Game Design Is Simple
11 comments
·November 6, 2025PostOnce
For reference Raph Koster wrote "the book" on game design, and was the lead designer for Ultima Online (among other things) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raph_Koster
alstonite
This feels like a classic example of the concept that simple ≠ easy
godelski
In that sense most things are simple. Though it's also simple to over simplify. Since often simplicity arises out of the accumulation of expert analysis rather than being obvious from the get go. Which I think is just as important as what you say:
Simple != easy
Simple != obvious
Simple != intuitive
Simple != easy to understand
Elegant == Simple
Simple != elegantIshKebab
Yeah kind of feels like "writing a hit novel is simple - you just need a plot that is engaging, well written prose, and a satisfying story arc".
I mean... yeah kind of obvs. Very "rest of the owl".
christophilus
Well, that wouldn’t give you a “hit” novel. That would give you a good novel. Hit != Good
cloud_watching
The title is ironic. Game design is very simple indeed.
This is an amazing article. I work on game design and I think this could work as a map of the terrain.
henning
Nothing asserted here is simple. And after reading all that it's still hard to design and build a game that will cut through the noise of all the other games coming out on Steam.
It's not a matter of "simple vs. easy". If you have to write many words to list your ideas and you state each idea is deep and connected to all the other ideas, the thing you are talking about is not simple.
TillE
This is an extremely interesting article about game design and it's a bit silly to fixate on the title.
madsushi
I think it's tongue-in-cheek.
inquirerGeneral
[dead]
the complexity of a given domain is not necessarily an indication of it's difficulty. I suspect that a guy of Koster's experience and reputation knows that and is making a spicy title for the clicks.