I found my push-your-luck, dice-rolling, poker game to be in relatively good shape. The game flowed well, was pretty easy to teach, and, most importantly, we had fun playing it. Now, I needed to write the rules. I originally thought writing rules would be easy. I don’t know why—I have no excuse for such a naive thought. Even games from established publishers often have rulebooks with gaps, missing edge cases, or confusing instructions. ...
In my last design diary, I talked about the invaluable insights from playtesting—how feedback helped me rethink parts of the game, refine its mechanics, and let go of ideas that weren’t quite working. Since then, I’ve made some changes, and I wanted to share the thought process behind them. Design Diary #3: Playtesting and FeedbackRefining a game comes with exciting ups and downs. One change can ruin the game, while another can turn a mediocre experience into something special. … Big Dewlap - Blog I’m trying a new format for this design diary. Let me know your thoughts on if it works or not! ...
Refining a game comes with exciting ups and downs. One change can ruin the game, while another can turn a mediocre experience into something special. It’s important not to get discouraged by setbacks and to let the triumphs motivate you to keep going.
While far from perfect, the core mechanic—pushing our luck to roll for better cards—was so much fun that it was clear there was a real game here.
Here’s my first foray into documenting a design I have been working on. I want this to be an exercise in exploring all parts of a game, starting with the raw idea, which will never be the final version and often will be immensely unfun. Ideas are always the easy part; execution is where the real challenge lies. Let me set the stage for how this idea came about. At my day job, every Wednesday at noon, I often have to close a conference room door to shut out my coworkers playing Texas Hold ‘Em poker loudly. I don’t particularly enjoy poker. I will play it for the social experience, but I get impatient and find myself going all in after only 20 minutes, losing all my chips and wishing everyone else well. ...