GameMakersToolkit posts
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Are Score Systems Still Relevant? | Game Maker's Toolkit
Arcade classics were all about high scores and personal bests - but can scores still be relevant when mixed with more modern game design? Let’s find out!
24 hour exclusive - Are Score Systems Still Relevant? | GMTK
Hey! In my last video, on melee combat, I briefly touched on scoring systems. I decided to go a bit deeper into that subject, and look at how scores can be used in modern game design, for all sorts of interesting advantages.Cheers! Things are getting back to normal so hoping to get two videos out th...
Playlist (May 2018)
Hello everyone! Here's your Playlist for May, with three interesting games you might have missed this month.
Reading List (May 2018)
Hey everyone! Hope you’ve had a fab May. Before the month closes out, I’m here with a bunch of articles and videos I think you might enjoy.As always, never hesitate to send me cool content over Twitter or email or wherever. I can’t find everything myself!Top pick[Read] Recalling the Leviathan ...
The GMTK episode I threw away (Insider, May 2018)
Hello everybody!So this month, I spent a fair amount of time on an episode that I just… threw away. Basically. I did the research, wrote the script, and was about to record it when I decided that it wasn’t right for the channel and so I tossed it.The episode was about this concept of a “failur...
24 hour sclusey - What Makes a Good Combat System?
Following on from my videos on "what makes a good..." detective game, puzzle, and AI, is a new video on combat systems!It's one of my most requested topics so let’s look at everything from Bayonetta and Yakuza, to Batman and God of War, to break down the essential elements of a good me...
My LCC Talk
Hello team!So, I went to the London College of Communications today to do a talk for some game design students. The talk was about the way I analyse games, and how I think about existing games from a critical perspective.I'm going to paste my "script" (I adlib a lot, but this is the jist...
The GMTK office
It's a lovely day, I'm almost done preparing a talk I'm going to give in London tomorrow, and I thought I'd take a moment to show you how the GMTK office is coming along in my new place.So this is the main area. I've got an adjustable standing desk from IKEA, with my iMac (where ...
Reading List (April 2018)
Hey everyone! First things first, thank you for your lovely comments on the newsletter earlier this week. You’re all so supportive and brilliant!Now - let's finish off April with a big bunch of things to watch and read, eh?Behind the Scenes[Read] Designing Lone Echo & Echo Arena’s Virtual To...
Playlist (April 2018)
A bit of a different video for April. Instead of reviewing 3 or 4 games, I'm looking at how two recently released games - The Swords of Ditto and Minit - tackled the same basic idea in very different ways.Normal service shall resume in May!
GMTK Insider (April 2018) / New Video!
Hello everybody!I’m going to start this newsletter with more of a personal update. And then we’ll get to the video stuff.So, Game Maker’s Toolkit is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’m so immensely proud of what I’ve achieved, and have enjoyed almost every minute working on it. Iâ...
24 hour preview - The World Design of Dark Souls | Boss Keys
Hello!Long time no see. My life continues to be a bit crazy (now in my new house, awesome girl I was dating is now my girlfriend, etc). But I've been working on this in every spare minute I've had.It takes the analytical concepts of my Zelda dungeon work, and applies it to the world of Dark ...
How to keep players engaged (without being evil about it)
Hello! Here's your new episode, on different ways games can keep your attention and engagement until the credits roll.Next up is either the co-op video or the return of Boss Keys.Sorry about the delay on this one. I've made 2018 a year to really focus some more time on my real life (after de...
24 hour sneak peek - How to keep players engaged (without being evil)
Hello! Here's your new episode, on different ways games can keep your attention and engagement until the credits roll.Next up is either the co-op video or the return of Boss Keys.Sorry about the delay on this one. I've made 2018 a year to really focus some more time on my real life (after de...
Playlist (March 2018)
Let's talk video games!
GMTK Insider (March 2018)
Hey everyone. Hope everything’s going well.Looks like March will be a one episode month. Sorry about that - next video is underway but taking a bit longer than I wanted for lots of boring personal reasons. Luckily, the episode I did this month was a big one:What makes a good puzzle?So this was a r...
Reading List (March 2018)
Hello everybody! Hope you're having a wonderful March. Here's a whole bunch of articles to read and videos to watch.In the trenches[Read] How One Man Made the Indie Video Game Sensation Stardew Valley - Eric Barone opens up about the obsessive work that went into his charming farming sim.[Re...
What Makes a Good Puzzle? | Game Maker's Toolkit
Puzzles can be one of the most complex things in game design. In this video, I break down some great conundrums from favourite games, and share some knowledge from sharp puzzle designers, to find out what makes a good puzzle.Also - I hit 400,000 subscribers!
24 hour exclusive - What Makes a Good Puzzle?
Hello! Long time no see. I've been working hard on this video, which is all about puzzle design.You know, this is a subject that doesn't have a lot of specific info out there. A lot of the stuff I found about puzzles was pretty vague, or unhelpful. (Though there were some good resources, too...
Insider (February 2018)
Hello! I’m Mark, and this is what I’ve been doing in February.Rise of the Systemic GameI had been thinking about this video for quite some time. I’ve spoken about systemic design before, in the immersive sim and the AI episodes, but wanted to provide something a bit more substantial that would...
Playlist (Feb 2018)
Hello! Let's chat about some games!
What Makes Celeste's Assist Mode Special | Game Maker's Toolkit
Developer intention can often come at the expense of accessibility and player preference. In this video, I look at some recent games that have found a middle ground.
What Makes Celeste's Assist Mode Special | Game Maker's Toolkit
Second video for February, is a look at assist modes, safe modes, cheat options, and communication. It's a semi follow up to my Dark Souls video, where I work through some thoughts on designer intent and player preference.Lemme know what you think!Mark
Reading List (February 2018)
Hello! Welcome to your Reading List for February 2018.This is a collection of links to stuff I enjoyed in the past few weeks. Sometimes it’s a video. Sometimes it’s an article! Whatever the case, it’s always interesting.Lemme know if you hate this new format. I just didn’t feel like there wa...
The Rise of the Systemic Game | Game Maker's Toolkit
Hello everybody. Here's your new episode of the show.With games like Breath of the Wild, MGS V, and Watch Dogs 2, we're seeing a real boom in the idea of a "systemic game". In this video I want to explain what that is and talk about some of the pros and (potential) cons of this sort ...
Patreon First - The Rise of the Systemic Game
Hello!So, I was revisiting Red Dead Redemption and something struck me. The game felt kinda dead compared to more recent open world games I've been playing.And I realised that maybe it's something to do with the fact that a lot of modern open world games have been investing heavily in system...
Some movie recommendations from Mark
Hello!Something you may not know about me is that I am a big fan of film. If I’m not playing a video game, chances are I’m watching a movie.I recently totted up my Letterboxd profile and realised I watched 100 films last year! Blimey!So, I’ve decided to offer my backere some recommendations fo...
Playlist (January 2018)
Hello! It's only January but there are already some great indie games worth checking out. So take a gander at this month's playlist and see if anything takes your fancy!Mark
GMTK Insider (January 2018)
Hello everybody! Welcome to the first insider article for 2018. I kicked the year off right with lots of happenings, so let’s get right to it.VideosI released three videos this month. And I wanted to start as I mean to go on, with a design theory / topic video, which features lots of games and exa...
Breaking Down the Best World in Rayman Legends | Game Maker’s Toolkit
Hello!Decided to make a short-and-sweet third video for January.This one's about how Rayman explores a mechanic throughout an entire world - instead of throwing it away at the end of a level like Mario and Donkey Kong. Wanted to offer a different perspective on platformer level design.Hope you l...
