Today I’m discussing something a little unusual. I thought it would be interesting to think about the basic actions humans can make and see how they’re used in games. Do games use all actions that people can take? Are there certain actions that stand on their own, preventing other types of actions? Are some actions […]
All posts in category Design
Basic Human Actions
Posted by teale on January 27, 2015
http://nothingsacredgames.com/basic-human-actions/
Going Wide
I recently started a Patreon. It’s a bit of an experiment, but I’m hoping it will give friends and fans the chance to show their appreciation for this blog and help guide me by requesting article topics. Today’s article is the first of those requests. Cardboard Edison is a husband and wife duo who have […]
Posted by teale on December 16, 2014
http://nothingsacredgames.com/going-wide/
Emotional Game Design
Emotion plays an interesting role in game design. On the one hand, people tend to do their best work when they are excited and passionate. On the other hand, strong feelings of pride and attachment can cloud your judgment, make it difficult to empathize with others, and ultimately lead to an inferior game. If you’re […]
Posted by teale on November 28, 2014
http://nothingsacredgames.com/emotional-game-design/
The Joys of Birding
Today I want to discuss something a little unusual for a game design blog: bird watching. Before you immediately close the tab, let me explain why you might care. My next game, Birds of a Feather, was designed after I thought carefully about why I enjoy birding. I broke down the activity in terms of […]
Posted by teale on November 11, 2014
http://nothingsacredgames.com/the-joys-of-birding/
Shadow Throne Outtakes
Early in the Shadow Throne Kickstarter, a backer asked if I had any fun stories about cards that didn’t make the cut. I’m finally getting around to it… four months after the Kickstarter finished. Better late than never, right? Between the initial conception for Shadow Throne and when it funded on Kickstarter, I worked on a […]
Posted by teale on October 29, 2014
http://nothingsacredgames.com/shadow-throne-outtakes/
The Shadow Throne Origin Story
Shadow Throne is now up on Kickstarter, so it’s about time I shared the origin story with all of you! As I mentioned when discussing Shadow Throne design goals, and you saw when I went over the evolution of Shadow Throne card design, games don’t come from a single moment; they are a long […]
Posted by teale on June 6, 2014
http://nothingsacredgames.com/the-shadow-throne-origin-story/
Shadow Throne Design Goals
The Kickstarter for Shadow Throne, Nothing Sacred Games’ next big release, is right around the corner! Over the next several months, you’ll be learning a lot about the game and its development. To kick things off, I thought I’d spend a little time describing the design goals that helped inspire and guide the development of […]
Posted by teale on April 24, 2014
http://nothingsacredgames.com/shadow-throne-design-goals/
Design Analysis: Corporate America
Between playtesting, promotion, and just hanging out with friends, I’ve seen and played Corporate America well over 200 times. Even after playing that many times, I’m happy to say still I enjoy the game. Corporate America really lets individual personalities shine, so each game feels like a new experience. But when you play a game […]
Posted by teale on March 24, 2014
http://nothingsacredgames.com/design-analysis-corporate-america/
Analysis of Fun: Collecting
Has it really been a year and a half since I posted my two part post on the various types of fun that games can provide? Unless WordPress is truly messing with me, it has! Perhaps surprising to no one, I missed some key types of fun in that original list. Today, I want to […]
Posted by teale on January 28, 2014
http://nothingsacredgames.com/analysis-of-fun-collecting/
Thoughts on Theme
One of the fundamental questions in game design is: which came first, the theme or the mechanics? Different designers have different answers to this question, some holding their answers as sacred as scripture. While I don’t have strong feelings on this question (I have been inspired by both themes and mechanics), I tend to lean […]
Posted by teale on January 10, 2014
http://nothingsacredgames.com/thoughts-on-theme/