With the release of Mario Maker, everyone has the opportunity to create levels for one of the greatest series in the history of video games. This presentation will give you a brief history of the genre, an understanding of what makes 2D Mario levels so good. This talk includes links to additional content that

  Yesterday I uploaded Drill Planet to the iOS app store. If the review gods are on my side, Drill Planet should be available before the end of July. This is how I got it out on time and with minimal monetary investment. Note: You can play an HTML-5 version of the game I describe in

    New version of City Tuesday in playtest: Here is what is new since you last playtested: 1) A NEW PUZZLE. It is at the end of "country world". Puzzle elements include some of the following: - An anglophile - A constant gardener - A dog with a passive aggressive bladder.   You can playtest it if you have the appHub membership

Hey so I need feedback to make sure the puzzles make sense and the menus are not too confusing. If you have an app hub membership you can download the code from the City Tuesday AppHub forum post. You should probably provide feedback right there in the forum of course you could just send me

I am designing the splash screen, attract mode, and main menu for City Tuesday. With all the games I have played I can't exactly remember how most games start. So, I picked a few games that are similar to what I am shooting for with City Tuesday and decided I would start them

This week, Microsoft announced that Dream-Build-Play 2012 (DBP) is open for registration. The contest (now in its 6th episode) is a showcase of the year's best of games that have been developed using their XNA game-creation-tools. I will of course be entering City Tuesday in it because the deadline is close enough

If you think this looks like a mess, well it does because it is. I am working on the training level which means I have to make a small sampling of the major themes and trails that will be in the game. It is a cross-cut, a sampler-platter, a coming-attractions reel. All of

PacMan does not require a designer to carefully craft a puzzle mechanic. Instead, the rules and resources of the game are enforced by the some-what AI controlled ghosts. The fun of it comes from working out the escape routes that are thrust upon you by the game. Neither does Tetris. Compare that

I attended the monthly International Game Developers Association meeting last night. The theme of the session was playtesting in which anyone can bring a game and get feedback from the many developers in the area. It is a humbling experience. However, the feeling I get after is not unlike a vigorous workout. It

Play testing is not the same as market testing. I have heard people bemoan the overly-thorough play-testing of games that AAA companies like Valve inflict upon their games. "Tsk Tsk", they say, "I want a game that captures the designer’s vision and hasn’t been mellowed out by generic review boards that soften games