Card Games: A Simple Design is a Good Design
New designers often create needlessly complicated and clunky designs, but the truth is that simple designs are good designs. Nick Kinstler outlines the nature of this problem and offers some tips for new designers who struggle with complexity.
As a designer, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of putting together a game that’s fun to design rather than fun to play. This essay dissects this a bit and explains why it’s a problem. It also provides some examples of specific rules of thumb to follow, though these are a bit less clear. The core message is still a valuable lesson.