Indie Game Design: Build Your Game’s Core System (Udemy.com)

some of the stuff he explains is really basic to people who are already in adjacent careers to game development/ who did their own research into game development. but, some of the stuff really helped me. the checklists are a def bonus. and for people who dont have any idea on game development or design this is a good course to begin your journey with, cant wait for the other courses!!

At first glance, you might think the course consists only of platitudes; after all, it’s relatively short and covers a broad range of topics. But you quickly realize that the author’s immense experience saves you from plenty of detours and dead ends. You do, however, have to be willing to really put in the work—that is, to pause the video every few minutes, make sense of the material, and jot down some notes along the way. Using this approach, the course took me just under 4 days to complete, and I filled 36 pages in my notebook. I found the checklists very useful when designing my own little game; more than once, I was surprised by the seemingly obvious questions I’d forgotten to ask myself. The result is a game that feels “seamless”—one that I’d not only enjoy implementing but would actually love to play myself. I definitely got more out of the course than I expected.

Very interesting and teaching course ! The way of explaining is good, straight to the point. I really liked the workshop with the check-list that helped me to implement in practicle terms my game system for my game project that I began one year ago. Before, I was a bit lost watching explanations on web, youtube tutorials but always with spreads informations and then working by myself on a lot of subjects and issues and I did not understand at the moment how to develop properly my own game system right on the paper and what it is important or not for my game project. And, finally, today, thanks to your course, I succeed ! I am really impatient about the next courses you will create ! Thank you M.Luban ! Keep Good the work ! :)

I'm so thankful to Pascal for this very exceptional course. I am a solo developer and I found the information and methods to be invaluable. I would place this in my top-tier materials next to Art of Game Design (Schell) and Advanced Game Design - A Systems Approach (Sellers). This course offers practical tools, concrete definitions, and usable checklists, which can be implemented immediately. And very valuable understandings with which I 100% agree- the main element is the gameplay- so how do we design and support it? This course came at the right time and offered me some much-needed missing puzzle pieces, such as breaking often heard terms such as "challenge" or "mastery" into defined component parts which are not abstract, but concrete. The course is also delivered very thoughtfully in human-to-human lecture format, which is an ideal way to learn, and is properly paced! So happy to learn from a real human, with 30 years of real experience, who actually likes games!! Thank you Pascal, I look forward to your future courses!

I am genuinely shocked that content of this caliber is available for just $10; it is easily one of the best investments I’ve ever made. Pascal’s course is exceptionally well-structured, reminiscent of the high-level lectures from my Master’s program. There is absolutely zero 'fluff'—every sentence provides immense value. The course addressed questions I’ve struggled with for years, specifically regarding the essential components of great gameplay, identifying design gaps, and the proper role of narrative. Beyond the theory, the provided checklist is an incredibly practical tool that I am already applying to my current project. It’s clear that a tremendous amount of effort went into this. If you are interested in gameplay design, I highly recommend spending the $10 and a few hours on this—the value far exceeds the price.

I already received what I expected + I got a tool that I can use in the future so I can make better decision when doing my work. Still, it is merely a part of my research towards making games + I still haven't watch the entire course. #Edit: I watched the entire course. It provided me with insight on what should I do before I start actual coding, drawing and composing. I am giving it 5 stars for two reasons: - Knowledge from industry experts such as Mr Luban is actually rare. And it is all compacted here into short and easy to digest 3,5 hours that can save you weeks of work if you watch it before starting your game. - As an incentive for the author to make more courses :)

hey pascal, usually i give reviews after finishing them but since im half way there i got a good sense of the overall quality. it honestly filled alot of knowledge gaps so far that i did not know during the bootcamp. sure there are still more but as someone in my position, it is a good place to start with strong foundation on they theory part of designing games. the only suggestion for improvements would be to make an exercise on each topic so the information can stick better. i know there are present in the workshop section but more practical exercises would be great addition. looking forward for your next course defiantly going to take it :)

A bit disappointed, I thought this would be a short but dense course packed with information, instead I got the impression it doesn't teach much and only on a surface generic level. There are 3 sections in which we are shown the same uncommented playthrough of the first level of new super mario bros, or 4 minutes of cutscene in the video lesson regarding game narrative, which in a course this short feel like padding. Probably the most insightful section is the one about player engagement. Maybe I am being spoiled by modern day youtubers but production quality feels a bit rushed, more than once he repeats himself after mispelling something instead of cutting and shooting a new take, the volume is low and sometimes the audio is glitchy, subtitles go out of sync, also the weird choice of using black as hightlight color in the key learnings section. Overall I feel there was very few content for the price, the most interesting topics will be handled in future separate courses but I don't think I will get those there are other resources that definitely provide a better bang for your buck.

I bought this course without knowing if I would have time to take it soon, but then I watched one video, then the next one, and the next. Suddenly I realized I spent the whole day with this course. I've finished it yesterday. I took several game design courses before, but I've to say this one really blowed my mind. All the previous ones I took were focused on the MDA framework, and, I do not say it is not useful, but it is, from my point of view, very difficult to implement correctly, specially if you're a newcomer to game design. This course felt intuitive, very clear, going to the point, and contains a lot of knowledge pills that makes it pure gold. Totally recommended. The value of an expert working in the industry for so long is huge.

This game design course is a game-changer. As an indie game designer, I've struggled to find a clear, structured approach, often piecing things together from random sources and forcing ideas into a GDD before production. Mr. Pascal's course provides a solid methodology, emphasizing the crucial pre-production phase. I now understand the importance of clearly defining the game system and core gameplay before development. Before, I rushed into development, but now I value thorough planning. I might even delay production until the advanced courses are released, to further refine my skills. This course is mandatory for anyone serious about game design, especially indie developers lacking formal training. Thank you, Mr. Pascal, for this valuable resource!