# Matt Kucic - How to Prototype a Game in Under 7 Days (Highlights)  ## Metadata **Review**:: [readwise.io](https://readwise.io/bookreview/44959912) **Source**:: #from/readwise #from/reader **Zettel**:: #zettel/fleeting **Status**:: #x **Authors**:: [[Matt Kucic]] **Full Title**:: How to Prototype a Game in Under 7 Days **Category**:: #articles #readwise/articles **Category Icon**:: 📰 **URL**:: [www.gamedeveloper.com](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/how-to-prototype-a-game-in-under-7-days) **Host**:: [[www.gamedeveloper.com]] **Highlighted**:: [[2024-10-14]] **Created**:: [[2024-11-08]] ## Highlights - A good rapid prototyper would realize that failure is ok! That's what prototyping is for, so go crazy! If you fail, there will be dozens more, and chances are, you'll learn something anyway. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja69fpds56vzcny4pqk02nfh)) ^798636222 - We found that generally any gameplay idea can be prototyped effectively in less than one week. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja69h9131pqzfv9djjgnkj5h)) ^798636402 - Somehow, it became easier to be creative when there were restrictions in place. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja69m27qsvdy7c8t6v1g2eqp)) ^798636728 - The first, of course, is that it gets everybody thinking. And then sometime later, maybe on the drive home, or in the shower, or while taking Poopy for a walk, a brilliant idea will erupt in your head. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja69zcvzep06b9nprpbtracr)) ^798638171 it: a well-conducted brainstorm session - The second way we found brainstorming to be useful was when there was something concrete to talk about. For example, “How can we improve this?” as opposed to “Hey let's come up with something arbitrary!” ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja69ymrvhef81p7ge95f9p0n)) ^798638136 - As an alternative to brainstorming, we found that gathering art and music with some personal significance was particularly fruitful. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja6agnfe006zfa9k5d27ydgv)) ^798646724 - It's really easy! All you have to do is imagine your game audience saying, “Wow!” And then just work backward and fill in the blanks. What's making them enjoy your game? What emotion are they feeling? What is happening in the game to make them feel that way? ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja6ahjd8nbp4fghzaagy64c6)) ^798648273 - Often the “correct” solution is not the best solution. Strategically faking it will save you time and money; it will make your game faster, and your teeth whiter. Fake it liberally and often! Don't set up complicated lighting and shadowing when a simple drop shadow and baked textures will be just as effective ("Darwin Hill"). ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja6apwrcnsgx6fewg4jf7k9n)) ^798658536 - If the gameplay is horrible, there is no recovery - all the art, music, and product tie-ins in the world won't make it a great game. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja6at9f30tmt7jcckq81sfwa)) ^798660067 - Playing with a well-polished game actually feels better in your hands than playing the exact same code but with careless art and poor sound. It is important to make the following distinction though – polishing the aesthetic (as in the above section) will still not salvage bad design, but it does have the power to make a good game even more playable. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja6awaajta8jkbgqjrfsg5kv)) ^798660147 - Again, it's worth noting that a great engineer does not necessarily make a great prototyper. “Correct” or “reusable” solutions are often not what we look for in quick throwaway code. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja6axbc142xkswbz2j5awjcf)) ^798660229 - Complexity is Not Necessary for Fun ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja6b1mxxyfqb23mrdq3w3fs3)) ^798660431 - We discovered quite accidentally that the games with the greatest replay value were the ones that had some sort of creation or customization aspect. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja6b1dg7cqt232nk4kmszbw1)) ^798660422 - Without a gameplay goal, a prototype is just a toy – not a game. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja6b4fc92kc61jmybtqp8h6e)) ^798660537 - A juicy game element will bounce and wiggle and squirt and make a little noise when you touch it. A juicy game feels alive and responds to everything you do – tons of cascading action and response for minimal user input. It makes the player feel powerful and in control of the world, and it coaches them through the rules of the game by constantly letting them know on a per-interaction basis how they are doing. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01ja6b673gt62c92f78t9j8b4v)) ^798660590