Studio Tenets

These are the unordered principles I keep front of mind when designing and deciding anything.

Just like everyone else, I don't really know what I'm doing! So if you can help point me onto a better path or avoid a pothole, let me know; I'd appreciate it.

This is a living document, so might change over time.

Respect the players

Respect their time with minimal loading screens and a well tested product. Respect their money with a great value premium experience. Respect their intelligence, don't dumb it down, make something challenging and interesting. Fix bugs quickly. No crappy ads, selling data, gambling or filler content.

Don't quit the hit

Get really good at something by sticking to it. Larian didn't get really good at making RPGs by not making RPGs, it took them years of learning and hard lessons to get there. Keep good notes and documentation, keep skills up to date. Listen to the players and keep improving. Identify your strengths and double down on them.

Use boring technology

"Let's say that we all get a limited number of innovation tokens to spend….These represent our limited capacity to do something creative, or weird, or hard. We really don't have that many of these to allocate." Take fun and reliable parts of previous games and add new innovation incrementally where it counts. Players don't care about tech, they care about the end experience.

Be reliable

Set honest personal deadlines and hit them. If you're working with others, set realistic deadlines and hit them. Constraints keep you in scope and can breed creativity, use them to keep good momentum and positive direction all the way to shipping. Keep shipping.

Make the right game

The games should be a balance of something I want to make, something I can make and something an acceptable amount of players want to buy. Back up the last part with initial market research and playtesting. Niche is great but too niche is bankruptcy.

Play to studio strengths

Being a tiny studio has positives and negatives; maximize the positives. I can't compete with most studios as a solo dev in a straight line race. Go where they are not willing to or can't risk. Take creative risks, focus on niches, add personal touches. Make it unique and original.