Downwell creator Ojiro Fumito speaks at GDC 2016 about how he designed a fun, engaging game around one key mechanic: what if you jumped down a well with guns strapped to your boots?
May 31, 2016
Developers are often advised to design their games around one key concept, a "core loop" or mechanic that's easy to grasp and fun to do over and over.
Less often are they given concrete examples of how it's done, and how you iterate and refine a game built around one key mechanic. But at GDC 2016 Downwell creator Ojiro Fumito did just that, giving a detailed account of how he designed a hit game around a simple concept: what if you jumped down a well full of monsters with guns on your boots?
It's a fun gimmick that made for a fun game, as well as a fun talk. If you missed it in person, you can watch the whole thing (nearly 30 minutes in total) completely free over on the official GDC YouTube channel.
In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.
Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.
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