Michał Chwistek

Silksong’s Singing Bugs Matter More Than You Think

As we explore the underground realms of Silksong, we come across bugs singing in their strange insect language. This not only builds atmosphere, but it also serves a deeper purpose.

#gamedev #silksong #gamedesign

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Why I Love the Red Flowers in Silksong (When Most Players Hate Them) Trust me—I’m not amazing at it.

▶️ Why I Love the Red Flowers in Silksong (When Most Players Hate Them) 🌸

In my blog post, I take a closer look at the red flower mechanic. Why do so many players find it frustrating, while for me it was one of the best moments in the game?

#silksong #gamedesign

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Dzięki. Wygląda super:)

@gamediscoverco.bsky.social would be great to see your analysis of Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden Ragebound releases. It’s rare to see so similar game released so close to each other.

Main differences:
1. Art style.
2. Marketing

How big of a difference they made? Was Shinobi 2x bigger only on Steam?

Na Steamie ukazała się bardzo ciekawa rzecz. "Intuitive Level Design" to taki kurs level designu w formie interaktywnej piaskownicy.

Chodzimy po lokacji i czytamy sobie różne porady dotyczące projektowania poziomów.

Byłoby fajnie, jakby więcej osób wrzucało tego typu treści. Znacie coś podobnego?

First, the French made a jRPG better than the Japanese. Now it looks like the Poles have made a Bethesda-style RPG better than Bethesda’s latest one 😉

Tainted Grail has already hit almost 25k (!) peak players and 90% (!!) positive among the latest 2000!

Bethesda fans don’t care about bugs 😉

Had enough of remasters? How about a remaster of a game that came out in Early Access just a year ago? 😄

Be My Horde got a “small” facelift today. What do you think? Last screenshot ofc;)

On top of that, we’ve added a few new perks, introduced the “No Perk Mode” and more.
#indiegames #indiedev

My indie game:

Beginning VS Ending

The intensity changes a little 😉

PS. I recommend watching with the sound on! :)

#bemyhorde
#indiedev #indiegames #gamedesign #gamedev #games

Nine Sols is great. Amazing boss fights design:)

Number of units is definitely one of the biggest problem and at the same time the best thing in games about necromancy:D

We don’t have any limit yet but it can cost… some frames ^^

PS. Screenshot from one of our players

PS2. Good luck with the game. Looks great:)

Game Design In "Citizen Sleeper" Większość gier RPG opiera się na dwóch podstawowych fundamentach: walce oraz wyborach dokonywanych w trakcie dialogów.

Jedynka jest super:) Idealne połączenie story, kości i muzyki. A do tego gra daje super swobodę w kierowaniu losami swojej postaci.

Kiedyś się rozpisałem o tym trochę więcej na blogu: kwiscgamedesign.substack.com/p/game-desig...

I misunderstood “too simplistic” in your previous post;)

The post isn’t entirely serious, but the music in Astro is awesome:p

But tbh I would never consider any form of art inferior just because it’s simple:>

Now I understand why Astro Bot won Game of the Year at TGA, but I don’t understand why it didn’t win for music as well :>

#astrobot #games

Taki jest plan. Może uda się dzisiaj coś dodać. Zawsze czasu brak:(

7️⃣ Don’t flip someone’s idea upside down. Suggest alternatives, but focus on improving their vision rather than tearing it apart.

Supporting others’ ideas will lead to better teamwork and, ultimately, better results.

6️⃣ Pick your battles. Don’t argue endlessly over trivial things like an NPC’s hat color. Save your energy for important matters.

When you let small things go, compromise becomes easier on bigger, more critical issues.

…If you must draw or write something, keep it basic—just enough to suggest a solution. A specialist will take your idea and make it 100x better. Trust me, I’ve made that mistake.

5️⃣ You’re not always right. Listen to arguments. Better solutions lead to better games, not personal wins.

3️⃣ Avoid giving ready-made solutions. Let the other person have the satisfaction of finding them. Guide them, show the direction, but let them do their work.

4️⃣ Never try to outdo an expert in their field. Your quick fixes will rarely be better…

1️⃣ If you’re not an expert in a field, say so. Frame your comments as suggestions, not gospel truths. No one knows everything.

2️⃣ Point out issues, but also highlight positives. Maybe it’s a great idea with poor execution—or great execution with a flawed concept.

…Use the power of solid arguments (as I discussed in part 1 of this series), but even that might not always be enough.

Your tone and approach matter. This skill takes practice—and mistakes—but here are some methods I’ve developed over time:

GIVING FEEDBACK

Giving feedback is even harder than spotting issues—especially in a discipline you’re not an expert in.

No one likes a designer who “knows everything” but can’t draw a proper circle. How you deliver feedback is as important as what you say…

3️⃣ Be aware of your limitations. I love giving feedback, but I know I’m clueless about music. Luckily, I rely on other designer and our tester for that (shoutout to Kuba and Ania!).

Being honest about your expertise makes your feedback more collaborative…

…This is why it helps if a designer has a general knowledge of different disciplines:

1️⃣ They don’t need to draw, but should know what style supports their design, find references, or explain what doesn’t work—and why.

2️⃣ The more they know about art, music, writing, UI, directing, etc., the better.

…Designers can notice things a artist might miss—not because they lack skill, but because they don’t understand gameplay on the same level.

The best scenario? An artist who’s also a strong designer. (Shoutout to @dushka-techart.bsky.social from @polishedgames!) But that’s not always possible…

INTERDISCIPLINARITY

Games are a blend of many art forms: music, graphics, narrative, etc. All these elements interact with gameplay and should enhance it. Since designers understand gameplay best, their feedback is incredibly valuable…

a stuffed animal with the words i 'm going to sit and complain below it ALT: a stuffed animal with the words i 'm going to sit and complain below it

🧵 What They Don’t Teach About Game Design #2

GOOD FEEDBACK: Critiquing the Right Way

Providing GOOD feedback in the RIGHT way is a crucial skill for any designer. And it’s not just about design feedback.

PS: At the end, I’m sharing some practical tips.

#gamedev #gamedesign #indiedev

The screenshots might be misleading—it’s partly sci-fi, but also partly a narrative about the lives of Chinese immigrants in Canada and growing up. Highly recommended, especially for parents with daughters.

I haven’t played such a well-written and directed game as 1000xResist in a long time. I’ve only spent 2-3h on it so far, but it’s a pleasure to watch (great framing) and listen to (full VO).

Brilliant ideas, directing , and storytelling.

Great job @sunsetvisitor.studio and @fellowtraveller.games

9. THANK YOU!

If you enjoyed this thread, consider following or sharing. It helps these posts reach more people. Thanks for reading, and keep designing amazing games! 😊 9/9
#gamedev #gamedesign #kwiscgamedesign