Tom Smith
@thegamedesigndad.bsky.social
Game designer at Roblox (ex-Disney, ex-Zynga, etc.)
Author of Anatomy of Game Design (https://a.co/d/5NQZAuK)
Opinions are my own, not any corporation's.
Author of Anatomy of Game Design (https://a.co/d/5NQZAuK)
Opinions are my own, not any corporation's.
As always, you can’t understand a commercial game without understanding its business model. #gaming #gamedesign
November 20, 2025 at 5:09 PM
As always, you can’t understand a commercial game without understanding its business model. #gaming #gamedesign
Understand how much variety your core game loop can handle. In some cases, it’s not a lot. In other cases, variety is key to keeping the game loop alive. Both work, they’re just different designs. #gaming #gamedesign
November 19, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Understand how much variety your core game loop can handle. In some cases, it’s not a lot. In other cases, variety is key to keeping the game loop alive. Both work, they’re just different designs. #gaming #gamedesign
There are plenty of wildly successful games that you can’t win. World of Warcraft. Dungeons and Dragons. Most classic arcade games. So it’s not an insurmountable design flaw, but it is something to think about when designing. #gaming #gamedesign
November 18, 2025 at 5:09 PM
There are plenty of wildly successful games that you can’t win. World of Warcraft. Dungeons and Dragons. Most classic arcade games. So it’s not an insurmountable design flaw, but it is something to think about when designing. #gaming #gamedesign
When I was at Disney, I pitched a simple mobile game inspired by Bop It. Rapid prompts for simple touch controls. At some level, it’s the same game as this with different graphics. Still one of my biggest regrets that I didn’t get that one released in 2013. #gaming #gamedesign
November 17, 2025 at 5:09 PM
When I was at Disney, I pitched a simple mobile game inspired by Bop It. Rapid prompts for simple touch controls. At some level, it’s the same game as this with different graphics. Still one of my biggest regrets that I didn’t get that one released in 2013. #gaming #gamedesign
Leisure Suit Larry and Dispatch are very different styles of humor and writing and gameplay, but that’s part of my point - games can encompass many things and should experiment with more types of stories to find more audiences. #gamedesign #dispatch
November 14, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Leisure Suit Larry and Dispatch are very different styles of humor and writing and gameplay, but that’s part of my point - games can encompass many things and should experiment with more types of stories to find more audiences. #gamedesign #dispatch
If you’re interested in this type of character-assignment gameplay but with replayable procedurally generated missions, try the Rebuild series. It’s zombies instead of superheroes, but it’s well done gameplay that scratches some of the same itch in a slightly different way. #gamedesign #dispatch
November 13, 2025 at 5:10 PM
If you’re interested in this type of character-assignment gameplay but with replayable procedurally generated missions, try the Rebuild series. It’s zombies instead of superheroes, but it’s well done gameplay that scratches some of the same itch in a slightly different way. #gamedesign #dispatch
Setting players up to fail on a story beat is always a challenge and has to be handled carefully. Players often come to games to feel successful, so managing player expectations and emotions around downturns is tough. #gamedesign #dispatch
November 12, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Setting players up to fail on a story beat is always a challenge and has to be handled carefully. Players often come to games to feel successful, so managing player expectations and emotions around downturns is tough. #gamedesign #dispatch
This game is good at understanding that not all players are coming into a narrative choice with the same goals - dialog options allow players to express different desires and interests, even if the real consequences of those actions are minimal. #gamedesign #dispatch
November 11, 2025 at 5:10 PM
This game is good at understanding that not all players are coming into a narrative choice with the same goals - dialog options allow players to express different desires and interests, even if the real consequences of those actions are minimal. #gamedesign #dispatch
The verbs in the actual dispatch gameplay are some of my favorites - assign, evaluate, combine creatively. Manipulating game pieces that have personality and abilities has always been something I enjoy. #gamedesign #dispatch
November 10, 2025 at 5:10 PM
The verbs in the actual dispatch gameplay are some of my favorites - assign, evaluate, combine creatively. Manipulating game pieces that have personality and abilities has always been something I enjoy. #gamedesign #dispatch
I’ve done some narrative design over the years, and I’ve built interactive stories that I’m proud of, but it’s always a huge challenge. You’re not writing a story. You’re building a typewriter and hoping that a million monkeys can make Shakespeare out of it. #gamedesign #roblox
November 7, 2025 at 5:10 PM
I’ve done some narrative design over the years, and I’ve built interactive stories that I’m proud of, but it’s always a huge challenge. You’re not writing a story. You’re building a typewriter and hoping that a million monkeys can make Shakespeare out of it. #gamedesign #roblox
Progression can often come off as math, but a good roller coaster isn’t just bumps. It’s surprises that change more than just height. #gamedesign #roblox
November 6, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Progression can often come off as math, but a good roller coaster isn’t just bumps. It’s surprises that change more than just height. #gamedesign #roblox
Understanding that the game’s logical goal structure is built on an economic system is important. But understanding that the game’s emotional heart is built on horror tropes and the joy of discovery is equally important. #gamedesign #roblox
November 5, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Understanding that the game’s logical goal structure is built on an economic system is important. But understanding that the game’s emotional heart is built on horror tropes and the joy of discovery is equally important. #gamedesign #roblox
Goals that easily move between personal and collaborative make a game like this very easy for players to navigate. Players can do whatever they want, and it tends to work out at multiple levels of goal tracking. Players can coordinate, but if they don’t they still tend to make group progress. #gamed
November 4, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Goals that easily move between personal and collaborative make a game like this very easy for players to navigate. Players can do whatever they want, and it tends to work out at multiple levels of goal tracking. Players can coordinate, but if they don’t they still tend to make group progress. #gamed
Familiar verbs are often the most important places for familiarity. You can give players new challenges and new goals, especially long-term goals. But giving players something familiar in the first few seconds of play makes it a lot easier to sell the game. #gamedesign #roblox
November 3, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Familiar verbs are often the most important places for familiarity. You can give players new challenges and new goals, especially long-term goals. But giving players something familiar in the first few seconds of play makes it a lot easier to sell the game. #gamedesign #roblox
If you like analysis of dynamics, there are lots of people who dig into strategy and analysis of Magic. When the game has been mostly the same for thirty plus years, the analysis gets really deep. #mtg #gaming #gamedesign
October 31, 2025 at 4:09 PM
If you like analysis of dynamics, there are lots of people who dig into strategy and analysis of Magic. When the game has been mostly the same for thirty plus years, the analysis gets really deep. #mtg #gaming #gamedesign
I’m using some of my favorite Arena decks in these videos this week. A Magic deck is often as personal and meaningful as a Roblox avatar, so it’s fun to put them out there. #mtg #gaming #gamedesign
October 30, 2025 at 4:09 PM
I’m using some of my favorite Arena decks in these videos this week. A Magic deck is often as personal and meaningful as a Roblox avatar, so it’s fun to put them out there. #mtg #gaming #gamedesign
A good strategy game is a sequence of related puzzles. Magic is a great example of this. Each turn is its own problem to solve, but every turn relates to the previous and the next. #mtg #gaming #gamedesign
October 29, 2025 at 4:10 PM
A good strategy game is a sequence of related puzzles. Magic is a great example of this. Each turn is its own problem to solve, but every turn relates to the previous and the next. #mtg #gaming #gamedesign
Mark Rosewater has a lot of game design thoughts out there, and even if you’re not a big Magic player, I recommend diving in because it’s some of the best entry-level game design content out there. #mtg #gaming #gamedesign
October 28, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Mark Rosewater has a lot of game design thoughts out there, and even if you’re not a big Magic player, I recommend diving in because it’s some of the best entry-level game design content out there. #mtg #gaming #gamedesign
Magic is one of the games I feel all game designers should play. The way content and rules interact, the way the mana system controls pacing, and the stack’s ruthless control of the chaos of timing rules are all master classes of good game design. #mtg #gaming #gamedesign
October 27, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Magic is one of the games I feel all game designers should play. The way content and rules interact, the way the mana system controls pacing, and the stack’s ruthless control of the chaos of timing rules are all master classes of good game design. #mtg #gaming #gamedesign
Dynamics are things that are true about a game but are logical consequences of multiple rules interacting rather than the stated rules themselves. #spelunky #gaming #gamedesign
October 24, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Dynamics are things that are true about a game but are logical consequences of multiple rules interacting rather than the stated rules themselves. #spelunky #gaming #gamedesign
If you want to know more about Spelunky, the Boss Fight Book is solid and gives a lot of good game design tips. #spelunky #gaming #gamedesign
October 23, 2025 at 4:09 PM
If you want to know more about Spelunky, the Boss Fight Book is solid and gives a lot of good game design tips. #spelunky #gaming #gamedesign
Spelunky is also a nice example of the optional goal - saving the Damsel is a nice risk/reward tradeoff. #spelunky #gaming #gamedesign
October 21, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Spelunky is also a nice example of the optional goal - saving the Damsel is a nice risk/reward tradeoff. #spelunky #gaming #gamedesign
This month, I’m talking about the games that appear in my book, Anatomy of Game Design, to celebrate my book’s birthday! #spelunky #gaming #gamedesign
October 20, 2025 at 4:09 PM
This month, I’m talking about the games that appear in my book, Anatomy of Game Design, to celebrate my book’s birthday! #spelunky #gaming #gamedesign
Some games have distinct phases that can be mapped. Catan’s phases aren’t so strict, but players can tell the difference from early game strategies and late game strategies. #catan #gaming #gamedesign
October 17, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Some games have distinct phases that can be mapped. Catan’s phases aren’t so strict, but players can tell the difference from early game strategies and late game strategies. #catan #gaming #gamedesign
When using randomness, it’s important to think about how often the random element is going to come up. Rolling a die once to determine anything important isn’t fun, but when the dice are rolled many time the probabilities average out better. #catan #gaming #gamedesign
October 16, 2025 at 4:09 PM
When using randomness, it’s important to think about how often the random element is going to come up. Rolling a die once to determine anything important isn’t fun, but when the dice are rolled many time the probabilities average out better. #catan #gaming #gamedesign