Skeleton Code Machine

Skeleton Code Machine

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I'll give you a choice: take it or leaveĀ it.
Exploring the concept of Hobson's Choice in tabletop games, how to identify them, and when they are a good (or bad) part of a game's design.
4
What is a game's decision space?
Exploring increasing and decreasing decision spaces in tabletop games, and how they can be manipulated to create the best player experience.
16
Open information vs. hidden hands in The Tea Dragon Society Card Game
Exploring how small changes to the usual deck-building game conventions make The Tea Dragon Society Card Game a bit more accessible (and cozy) to aā€¦
4
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13
Make your own one-page RPG (Part 1: Introduction)
16
More public domain art resources
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12
Get creative with one-page RPGs
17
Don't ask these playtesting questions!
21
How fragile is your game design?
43
The moment of truth approaches!
Exploring how Gladiator (1981) uses mechanisms to support the theme of combat and a fickle crowd in the arenas of ancient Rome.
6
šŸšŖ Kick open the door.
The latest issue of TUMULUS is shipping now, including creative inspiration for dungeon crawls, pub dice games, locks, keys, depth crawls, weird floraā€¦
Start here: The best of Skeleton Code Machine
An updated list of the best articles you may have missed, including both old and new. If you are one of the 2,000+ new subscribers over the last yearā€¦
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2
What's the difference between asymmetry and variable player powers?
Exploring games with variable player powers and asymmetric victory conditions, including Dracula vs Van Helsing.
8
Can we use ADDIE to make a better rulebook?
Exploring the ADDIE model from the world of instructional design and how it might be used to create rulebooks that are more clear, concise, andā€¦
6
How should we handle garbage time in tabletop games?
Exploring the idea of "garbage time" at the end of a game through the psychological lenses of cognitive closure, ambiguous loss, and the framing effect.
20
Drinking deep from the well of sadness
Exploring the Ocean Madness tracker in Deep Regrets, an "unfortunate fishing game about pulling progressively more horrifying things out of the ocean."
10
Where are the board game SRDs?
In which I ponder if the idea of a board game SRD or third-party license makes any sense. And if so, what would be required to create a culture ofā€¦
41
Minimalist game design with Compile
Exploring minimalist game design and how Compile's multi-use cards create strategic depth with just a few simple game components
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7
Skeleton Code Machine
Skeleton Code Machine
Spark your creativity as a tabletop game designer or enthusiast, and think differently about how games work. ENNIE-nominated!
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