The Game Developers Conference (GDC) is one of the biggest events in the gaming industry, bringing together developers, publishers, and other industry professionals from all over the world.  GDC 2023 is expected to be no exception, with thousands of attendees coming to San Francisco for a week of networking, learning, and gaming. If you plan …

The way we play video games has undergone a massive shift in recent years. No longer are games static, one-time experiences that we play through and then put away. Instead, games have become ongoing services, with developers providing regular updates, new content releases, and ongoing support long after the initial release. As a result, Live …

In less than a decade, the video gaming industry has undergone a radical transformation. The web3 gaming revolution is now in full swing, with developers harnessing the power of blockchain technology to create new experiences that are redefining what it means to game.  And while this new model holds a great deal of promise, this …

​To develop a game, you must boil it down to its most essential parts and figure out where it falls short. That’s why it’s crucial to get your core loops right and to prototype them as soon as possible. In this session we discuss and build the most popular gameplay loops that make the foundation …

In our latest Community Spotlight, we catch up with spacedog, one of the makers of the game Void Runners, a blockchain game of decision-making and strategy, set in a sprawling sci-fi universe. Last week we spoke about how spacedog got involved in the web3 game space, in today’s post, the last one of a series …

Image : Dorfromantik, Toukana Interactive  Designing a puzzle game can be a daunting task. There are so many elements that go into making a good one, from the mechanics to the systems to the difficulty curve. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most important aspects of puzzle game design. We’ll start with defining …

Hypercasual games are a new genre of games that is taking the world by storm. They combine hyper-simple gameplay, hyper-short duration, and hyper-social features to create an entirely new gaming experience. These types of games are perfect for Generation Z who live on their phones and prefer instant gratification over longer, more immersive experiences. We …

Similar to pretty much anyone that has a Netflix account these days, we here at Machinations, have been glued to the screen watching Squid Game. We could not help but wonder about what it must be like to be a game designer in such a dangerous workplace. There must be some immense pressure on your …

Calling all game designers looking to create high-action games with twitch-based controls. Alex Clark is a Senior Game Designer from Nitro Games working on the next generation of mobile shooter games. He shares his views on how to create tense moments, set up a series of quick decisions, and create fun action gameplay. Alex walks …