The Games That Designed Themselves

Fun should be the inspiration behind all gaming both as an art and as a hobby and both as creators and players. Great video...finally catching up.

SHAMANWOLF 1594

Before I was a game designer, I was a book cover designer and this is absolutely the method I've always used. I've called it "fumbling into good" (among other things). It used be a point of embarrassment, but found it's legs as the results spoke. From the big ideas down to the tiny details like a color palette. It also reminds me of what Dan Harmon says about how we're bad at making things, but geniuses at criticism - so make something bad and then criticize it until it's good.

Boz

Great video, love the new style. As a side note, at the end you suggest the Last of Us part 2 video, but I haven’t watched it simply because I haven’t played the game yet and want to avoid spoilers, so if the views are low on that one, it’s probably because many are waiting to play the game first, like me. Cheers!

Leo Santos

Hey Mark! One note I would make, the video and quote are from Seth Coster and not Sam Coster. I believe it was from the “Design by Chaos talk” https://youtu.be/WtDPNoVGZIw Love the idea of letting the game design itself :) I hope I gave feedback in a helpful way. I enjoy all of your vids :)

Wow! Those animations. Stop making us look bad, Mark. 😆

Kris Arruda

Loved the video and found it very inspirational. Just wanted to comment that the same that happened to Oskar and Glen happened to me about TLoU2. I really want to see the interview with the level designer as I love level design, but I want to play the game without any kind of spoilers, even if they are lesser ones. Once I play the game (hopefully by the end of the year) I'll surely come back to watch the video :)

Tomas Gimenez

Great video I think this advice can apply to many other professions especially ones that require some creative writing. I find I just need to start somewhere and then eventually I find my way. Surprised no mention of Mario Maker - as that is how every level I have ever made has gone - just start doing something and eventually you find inspiriation. Also - the breath of the wild de-make that the devs talked about to sniff out the fun mechanics

Dan from Canada

1) love your videos ( duh ) 2) this video in particular, since I really love that game design process with just doing stuff and keep what's fun and trash what's not. I know from experience (not that much yet though) that it's hard to kill your darlings, but it's a good mantra to keep in the back of your head: "is this fun? no? kill it" 3) regarding the LOU2 video, I haven't watched it, for the same reason as Glen mentioned above: I haven't played LOU2 yet and want to enter it as pure as I can. I have that with a couple of story/surprise-heavy games ... that I dodge the spoilers, don't watch anything ... and often I don't play the game at all and miss some great videos. So maybe I should just watch your video - since it has no spoilers ... and I will probably have forgotten them already when I will play LOU2 some day 4) the Ape-Out-like animations, did you create them yourself? They look amazing and really match the Ape-Out visual style!

Oskar van Velden

Love the jazzy style you employed in this video, Mark! The funky graphics and music really speak to the improvisational theme.

Rich Stoehr

Very interesting video. Thanks Mark!

drixkarasu

Excellent stuff, as always! One note: I personally didn't watch your Last Of Us II video because I'm terrified of spoilers. :-) Even if you tell me there aren't any, I don't want to see much gameplay, especially for a story-driven game. Maybe your YT stats will tick up as more people finish the game?

Glen Ford

love the music and graphics in this one!

newyou

Many thanks, this is indeed good advice no matter the experience level!

Paolo Torelli

Good catch, thanks!

Game Maker's Toolkit

This is a great one with some interesting insights and I love the Ape Out style graphics you used too! In the section where you talk about game jams (at about 8:55), should that label say "Internal Jam"?

Jerome Phelps

This is great advice. I've done a lot of programming in the GameMaker community and made several small games in the past and I've observed thousands making their own games. No one ever just writes a genius hit piece the first go. As with everything practice and iteration are more important that random flashes of insight.