I've written a lot of game design articles so this is a BIG collection of them.
I'm passionate about game design and in particular, trying to unlock the true potential of video game design to create projects that have infinite staying power, feel meaningful to play virtually forever, have enormous scalability potential where they can start humble and small and grow into something huge, yet do all this in a smart way that is sustainable to develop.
Obviously you take breaks and occasionally play other games for sake of variety, but you will keep coming back to these games in particular as your main game type of thing. But not to "replay" it, but to continue playing it because it actually supports that kind of infinite play.
Here's the list:
Games Are Need Satisfiers
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JIuPw_kcbazTQX1hFxcadtWpvKi5tzdFKAS_UhCwihE
Throwaway Games Are Band-Aid Approach
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c9wKcBRcRfTSqCB--S1Ku8srhI4WFAG3_7iQLclssh0
Future Of Games, The Next Big Innovation
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12SoeTeaHkPPd9xF9koa4G1LZdSMrX9kd4jV7LkeoZhU
My View On The Universe, Life And Death (Part 1)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mmytZ3GTENHpmYsCf74dMeJPNXCBrzIKKCXzSTLbBMw
My View On The Universe, Life And Death (Part 2)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x7K3maoEju4YL5KN4Av8ikxqzmlTvhmxetZgw8bt3Io
Forking Drives Innovation, Not Competition!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K9nu-s3mb8hqjHGBMGRPHWUutynIX_O45VIlfRX8-no
Why I Don't Play Competitive Human Vs Human Games Anymore
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AEL4GWYjHf8qOK0p_JG7hN2RIB0ogGXMOgNWE4psDfs
How To Get Started As A Complete Beginner In Game Development
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1su-KoRru0D2uiuaYyQ4Acu_o_uGY4TfV2Nx3LYYHAkU
How To Grow As A Game Designer. My Story and Biggest Epiphanies
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Uc7p3GZabPU6zD24DEFf0Yu_BF8AB6_7BkHGVElCiIw
What Really Is a Game Designer And How To Master This Skill
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qYeWOujm45B-8S0Ib6_1VmpAfSoi6UmBtcJ8O2nA46Y
Evolution of a Game Designer According to Common Knowledge, Which Isn’t Always Correct Knowledge.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WN99UKFgOvpaV5rKrm6XxGV005jEzthKMtxwMd78VnI
Additive vs Multiplicative Game Content And Why The Latter Is Better
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X46PJP9A6mNVZ4EZVNa80UCmH51aEBJ2jvXm51VBMBQ
Scope Creep Is Not An Enemy, You're Just Incompetent and Inexperienced
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dUnMhvgPTFoPFwaomh2T-dLzVyq59Deu_0r3MzPFXCI
How To Contextualize Narrative Within Infinite Metagames: Player-Run Services
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MChlMPPABmEWdCfb-QRcsQcHiYoCithIXVCHAD5FgPI
Where Does Meaning or Motivation Come From In a Video Game? How To Make a Game Worth Playing?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AYFUbO3hmwBmdKqWFoU1ACUezfcruUkU_r-x3pQrDUA
How To Set Up Pacing, Difficulty, And Progression Within An Infinite Metagame
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qfdoKELsKZFnnuKf1vBz0xZ28GMzNjvJnATPgpe5fr0
GUEST ARTICLE - Exploitative Game Design: Beyond the F2P Debate
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tuL7hozHmT_5BlOeiu-lny7CWGfpWMf5zY2nHYk0t1U
GUEST ARTICLE - Loopholes in Game Design
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IfTJ38En4kQdV1wsF8WGel_noOwAzZ0bkaPREabJn8Q
BONUS:
Putting into practice all the lessons I've learned I've designed several game projects that put the above principles into practice:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JPWlM-HFjNbqURneNoCoziirAZWtM5KjxypLS83oyQc?
That document is HUGE but despite that it is not a game design document, they're just a pitch. The actual game design for those projects are notebooks and folders full of various information, inspirations, supporting materials and other misc tid-bits.
If you want to see what actual game design documents look like, you can access them by joining the Tier 6 patreon membership here:
https://www.patreon.com/c/reactorcoregames/membership
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