In today’s video I will discuss the 12 tenets of game design for Stonemaier Games: What they are, why we selected them, examples of how we’ve implemented these in our games.

1. Quick setup and start: We appreciate a streamlined setup with (at most) minimal pregame choices. – Between Two Castles and Between Two Cities
2. Intuitive to learn and retain. The design of the game takes into account the accessibility and learning experience–ideally, new players can be presented with a few core rules and start to take turns due to the presentation and order of operations. Retention is also a factor, enabled by few to no rule exceptions. –Libertalia and Smitten
3. Ability to plan ahead before taking your turn (you shouldn’t have to wait for the previous player to complete their turn to be able to decide what you’re doing on your turn). Charterstone
4. Limited analysis paralysis with choices displayed on player mats, game board, etc. There is a reasonable amount of information on display, not dozens of cards and tiles with detailed text that players need to read from across the table. Viticulture
5. Tension and positive player interaction, not hostility. We like to limit the potential for spite while still encouraging various forms of interaction and tension. –My Little Scythe
6. Interesting choices and strong agency (with only a dose of luck). We love agency in games; it means that players have control over their fate. Random elements are largely there for variability; if there is luck involved, players are opting into it or are at least able to make decisions based on random input (e.g., instead of rolling dice to determine an outcome). Euphoria
7. Rewards and forward momentum, not punishment and backwards movement. Our games help players feel like they’ve progressed during the game to a superior position than at the beginning (i.e., engine building). Wingspan
8. Strong connection between theme and mechanisms. Mechanisms are designed to around a theme to keep players immersed in the experience instead of the structure of the game constantly reminding players that they’re playing a game (e.g., we avoid phases and action checklists). Scythe
9. The potential for dramatic, memorable moments in a game is difficult to achieve, but it’s a huge plus when the game allows and encourages them to happen. Tapestry
10. Distinctly tactile experience. We love games with appealing, exciting components, ideally accomplished in an ecofriendly manner. It can be as simple as the cardboard Tetrisstyle pieces in Patchwork or as complex (yet important) as the wheels in Tzolk’in. Pendulum
11. Variable factors that create replayability–you can’t play the same exact game twice, even if you try. –Rolling Realms
12. Multiple paths to victory. Various game subsystems are balanced through playtesting and data analysis to be equal in their ability to reach the winning criteria. –Red Rising

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Intro animation by Jeff Payne https://vimeo.com/jaaronpayne and video proofing by Cody Simonsen