indie games need a punk movement again: smaller, louder, and less polished on purpose. The call is tied to his own projects, including Medium Rare and Execute, …

Payne Robinson ·
indie game culture game design marketing creative direction
News

Riot Games is considering making premium titles, says co-founder

Riot Games is openly weighing premium, finite releases alongside its live-service portfolio. Co-founder Marc Merrill said not every game needs to be “infinite,” signaling a broader product mix beyond long-running …

Bryant Francis ·
riotgames premium games live service game business game design
News

Gathering First Hour Needs for Ghost of Yotei

GDC Festival of Gaming is highlighting how Ghost of Yōtei was designed to hook players in its first hour, with a focus on giving the open world meaningful reasons to …

GDC Festival of Gaming ·
gdc ghost of yotei open world game design player retention

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