That Tricky Platformer About Climbing Mt. Anxiety But That's Not The Name Of The Mountain
On why that game about stamping passports is so successful.
New Beginnings
Vlambeer will always be part of who I am, I will always be one of the founders of the studio, but starting today, I will no longer be part of Vlambeer.
Ask Rami: Prototyping Pros
Rami answers a common question from a programmer about why they just can't seem to get better at prototyping.
On Bluf, and writing copy
A pattern most of us learn in school holds us back from writing clearly. Over the past few weeks, I've spent a lot of time discussing writing with clients: not games writing, but copy writing - for pitches, store pages, press releases, & everything else. One simple trick - to BLUF - could help out.
Ask Rami: The Ten-Thousands Rule
Rami reassures a South American developer on how much they can negotiate on a publisher deal before the publisher might walk away.
One Way Doors
A lot of studios spend years making a bad version of a good idea - until they go and figure things out. It's not because their ideas or team are bad - it's because their development process does not have One Way Doors.
Ask Rami: When the euphemism is bad enough.
Rami challenges and assists a development team that had a trusted team member quit over a team leads' behaviour.
Pitch Stalling & The Risks of Publisher Feedback
Throughout 2023, the ecosystem for games has contracted significantly. That has made the practice of something I'm calling "Pitch Stalling" far more common, and as a massive risk to your game project, So what is Pitch Stalling, what dynamics create it, and how do you avoid it?
Ask Rami: Don't roll the credits just yet.
Rami answers the question of a small development team that finds themselves stuck late in development with a roguelike that is too easy.
Harnessing Regret
I know this is a development newsletter, but stick with me for a moment, and let's please talk about an old friend I have had to discuss a lot with various clients over the last year: regret.
