“To be useful, an item must be used.” – Francine Jay, The Joy of Less.

Something I like to think about when creating systems and content in games. This quote helps me when I’m feeling overwhelmed about all I want to do with my projects; I just need to think about the things that my players will find useful and enjoy. Don’t confuse this for thinking of how games look (Mirror’s Edge, Thomas Was Alone, or Journey), although that stuff is nice too. This is what I think of when it comes to mechanics and how to not overwhelm players, especially when trying to teach them the mechanics as well.  Minimalism is also very much about living an intentional life. Translate this to: Giving players an intentional design.

I originally started with the quote that is the post’s title, but I think the featured image gives some important advice as well. As game designers, getting “the perfect amount” of something in our game is so important to the player’s experience.