• Murder Mystery
    • On Thin Ice
    • The Echo Bay Murders
    • The Sultan's Inventor
    • Picture Perfect
    • Trapmaker Trilogy
    • Paradise Mystery
    • Framed for Murder
    • Murder Inn
    • Murder Manor
    • Starstruck
    • Cult Mystery
    • Christmas Killer
  • Adventure
    • Time Stones
    • Lost Ruins
    • Psychic Squad
    • Sacred Stones
    • Painted Worlds
    • Pirate's Treasure
    • Cursed Crown
    • Dark Ruins
    • Allied Spies
    • Hidden Ruins
    • Time Library
    • Space Crisis
    • Scottish Castle
  • Creepy
    • Mirror Man
    • The Covenant
    • Haunted Hunt
    • Asylum
    • Midnight Carnival
  • Visual Novel
    • Solve It
    • Solve It 2
    • Solve It 3
  • About
    • Jobs
  • Blog
Haiku Games
  • Murder Mystery
    • On Thin Ice
    • The Echo Bay Murders
    • The Sultan's Inventor
    • Picture Perfect
    • Trapmaker Trilogy
    • Paradise Mystery
    • Framed for Murder
    • Murder Inn
    • Murder Manor
    • Starstruck
    • Cult Mystery
    • Christmas Killer
  • Adventure
    • Time Stones
    • Lost Ruins
    • Psychic Squad
    • Sacred Stones
    • Painted Worlds
    • Pirate's Treasure
    • Cursed Crown
    • Dark Ruins
    • Allied Spies
    • Hidden Ruins
    • Time Library
    • Space Crisis
    • Scottish Castle
  • Creepy
    • Mirror Man
    • The Covenant
    • Haunted Hunt
    • Asylum
    • Midnight Carnival
  • Visual Novel
    • Solve It
    • Solve It 2
    • Solve It 3
  • About
    • Jobs
  • Blog

Good Game Designer / Bad Game Designer

5/8/2018

14 Comments

 
Inspired by Good Product Manager / Bad Product Manager, I thought I'd give my take on what makes a good game designer

​A good game designer understands their job is to make a fun game. A good game designer knows they have a lot of responsibilities, but nothing they do matters if the game is not fun. A bad game designer does a lot of small tasks that make them feel productive.

A good game designer creates memorable and fun moments for the player. A bad game designer thinks a game is like a series of widgets that need to be fit together, and just wants to make it long enough.

A good game designer is clear and easy to understand. A good game designer knows that written documents, videos/gifs, and talking to someone all useful. A bad game designer can’t explain what they want. A bad game designer gives too many details when brainstorming a design, and too few details when communicating it to developers. A bad game designer blames others for not understanding them.

A good game designer is open-minded, but will defend their design. A good game designer understands no game in history has ever make 100% of people happy. A good game designer realizes that other people, even those with lots of experience or “management,” are just other people with opinions; thus, a good game designer is not afraid to disagree. A bad game designer will say “the game wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t my fault. XYZ people wanted it that way.”

A good game designer knows that there are a million small decisions that the developer must make to implement their design. A good game designer does not try to specify all million of these small decisions and instead trusts their team to make decisions. That is why a good game designer says “we made this game.” A bad game designer thinks “I made this game.” 

A good game designer understands the above is true for every other part of the team, not just development. 

A good game designer knows if they cannot trust the people they work with, that is a Big Problem. Depending on the situation, a good game designer may give direct feedback, train their team, or communicate to management. A bad game designer will avoid the issue.

A good game designer will work with developers. If engineering says a design is too hard to make, a good game designer will strive to understand why and suggest alternatives. A bad game designer either fights with engineers all the time, or is so wowed by engineering that they take everything they say at face value.

A good game designer guides our artists by providing reference images and describing the feel of the game. A bad game designer micromanages by providing an exact layout for everything but doesn’t explain why. A good game designer gives feedback on art quickly. A bad game designer tells the artists to redraw the room’s perspective after a week of iterations since they forgot something.

A good game designer introduces complexity only when absolutely necessary. A good game designer understands no one will understand the game as well as them, and that players very easily get confused. A bad game designer mistakes complexity for greatness and says the player does not understand the beauty of their design.

A good game designer stays with a game until it is finished. A good game designer will make sure the parts of the game they thought were fun and important are intact when the game is made. A bad game designer thinks the initial design phase is the sexiest and most important part of design, and doesn’t follow up on the details as the game is made.

A good game designer respects their players, and wants to deliver a fun experience for them. A good game designer knows they can succeed and make a game they are proud of. A bad game designer is cynical and thinks they didn’t succeed because they didn’t “sell out.”
14 Comments
Femke
5/15/2018 05:59:52 am

I love the Haiku Adventure Games. No others like them. Keep it up!
Can we expect a new game soon?? :-)

Reply
Trent Riley link
12/6/2020 05:51:29 pm

Thank you for sharing tthis

Reply
toptoto link
10/8/2021 01:06:37 am

very information and useful information
I think haiku author is very updated person
<a href="https://toptotosite.com/">메이저토토사이트</a>

Reply
godtoto link
11/19/2021 01:45:41 am

March is a womanizer.
It goes well with winter.
When I go into a cat's house,

<a href="https://godtoto.com/" target="_blank" title="토토사이트">토토사이트</a>

Reply
totosite link
11/19/2021 01:46:26 am

I knocked on the windows of the ladies.
I opened Moon Poongji with my grandfather.
I'm taking off my outfit for the outing.

<a href="https://totosite114.com/?page_id=6" target="_blank" title="안전놀이터">안전놀이터</a>
<a href="https://totosite114.com/" target="_blank" title="토토사이트">토토사이트</a>
<a href="https://totosite114.com/?page_id=9/" target="_blank" title="메이저사이트">메이저사이트</a>

Reply
keonhacai link
3/11/2022 07:42:16 pm

Thanks for your post. The article is neatly organized with the information I want, so there are many things to refer to. Bookmark this site and visit often in the future. Thanks again.https://keonhacai.wiki

Reply
site789 link
3/11/2022 11:50:26 pm

<a href="https://images.google.ws/url?q=https://site789.com/&sa=D&sntz=1&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw1LFDZjdFhFmk7Q2DGbLCcR">https://images.google.ws/url?q=https://site789.com/&sa=D&sntz=1&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw1LFDZjdFhFmk7Q2DGbLCcR</a>

Reply
bitmain antminer L7 link
3/20/2022 07:17:51 am

Nice to be visiting your blog again, it has been months for me. Well this article that i've been waited for so long. I need this article to complete my assignment in the college, and it has the same topic with your article. Thanks, great share

Reply
스포츠토토 link
12/4/2022 10:59:56 pm

Usually I never comment on blogs but your article is so convincing that I never stop myself to say something about it. You’re doing a great job Man and Thanks for the post,Interesting stuff to read. Keep it up. Great post! I am actually getting ready to across this information, is very helpful my friend. Also great blog here with all of the valuable information you have. Keep up the good work you are doing here! <a href="https://chatrad.org/top-five-tips-for-winning-at-online-poker/">스포츠토토</a>

Reply
먹튀 link
12/5/2022 06:03:12 am

This is my first t e i visit here. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! keep up the good work. This is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information.. Excellent effort to make this blog more wonderful and attractive <a href="https://premisoletura.nethouse.ru/">먹튀</a>

Reply
interior plastering link
2/5/2023 01:06:41 am

I’m typically to blogging and i actually respect your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and maintain checking for new information. | <a href="https://stucco-pro.com/ ">interior plastering</a>

Reply
BETFLIXSUPERVIP link
2/8/2023 12:38:06 am

betflix gaming นำความโชคดีของท่านมาลงกับ สล็อตออนไลน์ของเราสิ betflixsupervip ด้วยเกมที่หลากหลายให้เล่น แนวเกมส์ที่สนุก พร้อมที่จะบริการลูกค้าทุกท่านให้ไปได้ไกลที่สุด แตกล้านจ่ายล้าน แน่นอนมั่นใจที่นี่ที่เดียว betflixsupervip.com

Reply
먹튀사이트 link
3/26/2023 05:38:05 pm

hello. Thank you for giving me the luck to visit your blog. I feel good when I see good articles and content.먹튀사이트

Reply
메이저사이트 link
3/26/2023 05:38:37 pm

I've put a lot of thought into your subject. It was nice to see articles with very different contents from very different angles.메이저사이트

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Haiku Games is the developer behind the Adventure Escape series. Play on iOS, Google Play, or Kindle!

    Archives

    March 2023
    November 2022
    May 2022
    June 2021
    May 2021
    September 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    November 2019
    June 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018

    TAGS

    All

    RSS Feed

Navigation

Home
Murder Mystery Games
Adventure Games
Creepy Games
Visual Novels

Download our Games

Apple iOS
Google Play
Amazon Kindle Fire

Steam
Facebook 
Windows

Contact

​Email
Facebook

Instagram
Twitter
Blog
About Us
Copyright Haiku Games © 2023
  • Murder Mystery
    • On Thin Ice
    • The Echo Bay Murders
    • The Sultan's Inventor
    • Picture Perfect
    • Trapmaker Trilogy
    • Paradise Mystery
    • Framed for Murder
    • Murder Inn
    • Murder Manor
    • Starstruck
    • Cult Mystery
    • Christmas Killer
  • Adventure
    • Time Stones
    • Lost Ruins
    • Psychic Squad
    • Sacred Stones
    • Painted Worlds
    • Pirate's Treasure
    • Cursed Crown
    • Dark Ruins
    • Allied Spies
    • Hidden Ruins
    • Time Library
    • Space Crisis
    • Scottish Castle
  • Creepy
    • Mirror Man
    • The Covenant
    • Haunted Hunt
    • Asylum
    • Midnight Carnival
  • Visual Novel
    • Solve It
    • Solve It 2
    • Solve It 3
  • About
    • Jobs
  • Blog