#ShareAGameDesignTip: 20 Tips Every Indie Dev Should Know

All week long developers from across the globe have been sharing their best kept secrets and sound advice on game design via Twitter. The topic under the hashtag #ShareAGameDesignTip has ignited an endless thread of solid game design tips from developers from virtually every background and level of experience.

Small independent developers all the way to veterans from major game publishing studios are joining the conversation and sharing which techniques they believe are essential when you’re creating a game. Liz England from Insomniac Games to Ubisoft are dishing out free advice. It’s definitely worth taking advantage of. As one Twitter user posted, “#ShareAGameDesignTip is probably one of the best hashtags on Twitter.”

From spending at least an hour a day working on your game to making sure your game is fun to play even when the player isn’t winning, there’s a lot of great lessons to learn from these tweets. Although there are far too many to post, below is a list of 20 of the best tips under #ShareAGameDesignTip that every indie dev should remember when developing their game.

#ShareAGameDesignTip Keep a journal/diary where you write any game ideas you may have. Good ideas, like good dreams, can be forgotten.

— Static #12854 (@StaticVariable) August 26, 2015

It will never be perfect. #ShareAGameDesignTip — Matt Mahon (@mr42) August 27, 2015

Game Design is 10% creation and 90% correction #ShareAGameDesignTip

— Steve Fawkner (@sfawkner) August 27, 2015

Ideas come a dime a dozen, what truly counts is if they are viable for execution #ShareAGameDesignTip #gamedev — Benjamin D. Smith (@BenjaminDSmithy) August 26, 2015

Make sure your core loop is solid #ShareAGameDesignTip

— Johan Holmér (@JoeisProduction) August 26, 2015

Simplify. Simplify again. #ShareAGameDesignTip — Alex White (@StarguildRPG) August 26, 2015

Use tools that to help you work quicker & smarter, let the project’s needs guide you to the right tools. #ShareAGameDesignTip

— Trevor Dikes (@TrevorDikes) August 26, 2015

Have someone who is outside of your target audience, or doesn’t play games, playtest. Fresh perspective is great! #ShareAGameDesignTip — Rick Lesley (@Rick_Lesley) August 25, 2015

No matter how amazing your game narrative is, the best player stories come from emergent systems. (Minecraft, GTA, etc) #ShareAGameDesignTip

— Liz England (@lizardengland) August 25, 2015

Remember to have fun! #ShareAGameDesignTip — Nathan Griffin (@pixelgriffin) August 25, 2015

Game design is not about finding what to add, it’s about finding what to cut out. #ShareAGameDesignTip #gamedev #indiedev

— Ludic House (@LudicHouse) August 25, 2015

Take the time to define + understand the audience for your game. Step outside yourself for a minute. Wear their shoes. #ShareAGameDesignTip — Laralyn McWilliams (@Laralyn) August 25, 2015

Less is often more. Don’t make the easy mistake of confusing complexity for depth; they are not synonymous. #ShareAGameDesignTip

— Alex Swift (@alexdavidswift) August 25, 2015

#ShareAGameDesignTip Games aren’t about rules, nor art, nor mechanics, nor its message. It’s about the experience. Design experiences. — Nilix (@nilixblue) August 25, 2015

#ShareAGameDesignTip Don’t underestimate the importance of good game balance. It can be the difference between ‘fun’ and ‘infuriating’ =)

— Joshua Hallaran (@CriticalGamesAU) August 24, 2015

#ShareAGameDesignTip Make sure that a game provides an engaging experience that keeps players interested. Especially through gameplay. — E. R. (@FlawedIntellect) August 24, 2015

#ShareAGameDesignTip Think ‘How can I make this game stand out from other games of the same genre?’ rather than remaking old experiences

— Skittaraps (@Skittaraps) August 24, 2015

Start by defining your game’s core activity. #shareAGameDesignTip — Robin D. Laws (@RobinDLaws) August 24, 2015

No matter how unique is your hook, someone is making a similar game already. Have more to offer than just the hook. #ShareAGameDesignTip

— Adrian Chmielarz (@adrianchm) August 26, 2015

#ShareAGameDesignTip Animate your menus. The little details make all the difference. — Nicoll Hunt (@nicollhunt) August 25, 2015

If you’re interested in viewing more tweets you can join the #ShareAGameDesignTip conversation right HERE.