Tag Archive for 'Creating fun'

Designing a good game designer

Published by Tj'ièn Twijnstra on Sunday April 13, 2008 in Articles and Opinion. 3 Comments

What makes a good game designer? How is it possible to judge a game designer? The game design profession is traditionally not something that you’re hired for straight out of school. Game designers start out as programmers, testers or any other field within the game development process. As game designer you’re responsible for the core experience of a game, of its rules, goals, progression structure, balance and feel of the game.

Usually it takes a lot of experience in the game industry to know what makes a good game and what makes a bad game., if it is at all possible to define one. Industry professional, academia and fans of games all struggle with the same question that a game designer is supposed to know by heart!

But if that’s not enough, what other – and maybe more tangible - skills should a good game designer own? Or at least strive to possess?

Continue reading ‘Designing a good game designer’

Fun in fun out

Published by Tj'ièn Twijnstra on Friday January 4, 2008 in Articles and Design process. 3 Comments

Fun in fun out is a very simply idea that I like to work by. It simply means that if you enjoy what you are doing, the result is going to be better and more enjoyable. I’ve always believed that it is important for people to do what they enjoy. It’s a lesson I learned the hard-way, but now I’m privileged that I’m doing work what I really like. But still I’m always on the look-out for possibilities to make my work more enjoyable.

But since my employment at Playlogic I’ve been working on ways to translate this personal working method to a work philosophy for everybody at our company, as I strongly believe that fun in fun out works. But in a daily reality filled with many deadlines and stress, how can there be room for fun? Projects need to be finished on time, there’s no room for playing around in the boss’s time, is there? Continue reading ‘Fun in fun out’