This post will probably feel trivial to a lot of people, but for me, learning how to get a game to feel right was possibly the biggest “aha” moment in my gamedev journey. Before I delved into game development, I honestly didn’t think about games outside the context of which genres I liked, which visual styles appealed to me, and how many hours of gameplay they offered.
Now I realize how much more it takes to make a game feel “right”. Well, obviously. It’s the little things that make or break a game, subtle animations of waves crashing against the hex tiles, the dragon wagging his tail as he watches you harvest and cook, all the tiny clicks, thunks, thuds, rustles, and clanks as the dice fall, board pieces fit into place, and recipes slide into the tray.
I’ve been adding little details and polishing every aspect of gameplay for months now. It’s a lot of work for a solo dev, and it’s not always apparent at first glance. But getting the gamefeel right is often what separates a good game from a great one. And reading player feedback like “The game feels incredibly good!” is so rewarding.