Game Design Deep Dive

Game Design Critic Josh Bycer continues the Deep Dive series with an examination of cozy games. The market for coziness has grown dramatically, thanks to showcases like Wholesome Direct and consumers wanting something to help them relax in a stressful world. Key Features: - Discusses the success of Stardew Valley and how it became the poster child for cozy games, and offers a brief history of the genre. - Examines UI/UX design and how to have effective playtesting done for your game, both required lessons for developers today. - Looks at what it means to build a low-stakes game while still offering progression and rewards to keep people invested.

Joshua Bycer is a Game Design Analyst with over a decade of experience writing for major sites, creating content on YouTube, and the author of the Game Design Deep Dive series. In that time through Game-Wisdom.com, he has interviewed hundreds of game developers and members of the industry about what it means to design video games.

1. Time to Dive Into Cozy Games: Cozy and Wholesome Games, 2. Cozy Theming, 3. The Creation of the Cozy/Wholesome Market, 4. Understanding UI/UX Design, 5. Creating a Cozy (or Wholesome) Game, 6. A Cozy Conclusion