Nielsthooft.com

Game Design Consultancy

Reviewing design documents, prototypes or full games, looking at things like usability, playability, feedback loops, information curves. Delivering these findings in the form of a report with perceived problems and suggestions for improvement, rather than straightforward criticism. I like to think of this as ‘writing a review before it’s too late’.

Some notes:

* The game development team is usually so deep into their game, that a fresh, analytical perspective can do wonders.
* Especially if that perspective is–uniquely–halfway between the experiental gamer’s perspective and the technical developer’s perspective.
* Preferably, I analyse a game halfway through development, where most of it is in place, but there’s still room in the schedule to move things around.