This week, hes releasing his own for the first time.
“But while prototyping, an interesting evolution happened,” says Brown.
“Initially, the character was magnetic and could change polarity to attract or repel towards objects directly.
This opened up a lot of creative possibilities.
The game had to stop being like Celeste, and operate more likeBraidorLimbo.”
It turns out that some of the most crucial elements were those he’d barely considered as important.
I didnt anticipate just how crucial playtesting would be.
Its amazing how much this process reveals about both the game and the designers own blind spots."
I’ve probably said that in the past.
Another major realisation was the importance of production - deadlines, planning, and scheduling.
But if you lack solid production, the game simply wont exist.
It will just never come out."
I definitely have more empathy now for other designers on that front.
But with puzzle games, theres less of a roadmap.
That playtesting feedback was “endlessly surprising and eye-opening from start to finish.
Seasoned players also bring assumptions from other games with them.
This is pretty intuitive for experienced players, but newcomers often found it confusing and illogical.”
“Finally, there were little things I hadnt thought players would care about,” he continues.
I sprinkled in little character moments throughout the levels.
So youll see these speech bubbles where the magnets react or give you hints.
Of course, before the interview ends, I have to askthe most important question.
