GDC 2025 Session Viewer
Independent Games Summit: Gameplay System Design for Indies Microtalks: A Soapbox
Monica Fan (Game Designer, Pipeworks Studios)
Damien Crawford (Head of Operations, Cannibal Interactive)
Jakub Kasztalski (Founder & Creative Director , Unbound Creations)
Scott Fine (Senior Systems Designer, Skydance Interactive)
Nat Loh (Design Consultant, Independent)
Joe Quadara (Indie Dev Consultant, Studio Director, Recurver Consulting, Lunar Lunchbox)
Location: Room 2009, West Hall
Date: Tuesday, March 18
Time: 2:40 pm - 3:40 pm
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Summits Pass, Indie Games Summit Pass - Get your pass now!
Track: Independent Games
Format: Lecture
Vault Recording: Video
Audience Level: All
A well-designed gameplay system is essential to creating an engaging experience, and even minor adjustments can lead to significant improvements. However, for many first-time indie game developers, system design can seem daunting and complex. It is commonly seen as "the overwhelming part of design" and is often overlooked until it is too late.
In this talk, we bring together a diverse group of game designers with varying levels of experience to share their insights in a series of microtalks. Our aim is to demystify the role of system designers and showcase how the role exists within games with different scope from solo dev projects to III indie.
We will give a big-picture overview of what systemic design is, with specific examples such as combat mechanics, fire propagation, and more!
Takeaway
This series of talks will enhance the audience's understanding of various aspects of system design and its crucial role in game development. By exploring different areas, we'll highlight how effective system design can significantly impact the overall quality and player experience of your games.
Intended Audience
System Designers who are interested in gaining food for thought on their work practices, developers or students interested in improving their understanding of system design, and indie developers who want to know when and how to hire system designers for their projects.
