Category Archives: Game Design Canvas

Investment and Birth of Levels: The NES Era

by Brice Morrison

Retro Game designs were not like today’s game designs.  But they did give birth to them. Most readers here at The Game Prodigy play indie games and current-generation console and PC games.  But only a small percentage play Classic or … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic Game Design, Game Design Canvas | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments


Trial, Error, and Death in Limbo

by Brice Morrison

Playdead’s Limbo was one of the hottest and most critically acclaimed indie-gone-pro titles of the summer.  Set in an entirely black and white world with ambient whispers and shrill screeches, the game evokes a very strong emotional atmosphere driven by … Continue reading →

Posted in Game Design Canvas, Indie Game Design, Punishment and Reward Systems | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

A Necessary Evil: Grinding in Games

by Brice Morrison

“I hate World of Warcraft.” “What?  Have you ever even played it?” “Yes.” “How far did you get?” “I got to about level 60.” “And you didn’t like it?” “No.  I hated it.” I was amazed to find that a … Continue reading →

Posted in Console Game Design, Game Design Canvas, Long Term Incentive | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

The Game Design Canvas: Aesthetic Layout

by Brice Morrison

Photo: Creativity+Timothy K Hamilton Who cares if the main character is wearing silver armor or an orange cloak?  Does it really matter if your military troop is fighting in Europe or Asia?  There can’t be any difference between a game … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetic Layout, Game Design Canvas | Tagged | 6 Comments

The Game Design Canvas: Long Term Incentive

by Brice Morrison

Photo: Hamed Saber What makes a person want to continue playing a game?  What takes a game from a 30 second experience to a 30 hour experience? To answer this, we’ll have to start from the beginning: Why did the … Continue reading →

Posted in Game Design Canvas, Long Term Incentive | Tagged | 10 Comments

The Game Design Canvas: Punishment and Reward Systems

by Brice Morrison

Photo: i yudai You have many choices in your everyday life.  Wake up and jump out of bed, or hit the snooze button?  Eat chicken, beef, or veggies?  Do some work, or go out with friends?  These choices, these actions … Continue reading →

Posted in Game Design Canvas, Punishment and Reward Systems | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Why Super Mario Bros. Was So Successful

by Brice Morrison

Super Mario Bros. is the best selling video game franchise of all time, with over 222 million units sold across all genres and platforms.  222 million! Incredible!  But you wouldn’t expect less from one of the most beloved heroes of … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic Game Design, Game Design Canvas | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Why “Casual” Doesn’t Mean “Easy”

by Brice Morrison

“Casual” games have been all the rage in the games industry over the past few years.  From the explosive growth of online games to the major First-Party support of the Wii, the “casual gamer” and the entire supposed market space … Continue reading →

Posted in Game Design Canvas, Mechanics | Tagged , | 5 Comments

The Game Design Canvas: Base Mechanics

by Brice Morrison

Image: oskay Dave is working on his blockbuster indie game title.  He knows the genre, and he has a general idea of what he wants it to be about.  It’s an action/adventure title about vampires and he wants the player … Continue reading →

Posted in Game Design Canvas, Mechanics | Tagged | 14 Comments

“Feeling Powerful” as a Core Experience

by Brice Morrison

Caster is a fantastic little indie game that I got into several months ago.  You play as a small character in a large, expansive world with some incredibly heavy firepower.  Acting as savior for the forests, you run around the … Continue reading →

Posted in Game Design Canvas, Indie Game Design | Tagged , | 6 Comments