We’ve talked extensively on this blog about why you should design games, why they are so awesome for self-expression, and how you can create your first game. But once you’ve taken the first step, it can be hard to know where to go to learn more. Today, I’m going to share some of the resources I personally use to expand my knowledge of game design. Though there are countless amazing creators out there, here are ten of my personal favourites.
Starting out with one of my most recent discoveries, Kohdok is an excellent resource all about card game design. Their recent series, The Seven Deadly Sins of TCG Design, covers many of the major design pitfalls of card games (and how to avoid them). Their channel is a great place to go if you want to learn why games like Magic: the Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and the Pokémon TCG have withstood the test of time, while other games like Redakai, Hecatomb, and the Harry Potter TCG disappeared after only a few years.
Shifting focus to another genre-specific channel, Core-A Gaming is the best place to learn about the fighting game genre. While I personally don’t play many fighting games, their videos is so polished and engaging that I can’t help but love them. On top of that, many of their insights are applicable to all games regardless of genre, and I’ve used many of their lessons when designing my own games.
Moving on to one of the classics, Extra Credits was one of the first channels I found when I got into game design. They are a great place to go when you’re just starting out, and they have a massive backlog of videos that cover all the basics of game design. Regardless of what kinds of games you want to make, Extra Credits is a great place to start your journey.
If video essays are more your style, Adam Millard is perfect for you. Their videos cover a wide range of topics from Roguelikes to gameplay loops to progression systems. Every video is polished and well-researched and offers a unique perspective on gaming that you won’t find anywhere else.
As an new indie dev, it can feel really intimitating break into the industry. Thanksfully, Game Dev Underground has got your back. Their channel is all about helping people launch their games and thrive as an indie game creator. If you’re looking for an honest, supportive, and open perspective, this is the place for you.
Of all of the channels I follow on D&D and RPGs, Matt Colville has always been the one that resonated with me the most. In particular, their Running the Game series is a comprehensive resource full of practical tips for both new and veteran players. Whenever I’m looking for ways to improve my DM skills, Matt Colville’s channel is always the first place I go.
If you’re specifically looking for channels about digital game design, these next two channels are for you. The first one, Blackthornprod, is full of great step-by-step Unity tutorials on a variety of topics, including character controllers, animation, and mobile game development. Their videos on procedural generation were particularly useful for me when I was programming the level generation system in hollow,
The 2nd channel, Brackeys, has been my go-to resource for Unity tutorials. Their videos taught me all the basics of game programming, as well as many more advanced techniques. Though they recently decided to retire from making videos, their channel still has a huge archive of guides and tutorials. Since both of these channels were essential for me in completing my MA in Game Design, so it only feels fair to mention them both together.
The Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) is an annual event where some of the best and brightest designers in the industry come together to share their insights. Unfortunately, the conference is notoriously expensive to attend and isn’t really accessible to new designers. Luckily, many of the talks are available for free on their YouTube channel. Here, you can find literally hundreds of talks that cover ever aspect of game design and development. If there’s something about games you want to learn about, chances are there’s a GDC talk about.
If you were going to only check out one channel on this list, it should be GMTK. Mark Brown’s video essays have really opened my eyes on how games can be designed and what they are capable of. Their videos cover a huge breath of topics, including designing for disability, the fundamentals of level design, and how video game genres are created. Whether you want to learn about how to make games, or what makes your favourite games so special, this is the perfect place to go.