Tips for making games by Tom Vasel

1.If you make a game, playtest it with people you don’t know.

- In regards to playtesting, having non-related people giving opinions is important. They don't have anything to lose or gain, so most of the time their remarks are honest.


2.If people says your game is bad, its true.

-You're making games for the public, you must not be stuck in a selfish attitude. Even though you think your game is cool, others may not. Remember that your making games for the people, not for yourself.


3.Accept criticism.

-Something all game makers should have, its a bumpy road in making a game, you have to take it and learn from it.


4.If you’re designing your own game, its necessary to have other people do it for you.

-Its always a problem when game designers always have this 'once of a lifetime' game odea but dosn't have the know-how of implementing it. You can always hire other people to make it for you :D


5.Remember that your game has a small chance for company to receive them

-Be prepared to be rejected, no matter how cool or unique your game is, if the game publishers are not interested, you'll have a hard time selling it to him.


6.When you’re designing your own game, the theme is fairly important.

- Most game companies sees a game by the theme first, before gameplay. So you have to prepare to make games with not just impressive gameplay, but also with an interesting theme. But be prepared when you give your game to a company, that they might change the theme.


7.The rules,

-You know the rules, but the players don’t. The rules need to cover everything. Go over them, have some one else go over them. Make sure the rules are good.


8.You need to think of every possibilities

-While making the game, make sure it can handle every gameplay situation possible. You don't want your game to break down just because some player did something weird or stupid XD


9.When making a game, your game have to be fun, where everybody have fun.


10.‘Judge a book by its cover’,

-When designing your own game, its very important to make the game look nice, most people will look at a game that have good components.


11.When designing your own game, talk to others,

-There are many forums online that have many game designers and developers converge and talk on different issues. You can always go to these places and ask for their opinions and advice for your game.
International Game Developers Association
Board Game Designers Forum





I went to Tom Vasel's talk on "Using Games to Teach" at Gamecon1(DEC 3rd and 4th 2005). These are the tips he has given on making your own games.

The tips are from him, but the explanations are from what I can remember from the talk :p

( ._.)Ø