Learning paths

Game Design foundations

Build readable player decisions: core loop, first-session teaching, meaningful choice, feedback timing, and fairness perception.

10 steps~60 minBeginner → Intermediate

See the roadmap

StartGame Design
Core loop
Name the repeating intent → action → result → re-entry cycle players must feel.
Beginner~6 min
Open topic
Why this connection mattersA readable loop still needs to survive the jump from one sitting to the next.
Step 2 of 10Game Design
Core loop vs meta loop
Tell the loop that repeats in seconds apart from the one that repeats in sessions, or you'll fix the wrong one.
Beginner~5 min
Open topic
Why this connection mattersOnce the two loops are told apart, teach whichever one the first session actually needs.
Step 3 of 10Game Design
Teach the loop in the first session
Rehearse the core loop early so the first sitting feels like a game, not a feature tour.
Beginner~6 min
Open topic
Why this connection mattersOnce the first sitting teaches the beat, forks inside it must create real tradeoffs.
Step 4 of 10Game Design
Meaningful choice
Force a tradeoff players can explain - not two buttons that feel the same.
Beginner~6 min
Open topic
Why this connection mattersA tradeoff only teaches when gain, cost, and downside are priced before commit.
Step 5 of 10Game Design
Make risk and reward readable
Preview gain, cost, and downside before commit so bold forks teach instead of surprise.
Intermediate~6 min
Open topic
Why this connection mattersReadable stakes still fail if the result never changes the next decision.
Step 6 of 10Game Design
Check the feedback loop
Ask how one choice changes the next visible decision.
Intermediate~7 min
Open topic
Why this connection mattersWhen outcomes feel unfair, check whether the cause was visible in time.
Step 7 of 10Game Design
Fairness perception
Players judge fairness by visible cause and effect, not spreadsheet evenness alone.
Intermediate~7 min
Open topic
Why this connection mattersPerceived fairness is the foundation; now inject sensory weight and juice into each moment-to-moment action.
Step 8 of 10Game Design
Game Feel & Juice: The 30ms Feedback Rule
Turn floaty mobile actions into punchy interactions using hitstop, camera damping, and micro-dopamine feedback.
Beginner~5 min
Open topic
Why this connection mattersJuice makes the moment punchy; next, scale the arcade verb into a multi-tiered hybrid-casual meta.
Step 9 of 10Game Design
Hybrid-Casual Architecture: Core Arcade to Deep Meta
Marry simple single-finger core mechanics with deep RPG/talent meta loops to maximize mobile LTV.
Intermediate~6 min
Open topic
Why this connection mattersA deep meta needs rhythmic pacing; idle stacking and shifting bottlenecks keep players progressing.
Step 10 of 10Game Design
Idle Arcade & Stacking Pacing: Shifting Bottlenecks
Balance generator, porter logistics, and cashier sinks using exponential upgrade curves ($Cost = Base \times 1.15^N$).
Intermediate~6 min
Open topic