Schell Games

[{"content":{"text":" Schell Games' commitment to education is something we live every day; in the products we create, the work environment in the office and the ways we share that knowledge with others. Each month, we'll be dissecting a different Lens from The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by our CEO Jesse Schell and applying it to a noteworthy title. It's our hope that you use these as you develop your game or are looking to critically analyze what makes someone else's game successful. Happy creating! "},"id":"2c473f9c-c777-4568-86e7-586fbcdd236a","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"location":"kirby","image":["file:\/\/63jqExVzGhIrnezq"],"src":"","alt":"Lens of The Eight Filters Lens of the Month","caption":"","link":"","ratio":"","crop":"false"},"id":"7d71a6fb-de96-4ca2-b4fe-5656052c33e7","isHidden":false,"type":"imageBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"The Lens of The Eight Filters","customid":""},"id":"aa134f95-5502-48b4-a63f-03724b8cc149","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" How This Works: Use this Lens (full text below as well) and picture your game at the same time. See how you answer each question and how difficult it is to arrive at these conclusions. Repeat and refine until complete - how much different does your potential game look than when you started? Full Text: To use this lens, you must consider the many constraints on your design. Your design is only finished when it can pass through all eight filters without requiring a change. Ask yourself these questions: "},"id":"d080f9d7-9848-45d9-ba89-cfcb03c330e5","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"text":" Does this game feel right? Will the intended audience like this game enough? Is this a well-designed game? Is this game novel enough? Will this game sell? Is it technically possible to build this game? Does this game meet our social and community goals? Do the playtesters enjoy this game enough? "},"id":"a8c82c39-1fac-429e-b326-365c07c4f9b7","isHidden":false,"type":"listBlock"},{"content":{"location":"web","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DEZsByFC6gA","video":[],"poster":[],"caption":"","autoplay":"false","muted":"true","loop":"false","controls":"true","preload":"auto"},"id":"2474db9c-f337-479b-9d4f-046dd18c8716","isHidden":false,"type":"videoBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"Example - Caves of Qud ","customid":""},"id":"4d4eb7e4-5970-426c-8796-61fd484f61ac","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" To test our lens, we look to the late 2024 release Caves of Qud , a 17-years-in-development miracle from Freehold Games . After seeing how well this podcast with the Game Maker's Notebook lined up with the Lens of The Eight Filters, this seemed like a perfect marriage of ideas. First off, a quick description. Caves of Qud is a science fiction\/fantasy roguelike in the style of Dwarf Fortress but in a world that has both fixed and randomly generated elements. Sound too niche? This title has already generated millions in sales since it released in Dec. 2024. That 17 years of development took many forms, from a side project being worked on just minutes a day to becoming a full-time job once release was imminent. But the Lens of The Eight Filters helps us see how this development process stayed on track. "},"id":"e5cef0c9-10a0-44e3-bbfc-e2264d31d718","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"location":"kirby","image":["file:\/\/blQGzKoo254JSbfB"],"src":"","alt":"Caves of Qud Water Ritual","caption":"","link":"","ratio":"","crop":"false"},"id":"8687b676-02d4-4684-9394-a6551f9ae689","isHidden":false,"type":"imageBlock"},{"content":{"text":" Freehold Games conquered the first two questions by using a small but dedicated playtesting team of 15 people. They were constantly experimenting in the world of Qud to ensure the game felt right and kept the appeal for the hardcore roguelike audience they were trying to attract. They also took tons of feedback and ideas and implemented them into Qud, making a feedback loop that constantly honed the game's engines and systems. One of our favorite takeaways from this interview is that, at first, Caves of Qud simply wasn't possible with current PCs. Luckily, as the game requirements stayed the same and computers got more powerful, this question ended up resolving itself in the best way. Qud went from a game that pushed computers of its day to the brink to something that could be enjoyed with a moderate PC of today. In a market awash with roguelikes, what answers possibly the most important part of the Lens - is the game novel enough? This is true secret sauce of Qud, and this is where we recommend truly diving into the playthroughs of this game to get a sense of what makes it so special. An incredible reputation management system (that spans everything from different clans down to birds and flowers). Always evolving stories (both from what you encounter naturally with your character and the randomly generated lore that fleshes out this world's history). A truly unique feeling world (we don't want to spoil too much here, but this mutated map starts simply and evolves in ways you wouldn't believe). It all combines to make Caves of Qud one of the most unique roguelikes we've ever played, all while still being accessible to casual fans of the genre and eliciting the response of, \"Just one more run!\" "},"id":"38c077ce-cb59-4f53-b96e-603b344c4987","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"location":"kirby","image":["file:\/\/k5OdqPzWryuLAHzc"],"src":"","alt":"Caves of Qud in-game screenshot","caption":"","link":"","ratio":"","crop":"false"},"id":"95a26bd3-712d-4e75-a99e-7a1a17371180","isHidden":false,"type":"imageBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"The Art of Game Design","customid":""},"id":"eb58e2db-8e46-4a43-8044-7c57c370c270","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" This is just one quick example of all of the knowledge and expertise contained within The Art of Game Design . Learn more about the book, the 110+ Lenses that come with it and more about CEO Jesse Schell on The Art of Game Design website. "},"id":"905e89a7-eaa5-4119-9f96-79d063e2a30b","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"link":"https:\/\/schellgames.com\/art-of-game-design","text":"Read More","class":"","id":""},"id":"9163671f-6cc5-4f7a-9d8b-6b6063cd7fe2","isHidden":false,"type":"buttonBlock"},{"content":{"location":"kirby","image":["file:\/\/SS77JwAqrLYSanNN"],"src":"","alt":"The Art of Game Design book and Deck of Lenses by Jesse Schell","caption":"","link":"","ratio":"","crop":"false"},"id":"efbad449-ad26-4f83-be25-a71842a8b5e2","isHidden":false,"type":"imageBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"View More Lenses","customid":""},"id":"7469e5ac-249a-4713-908f-8d7a347ce0e6","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" All Lenses can also be accessed digitally for no cost. Use the Deck of Lenses for inspiration when developing an experience, playtesting, brainstorming, and anything in between. 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Lens of The Eight Filters

March 3, 2025 · insights

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