Andrew 20Looney

Andrew Looney, of Looney_Labs_Games?, is the creator of many well-known games, such as Icehouse? and Fluxx?.

He has posted the text of a talk he gave at Arisia '03 about eleven principles of game design.

Rule #0: Don't Expect To Make Money

A. Join A Gaming Group A. Cherish Your Playtesters A. Encourage Honest Criticism

Rule #1: Gratify Yourself

Rule #2: First Attempts Are Always Lame

Rule #3: Keep the Rules Short (SimpleAsPossible)

Rule #4: Keep It Exciting (OpportunityToWin)

Rule #5: Don't Forget To Play

In other words: The toy industry calls an activity that lends itself to a toy 'toyetic'. Games should be toyetic.

Rule #6: Pay Attention To The German?s

Rule #7: Game Pieces Should Be Beautiful

Caveat: Think About Production Issues

Rule #8: Downtime: All or Nothing (TimeBetweenTurns)

This seems to just be the author's aesthetic, which brings us to #9 -

Rule #9: Know Your Audience

Almost all game design rules are going to appeal to one class of gamers and not another. Some want their game cinematic. Some immersive. Some simple. Some complex. Some deep. Some broad. When coming up with game design patterns, it's worth noting what kinds of games and what kinds of audiences those patterns work for.

Rule #10: Keep Working Until You Hear Those 3 Magic Words: "Let's Play Again!"

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