Game Design
Ongoing coverage on Game Design.
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Elden Ring Tarnished Edition GDC 2026 Previews Indicate Improved Nintendo Switch 2 Performance
Previews of the Elden Ring Tarnished Edition for Nintendo Switch indicate significant performance improvements since its initial reports of severe frame rate drops. While still not matching higher-end platforms, the game now shows smoother frame rates in handheld mode, suggesting a target of 30-40 FPS. The Tarnished Edition, announced in April 2025, was delayed to 2026 for these performance adjustments.
Forza Horizon 6’s Tokyo City is Its Own Biome and Even Had a Dedicated Team, Says Playground Games
Playground Games has revealed that Tokyo City in Forza Horizon 6 is a massive, dedicated biome, five times larger than previous urban environments and developed by a specialized team. Art director Don Arceta and production director Mike Bennett detailed the city's diverse districts, including suburbs, a dockyard, an industrial area, and downtown, highlighting its complex multi-level road infrastructure and immersive design.
Resident Evil 10 – 5 Ways It Could Build on Requiem
This article discusses potential improvements for the next mainline Resident Evil title, Resident Evil 10, drawing lessons from Resident Evil Requiem. Key suggestions include moving away from Raccoon City, refocusing on stealth gameplay over action, evolving level design with more backtracking and verticality, featuring more of the supporting cast like Ada Wong and Jill Valentine, and concluding the 'The Connections' storyline.
Marathon Is Amazing, So Why Does It Already Feel Like It’s in Trouble?
Despite positive reviews and engaging gameplay, Bungie's new extraction shooter Marathon has seen a significant drop in player count since its launch, falling far behind rivals like ARC Raiders. The article explores potential reasons for this decline, including pre-launch issues like delays, plagiarism accusations, and a problematic Server Slam weekend, as well as post-launch friction points such as difficult AI, a confusing UI, and unbalanced contracts.
This is how the RNG works as an 'equalizer' in Dispatch
This article discusses how Random Number Generation (RNG) functions as an 'equalizer' within the game Dispatch. It explores the difference between theoretical odds and actual in-game probabilities.
This is how the RNG works as an 'equalizer' in Dispatch
Aggro Crab studio head Nick Kaman discusses how Random Number Generation (RNG) functions as an 'equalizer' in their game, Dispatch. He likens the design process to 'throwing rocks at the wall and praying,' emphasizing an experimental approach to game mechanics.
GreedFall: The Dying World Review ⚔️
GreedFall: The Dying World is a prequel RPG set in the land of Gacane, featuring a customizable sage protagonist and a clan that values nature. Despite dated character models and some clunkiness, the game offers spectacular environmental visuals, immersive cities, and a deeply customizable combat system. The game allows players to forge their own path with a wealth of options and gameplay systems, though it may require patience to get used to.
Spirit Crossing discusses balancing the in-game economy to encourage cooperation and limit grind
Spry Fox is discussing the in-development game Spirit Crossing's economy balance, aiming to encourage cooperation and limit excessive grinding. The current design prioritizes player retention with a more conservative economy, but the goal is to increase generosity once all economic systems are in place, ensuring player time is respected without diminishing the value of community goals.
Dev behind the hottest friendslop game of 2025 has no problem with the divisive term and says it "all the time" — "What's so bad about hanging out with your friends and playing games"
Peak co-creator Nick Kaman embraces the term "friendslop" for his game, stating he uses it frequently and sees no issue with it. He questions the negative connotations of the term, suggesting it simply describes the act of playing games with friends.
Marathon got deadlier overnight, and some think yesterday's sound change is the culprit
Players are reporting a significant increase in combat intensity and third-party ambushes in Marathon following a recent patch that increased the audible range of gunfire and explosions. This change, not accompanied by developer notes, has led to community speculation that the adjustment was intended to boost PvP encounters, though some players hope for a reversal due to the impact on gameplay.
"It's not a full game mode, but here": Resident Evil Requiem gets kawaii makeover as Capcom tries to appease Resident Evil 2 director, who's been begging for a scare-free game since 1998
Capcom has created a 'kawaii' makeover for Resident Evil Requiem, adding pink cat ears and cherry blossoms to in-game characters, in an attempt to appease Resident Evil 2 director Hideki Kamiya. Kamiya has expressed a long-standing desire for a less scary, more puzzle-focused experience within the Resident Evil series, even suggesting a 'safe mode' and cheerful music.
Former Overwatch director Jeff Kaplan's favorite hero is Reinhardt, and reveals his charge was inspired by Left 4 Dead 2: 'It's what separates a great Rein from a sh*tty one'
Former Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan revealed that Reinhardt was his main hero and that his shield ability was inspired by Left 4 Dead 2. Kaplan stated that Reinhardt's shield design was crucial for team-based gameplay and has since been widely adopted by other hero shooters.
New Cambridge Program May Have Identified Rules For Ancient Board Game
Cambridge University researchers have potentially identified the rules of an ancient board game using a new computer program called the Ludii System. Analysis of a limestone game board found in the Netherlands, combined with use-wear analysis and machine learning, suggests the game could have been a blocking game similar to Hare and Hounds or Go, or an alignment game.
The Finals Gets Lucky with Store Update 9.13.0 and Luck N’ Loaded Theme
The Finals has released Store Update 9.13.0, introducing the "Luck N’ Loaded" theme with rainbow-colored cosmetics and lucky charms. This update coincides with the ongoing Sponsor Showdown event, aiming to provide players with a psychological edge and enhance their competitive mindset. The developers are leaning into superstition and fun themes to differentiate the game in the arena shooter genre.
Full List Of 2026 BAFTA Game Awards Nominees
The nominations for the 2026 BAFTA Game Awards have been announced, recognizing 42 games across various categories. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads with 12 nominations, followed by Dispatch with nine and Ghost of Yōtei with eight. The awards ceremony will be streamed on the BAFTA YouTube channel on April 17th, 2026.
"Typical hubris" led to one of WoW's "s**ttiest" quests, admits creator Jeff Kaplan, who thought he was a clever designer but was "actually a dips**t"
Former World of Warcraft designer Jeff Kaplan reflects on the infamous "The Green Hills of Stranglethorn" quest, admitting "typical hubris" led to its widely criticized design. Kaplan, who was inspired by Ernest Hemingway, views the quest as a valuable learning experience despite its negative reception.
"We're 2 different beasts": Studio behind CRPG Solasta 2 bought their dev team copies of Baldur's Gate 3 and they "love" it, but devs say comparisons to Larian's game aren't entirely accurate
Tactical Adventures, the studio behind the CRPG Solasta 2, acknowledges frequent comparisons to Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 but emphasizes their game's distinct features. CEO Mathieu Girard and marketing director Pierre Worgague highlighted Solasta 2's deep combat, world map exploration, and party-focused narrative as key differentiators, stating they are 'two different beasts'.
Genre-hopping Hades 2 studio doesn't want to make a game that's bigger and better than the last: "We're trying to make a game that has the potential to be someone's favorite game from us"
Supergiant Games studio director Amir Rao stated that the studio's focus is not on making games bigger, but on creating titles that have the potential to become a player's favorite. While Hades was a major hit, previous games like Bastion and Transistor are also highly regarded, and Supergiant aims to create unique experiences with each release, as seen with Hades 2.
Co-op Shadow of the Colossus and hero looter shooter: the genres Arc Raiders devs' thought it was during development
During development, the genre of Arc Raiders was unclear, with team members considering it a battle royale, a co-op Shadow of the Colossus-like game, a hero looter shooter, or even a co-op Souls game. This lack of a defined genre allowed for creative freedom but also led to imbalances. Ultimately, the team reset and focused on the game they had, solidifying it as an extraction shooter.
What Are The Fallen Angels Of Mulberry County? The Deep Lore
This article delves into the lore of the Fallen Angels, the monstrous entities featured in the analogue horror game Mulberry County. It compiles in-game observations and narrative elements to explain their traits, potential motivations, and connection to the protagonist, Henry. The content is presented as a lore repository for players who have completed the game or wish to understand its narrative background.
