GAME DESIGN AND THEORY

Title Source Info
Useful Resources (With Credits)
Here is a list of resources that are useful for RPG Maker.
11/27/2023 06:07 PM
How to Commission Artwork
Commission Artwork like a Pro
06/19/2022 04:39 AM
Visual Novel Maker - Final Review
My final thoughts on Visual Novel Maker
01/31/2022 12:14 PM
B-14 deconstructed
An event game postmortem
06/25/2021 11:13 PM
Damage Number Philosophy
I talk about damage number pop ups in RPGs (GIF HEAVY)
03/20/2021 05:55 PM
Pixel Game Maker MV Review
An Engine Review
10/24/2020 09:54 AM
A Boss Guide to Bosses: Part 1
Let me boss you around a bit as I talk about my favorite element of video games: the boss.
04/30/2020 05:39 PM
Steam Direct Walkthrough
The grand tour of Steam Direct
02/23/2020 01:25 PM
A handful of usable writing tips
Simple and concrete tips to write better dialogs for your game, along with exercises.
02/14/2020 01:47 AM
The 3 Modes of Engagement/Difficulty in RPGs
Something about difficulties and how to vary it up
08/11/2019 01:32 PM
A Different Approach to Difficulty
A paradigm shift away from the idea that games should find more and more complex ways to serve players with different skill levels. But rather, they should give players with the tools to cook to their own palate, provided it is a meaningful experience.
10/24/2018 06:49 AM
Stitched Development Retrospective
The 3 years journey of game development for Stitched
08/28/2018 05:46 AM
Joyfully Rewarding Players' Guts: Winning or losing - are you really the boss in this fight?
How to (not) design (real and fake) unwinnable boss fights
08/06/2018 07:30 PM
Joyfully Rewarding Players' Guts: complete pleasure (or pleasuring completionists)
How to not annoy completionists as a JRPG developer
06/12/2018 06:27 AM
How to make a demo
How to make a good, functional demo in today's society
01/26/2018 11:21 AM
How does Resident Evil 7 make us so scared?
Psychological techniques used in RE7 to create the atmosphere of horror
01/23/2018 08:38 AM
Have you considered being more interesting?
Some thoughts on garnering an audience
12/21/2017 06:01 PM
Visual Novel Maker - First Impressions
My first hour in the engine
11/17/2017 06:22 PM
Steve Jackson's Toon RPG, Abbreviated
This is the abbreviated version of Toon, a tabletop RPG.
08/06/2017 07:42 PM
Game Development Project Management using Spreadsheets
Being organized is almost as good as being talented
07/31/2017 10:46 PM

Article Categories

Anomalies
This section is a catch-all for anything that doesn't fit in the above categories. It may or may not be related to game making or RMN. It could have stories about pirates.
Artist Workshop
The articles in the artist workshop are geared towards making original sprites and tilesets for your game, which can help it stand out.
Game Design and Theory
This section is where all the amateur thinktanks write article regarding gameplay, with topics covering balance, dungeon design, battle systems, etc.
Programming and Mathematics
Need to do some heavy-duty coding or math work? This is the place.
Webcast
Broadcast your opinions over the Internet for all to hear!
Writer's Block
The storytelling category is for articles about creating well-rounded heroes, villains, background stories and even worlds!