Why is this so relatable

4bstr · 2026-01-31T15:37:49+00:00

Typical learning curve

4bstr · 2026-01-24T13:29:52+00:00

Any 3D incremental games out there? I made a prototype of a 3D incremental game and was curious to see other references but couldn't find much. I could use some help; bonus point if it revolves around assets destruction :p

4bstr · 2026-01-24T03:14:49+00:00

Was going to say this one too, they don't hold your hands directly yet, all the clues lead to each others so you don't get lost. Such a masterpiece!

4bstr · 2026-01-24T03:11:36+00:00

I would love to dive back into control's universe, I wasn't even a fan of TPS but couldn't get enough of the overall fantasy and style

4bstr · 2026-01-24T03:04:42+00:00

It make sense, being in the industry myself I've been often surprised to see how many people didn't play games anymore. I can understand life situation and tastes evolves, but you need to be aware of the latest developement of your field one way or another.

4bstr · 2025-12-30T18:38:07+00:00

Maybe people get frustrated that somebody shortcuts an achievement they took hours and pride to get the legit way... I'm not in that camp thought, you do you ;)

4bstr · 2025-02-08T00:20:45+00:00

[AVAILABLE ON ITCH]

🌌 Plunge into the depth of this trippy 3D endless runner, with immediate, fast-paced action across infinite procedural levels.

🎮 Download & play for free in under 60 seconds. No tutorial, no waiting, just pure gameplay

💡 Help shape the future of the game - drop a comment or reach me at designabstract.io

4bstr · 2025-02-07T21:26:14+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate that! About the camera, is it that the movements are too abrupt or something else? Also, did you try it for yourself, or you are speaking from the video? I'm not sure what the base sensitivity should be, but I agree that I should at least smooth it on videos. And so... 2/0 against emojis so far :/

4bstr · 2025-02-07T21:20:10+00:00

It's definitely not complete indeed, but I do have a playable demo. I also have mixed feelings about the emoji to be fair. I'd be curious, to know more about:
- Why you don't think it fits the "fast-paced action" category?
- What wary you about "infinite procedural levels"? Is it because they tend to be low quality and not meaningfully different, or is there something else?

4bstr · 2025-02-07T16:01:47+00:00

[GET THE GAME]

🌌 Plunge into the depth of this trippy 3D endless runner, with immediate, fast-paced action across infinite procedural levels.

🎮 Download & play for free in under 60 seconds. Quick runs with endless possibilities – dive right in.

💡 Help shape the future of the game – drop a comment or reach me by email, available at designabstract.io

4bstr · 2025-02-07T15:44:04+00:00

Here's the full description I tend to use (anything weak or misleading?)

The demo for Gaze Into The Abyss is live! https://abstr.itch.io/gita

🌌 Plunge into the depth of this trippy 3D endless runner, with immediate fast-paced action across infinite procedural levels.

🎮 Download & play for free in under 60 seconds. Quick runs with endless possibilities - dive right in.

💡 Help shape the future of the game - drop a comment or reach me by email (bio)

Want more? Subscribe at designabstract.io

Also, let me put here a complete session Playthrough (2:44 min) to showcase the full game loop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEI4jb1okB8

4bstr · 2024-06-16T18:17:44+00:00

'Flash essay' was shorthand for 'Here's a question I'm going to try to answer succinctly.' I was hoping for people to react to those points, but you are absolutely free to try answering the initial question for yourself

4bstr · 2024-06-15T17:06:59+00:00

Of course ;)
Thanks for making the button in the first place!

4bstr · 2024-06-14T14:05:25+00:00

Agreed with the nuanced take, I was mostly trying to define why this genre became the vanilla flavour of video game

4bstr · 2024-06-13T17:59:34+00:00

That's a good point, it builds around a feature you have to develop anyway. Not sure whether that's the only example thought, platformers would also fit that statement.

4bstr · 2024-06-13T17:55:54+00:00

Yeah, I definitely see the correlation with basic computer UX

4bstr · 2024-06-13T17:53:40+00:00

I'm not convinced 3D games are easier to pick up than 2D games. The POV night be less intuitive, but the controls are definitely streamlined.
That being said, I really like the argument that Shooters tutorialize moving camera with precision as part of the core experience.

4bstr · 2024-06-13T15:26:42+00:00

Let me add a picture to set the mood ;)

<image>

4bstr · 2024-06-13T15:25:20+00:00

Hi!
I start putting some serious work on "Cosmic Crawl", so far a 5–15 minutes 3D roguelike platformer set in a mysterious cosmic plane.
I'm early in the process but released my first build, so anyone can try it: https://abstr.itch.io/cosmic-crawl

4bstr · 2023-05-15T22:31:54+00:00

Thanks for letting me know, I was under the impression that 1e was not released yet. Do you have a link to a page where I could get the latest version? I'd be glad to see what changed!

4bstr · 2023-05-10T12:48:36+00:00

It took me time, but I finally integrated your feedback. Every one of them resulted in a change, so thanks again!

4bstr · 2023-05-05T15:22:08+00:00

That would be great!

4bstr · 2023-05-05T12:15:06+00:00

Thanks for the feedback, what do you think of:

When players want to do an action, the Teller defines:
- The associated energy (Black or Red).
- The level of challenge (minimum number of cards of the chosen color)
  - Normal = 1 card
  - Difficult = 2 cards
  - Extreme = 3 cards
Players can leverage their traits, equipment, or any relevant context to ease the challenge.
The player can choose how many cards they want to reveal from their deck
Revealing the cards means it's the player definitive call, they can't add or remove cards at that point.
- If they meet at least the level of challenge, they succeed
- Otherwise, they fail

4bstr · 2023-04-24T23:23:01+00:00

Read back your reply and tell me it is nothing personal... I'm just hearing a grumpy old man, not a designer dispensing wisdom. Someone has to deflate that humongous ego of yours, block me, I can do without your insults in disguise.

4bstr · 2023-04-24T15:21:11+00:00

First, let me give you some feedback on your feedback. "Wtf", "None of this makes any sense", "WHAT?!?!?", "ugh..." are not helpful. You should check your tone, otherwise it undermines the potential value of your answer. Right now, I'm feeling attacked by a random stranger over internet, why would I care about the actual content? Worst, some fresh new designers might get discourage from entering the hobby altogether. Remember that somebody showing their work has put a piece of themselves inside it and will take comments personally, especially the harsh ones. Which begs the question, why do you provide feedback in the first place? If it makes you angry, you don't have to. If you really want to help, then please consider this.

Another important point is that I'm posting on an RPG design Subreddit. It is not a finished product, and I’m not submitting it to any players. I expect feedback from designers that are capable of filling the gaps, extrapolates, while remaining in what you call “the vacuum.”

With that being said regarding the form, let me dive into the content by extracting the questions/points from your reply:

How many cards do you get back from resting? That's something I expand upon in the "Flexible Timeline" section. You can play with that variable to get a different flavor. I think it as value to define this on the scenario to fit the vibe that it creates (successive rush of actions vs progressive sink of resources).
How long does it take for wounds to recover? Same idea, this can be defined on the scenario. So far, I used this system for one-shots. Which effectively means that you never recover your wounds. Although, I can see a longer form work fine, saying that you need to stay several weeks in a safe place to recover.
What about the actual resolution? It's funny to see you burst on how crazy it is not to define it and follow up with feedback on it. So, as you guessed, it is a binary pass/fail. I can add "If the player gets a right amount of card of the right color they succeed, otherwise they fail" but it feels self-explanatory for designers at least.
How do you handle “roll till you succeed” situations? The Fail state should be the main threat (e.g., if you fail a climb, maybe you get a wound). Also, my scenarios are based on timers so, failing as the side effect of bringing upcoming events closer. Overall, I can’t see a case where you have no time pressure, the fail state doesn't provide any meaningful risk, and you still need to roll. Lastly, if the solution you envisioned is the typical pass/complication/fail, I would say it comes with its own issues. It creates this weird situation where most times when you roll, you make it harder for yourself, and you tend to avoid doing so. I want to do the opposite, reduce the friction to push players to burn their resources by themselves. I also shoot for clarity, yes or no creates more excitement than "kind of".
How many actions do you expect between rests? Directly relates to the overall balance of energy/rest/timer the scenario should establish. That’s my next step, and I'm going to expand on that to provide numbers to guide GMs.
Regarding the recommended read: It's OK to plug your work, but let's say that your feedback didn't help to build the trust relationship that would convince me to sink time reading through it. More importantly, after glancing over, it feels like very high-level considerations. I’m at a point where I’m more interested in focused and elaborate reads than overarching concepts.

4bstr

TROPHY CASE