Design the game YOU want to play. You're going to be its number one playtester during development. If you aren't passionate about the core concept, you'll burn out long before it's done. Make it for yourself first. (4/9) #TTRPG #IndieRPG #GameDesign #PassionProject
Playtest, playtest, PLAYTEST. Run your game as often as you can. Enlist your friends and your gaming group. Actively seek out feedback, take good notes and iterate on your design. This is where a game is truly forged. (5/9) #Playtesting #TTRPGdesign #GameDev #RPG
Come to terms with the fact that what you want from the game isn't going to be what all people want from the game. Not all feedback you get will fit your vision. Learn to differentiate helpful critique from ill-fitting suggestions. (6/9) #GameDesign #TTRPG #IndieDev #RPGdesign
Don't be afraid to kill your darlings. That clever mechanic you spent a week on might just not work in practice. If it's clunky, confusing or slows down play, it likely should be cut. Be ruthless for the good of the overall design. (7/9) #TTRPGdesign #GameDevTips #IndieRPG #Design
A hard truth: Don't count on widespread online playtest feedback. Most people don't have time to play a half-finished game. Cherish any feedback you do get from strangers online, but rely on your immediate circle first. (8/9) #Playtesting #TTRPG #GameDev #IndieGameDev
When in doubt, Keep It Simple. A clean, easy-to-understand core mechanic is almost always better than a complex one that needs a flowchart to explain. Simplicity makes your game more accessible and easier to play. (9/9) #KISS #TTRPGdesign #GameDesign #RPG
Boy, do I second that last one. I wrote a simulationistic nightmare once and really literally noticed it when I had a damage processing flowchart. It did not go well.
All excellent advice and applies to almost all kinds of game design! In particular, a lot of this resonates with me as someone who was on a larp game team.
I've explained "it's simple, you just..." and then trailed off into minutiae because I've forgotten I've had an idea or system squatting in my brain for ages more times than I'd like to admit. Keep it simple is good advice, so is learning the difference between simple and familiar.