EndlessPillows

I always had a feeling, but Deltarune 3/4 makes it clear as day how connected the game is to Links Awakening. The original gameboy cartridge was the first game I ever played, and the one that made me know I’d be playing games forever.

I’ve even been lucky enough to make a couple.

Thanks, Toby.

The Kong finally recognizing his worth.

Awesome idea! As soon as you see the second guy you instantly understand what’s going on.

Pitch: Have the flag be in different locations each life. Drastically improves variance and helps curb some weird stuff like camping a position you know every “successful” enemy unit will eventually touch.

I’m spending all my points to buy a new mechanic:

Honestly, now’s your chance to be a Big Shot.

Three panels showing a man in a blue sweater hunching over and then standing up again wearing a giant maple leaf costume

me: it’s just a hockey game

also me:

sphere

most probable shape
Blackhole.
increasingly improbable scenario
Dance
most probable outcome
Singularity.
one probably remains

escape

Pyke players love - getting a penta kill and rewarding their crew with extra gold

Pyke players don’t care about - being “tanky” through bonus health and armor

Bonus - Pyke players actually like being “squishy” and balancing the risk/reward on a daggers edge

(This one’s obvious) But you should always make your game characters strength the thing players enjoy most.

(Not so obvious) Make your characters weakness something their players don’t care about

(bonus points) Turn that weakness into a strength

Example…

I can vouch for the document haha.

YouTube video by PlayStation Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds - Announce Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games

I've had an idea for a long time for a racing game with modular race tracks that are pieced together during the race so that each race feels unique. Wrote up a design doc and everything seven years ago (just checked). Sonic the Hedgehog beat me to it. That's a bummer, but also validating and cool!

SoCal stay cold enough for me wear this a bit

the framing of this skybox and its quality are so good that when your character comes over the ridge and sees it I was actually stunned in awe

YouTube video by dan legend GOD TIER Magneto Ult - Marvel Rivals

I believe the high moment of a spell should be the most sacred part of it. You can always test the players skill in other ways, or add more enemy interactions.

Let the abilities blow players minds. You can balance it elsewhere I promise.

youtube.com/watch?v=F4xX...

There is something you are trading to get that:

The sickest high-moment a spell could ask for.

Imagine absorbing like 6 ultimates with this spell? That’s a career making play. You’ll remember that game forever.

If you absorb too many projectiles, the meteor self destructs, ending the spell.

This is clearly does a lot of good things for the spell: adding an extra skill check for the player, a release valve for pro skill level (who will always cast the spell perfectly) etc

But…

I want to talk about an amazing ability from Marvel Rivals - Magneto Ultimate

One of the coolest in the game, he flings himself up into the air and summons a meteor that absorbs all nearby enemy projectiles to empower the meteor, then slam it down on his opponents.

But there’s a catch:

YouTube video by League of Voices Pyke All Ult Musics (Includes Fright Night)

Had a chance to work with so many incredible audio artists while creating campions for League. There are insane high moments on every champion that were always driven and executed by audio.

Specific shoutouts to Pyke’s ramping execute music.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=fubN...

Spoilers for Faith 3

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They do this at one point with a disposable camera in a run-down apartment where there mightttttt be a demon summoning cult (and the power/lights get cut out).

Airdorf is a genius

As a dev, this is how Kingdom Hearts 2 became one of my favorite games.

I already loved it, but seeing the speedrun use every single item/weapon/summon at some point in the run was insanely impressive from both a design and player execution perspective.

I’ll beat him up for you. I know his attack pattern

“Pay extra money to play a week early” is what they are referencing here.

And players do care, even if they would rather not.

Example: A lot of heavily story driven AAA games have done this. It can be extremely difficult to avoid major plot spoilers on the internet during that “early week”

All of these have the same thing in common:

“Studio cares more about making money than making good games/creating fun for their players”