Game Design
Ongoing coverage on Game Design.
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Newly revealed Nordic Game speaker line-up to include Planet of Lana devs
The Nordic Game conference, taking place May 26-29, has announced its speaker lineup, featuring developers from Wishfully (Planet of Lana), Raw Fury, and Those Eyes. The event will also introduce an inaugural AI Track curated by ImmerSynth Inc., with talks focusing on AI's role in game development, publishing, and design. Over 3,000 attendees are expected, with over 100 indie games showcased.
I hope Crimson Desert never fixes its weird controls
Crimson Desert's controls are a major point of discussion, with the game's unique and often frustrating input system being its most memorable feature. Despite initial confusion and a steep learning curve, the developer Pearl Abyss suggests the fiddly controls are intentional, akin to learning to ride a bike. While the game may be improved with future updates, its unconventional control scheme offers a unique challenge that sets it apart from other open-world titles.
Pokemon Champions dev talks future plans, could be around “forever”
Pokemon Champions will launch on April 8 for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, with producer Masaaki Hoshino expressing a desire for the game to be supported "forever." The game will feature evolving "Regulation Sets" to change the meta over time, and while there are no concrete plans to include every Pokemon, the team aims to add as many as possible.
Crimson Desert: Sealed Abyss Artifacts Locations
Players are discussing the locations of sealed abyss artifacts in Crimson Desert, with some users expressing a willingness to wait for sales. The conversation touches on the game's reception compared to titles from EA and Ubisoft, with many defending Pearl Abyss's efforts in creating an original and engaging open-world experience despite some rough edges.
Project Songbird Review – Writer’s Block
Project Songbird is a horror game from FYRE Games that focuses on a musician named Dakota struggling with writer's block in a remote cabin. The game blends natural environments with surreal dreamscapes, telling a personal story through dialogue, journal entries, and environmental storytelling. While visually appealing and featuring strong voice performances, the game suffers from minor technical issues like frame rate drops and pop-in, and its gameplay mechanics are simple, offering a short but atmospheric experience.
Resident Evil Walkthrough: Your Complete Guide to Surviving Every Horror-Filled Chapter
This comprehensive guide provides strategies for surviving both the original Resident Evil and its remake, covering both Jill and Chris campaigns. It details essential tips on resource management, character selection, puzzle solutions, boss tactics, and unlockable content. The guide emphasizes ammunition conservation, strategic item usage, and understanding character-specific routes to master the survival horror experience.
Open-World Action Games Similar to GTA in 2026: 15 Exciting Alternatives
This guide explores 15 open-world action games that offer similar experiences to the Grand Theft Auto series, catering to various preferences in 2026. It highlights titles ranging from realistic crime dramas like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Mafia: Definitive Edition to over-the-top chaotic sandboxes like Saints Row and Just Cause 4. The list also includes immersive RPGs like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3, as well as mobile options like Gangstar Vegas.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Walkthrough: Your Complete Guide to Conquering the Forgotten Realms (2026)
This comprehensive guide for Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian Studios covers the entire 100+ hour experience, from character creation to the final confrontation. It offers detailed advice on recruiting companions, making critical story choices, navigating the Underdark and Shadow-Cursed Lands, and preparing for Act 3's challenges. The guide also provides extensive tips on combat mechanics, party composition, multiclassing, and understanding the consequences of major decisions for multiple endings.
Pokemon Champions producer "really enjoyed" the Pokemon Stadium games, and used them as a "reference" to help more players get into PvP
Pokemon Champions producer Masaaki Hoshino discussed the game's focus on accessibility and simplifying high-level PvP battles for a wider audience, drawing inspiration from the Pokemon Stadium series. The game will serve as the official hub for the Video Game Championships, integrating various mechanics like Mega Evolution and Z-Moves, and is planned to evolve over time with new Pokemon and content.
The 10 Best Mini-Games on Xbox That Are Actually Better Than the Main Quest
This article ranks the 10 best mini-games available on Xbox, highlighting how these smaller modes can sometimes rival or even surpass the main gameplay experience. Titles like Gwent from The Witcher 3, Geometry Wars from Project Gotham Racing 2, and Mercenaries mode in Resident Evil 4 are praised for their depth and replayability.
Painted Kingdoms combines real-time strategy with firefighting on lavish maps made entirely of paper
Painted Kingdoms is a minimalist strategy game that blends real-time strategy combat with firefighting mechanics, set within a living book where maps are illustrated in various cultural styles. Players use a magic brush to build settlements and defend against enemies that threaten to set the paper world ablaze, with lakes acting as firebreaks. A demo is available on Steam.
Crimson Desert: Air Travel, Fast Travel, and Exploration Tricks
Crimson Desert offers engaging open-world exploration with varied quests and secrets, featuring fantastic combat that contrasts with typical Ubisoft titles. While the story is considered a letdown by some, the overall gameplay experience is highly praised for its originality and personality, with many players finding it incredibly fun and visually appealing, especially on PlayStation 4 Pro.
How gaming quietly took over everything with the rise of gamification across industries - Walkthrough, Tips, Review
Gamification, the application of game-design elements to non-game contexts, has become a pervasive force across industries like fitness, education, retail, and finance. By leveraging mechanics such as points, rewards, and leaderboards, gamification taps into intrinsic human motivations for progress and recognition, making everyday activities more engaging and driving user behavior.
Hideo Kojima's Focus For Death Stranding 2 Was Ensuring Fans Enjoyed It 'All the Way to the End'
Hideo Kojima emphasized to his development team the importance of ensuring players enjoy Death Stranding 2: On the Beach throughout the entire experience. The focus was on delivering a consistently engaging journey from start to finish.
Immortal Rising 2: Power Skins Debut
Planetarium Labs has introduced a new Costume System in their online blockchain game, Immortal Rising 2. These costumes offer unique combat abilities, enhancing both visual appeal and gameplay strategy. Players can acquire skins through in-game quests or direct purchase, with the system powered by Immutable zkEVM technology.
Death Stranding 2 dev says Hideo Kojima "wanted more people to enjoy" the sequel "all the way to the end" after complaints that the first game "might've been a little bit slow"
Hideo Kojima aimed to make Death Stranding 2: On the Beach more playable and enjoyable for players to complete, addressing feedback that the first game was too slow. While a co-composer suggested Kojima made the sequel weirder in response to positive early feedback, Kojima clarified that he focused on making the game "more playable" and "not digestible" so that it would remain with the player long after completion.
Nioh 3 Interview – Exploring the hit series’ historical fantasy fusion
In an interview, Nioh 3 director Fujita Masaki and developer Shibata Kohei discuss the series' fusion of historical fantasy and Japanese folklore. They highlight the importance of respecting cultural foundations and spirituality in game design, and explain the decision to include character customization and time-travel elements in Nioh 3, drawing inspiration from historical figures and lore.
Resident Evil Requiem — Characters, Setting, and the Story Capcom Has Been Building Toward
Resident Evil Requiem, released on February 27, 2026, has achieved significant commercial success with five million copies sold in its first week across multiple platforms. The game is praised for its compelling characters, particularly FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft and the returning Leon S. Kennedy, and its effective use of an American Midwest setting. Director Koshi Nakanishi drew inspiration from classic horror cinema, focusing on resilience over dominance, and the narrative delves into the unresolved trauma connected to the Raccoon City incident, promising substantial contributions to the series' lore.
Damon and Baby Review - Strong Ideas, Uneven Execution | COGconnected
Damon and Baby represents a new direction for its development studio, aiming to build upon strong foundational ideas. The article questions whether this new creative path will lead to another successful title.
1348 Ex Voto Review | NoobFeed
The review for 1348 Ex Voto suggests it functions more as a proof of concept than a complete game. While praised for its beautiful scenery, the article notes that its systems do not always effectively support the player's experience.