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1 week ago | 
superjumpmagazine.com | Josh Bycer
Interview
The Creeper World series has represented a different take on real-time strategy design over the years thanks to its focus on fighting against an unending force known as "The Creeper". The fifth game in the series is changing things up, most noticeably through a shift from 3D to 2D design. I recently spoke with the game's creator, Knuckle Cracker.
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1 week ago | 
medium.com | Josh Bycer
Making the Most out of Your Game and ProfitWith all the live service games I’ve played over the years and the research into my book on free-to-play design, I haven’t stopped to try and catalog the different content that can be made for mobile and live service, as it’s a fascinating breakdown of what goes into making money in these games and why there never is enough.
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3 weeks ago | 
superjumpmagazine.com | Josh Bycer |Bryan Finck |CJ Wilson |Antony Terence
Plenty of amazing games go unnoticed and are not played widely for various reasons. Maybe it’s a diamond in the rough, or the marketing wasn’t there, or it could be a game ahead of its time. For this monthly series, I’ve asked my fellow writers on SUPERJUMP to pick a game they think is deserving of a chance in the spotlight. Let us know your favorite hidden gems in the comments.
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3 weeks ago | 
superjumpmagazine.com | Josh Bycer
Activision’s findings about skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) are an important read about the challenges and misconceptions of creating a competitive and friendly online atmosphere. But it also drives home one of the hardest aspects of these games and how it relates to matchmaking and balancing a game: what does skill mean in a game? A winner is...you?
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1 month ago | 
superjumpmagazine.com | Josh Bycer |Antony Terence
Plenty of amazing games go unnoticed and are not played widely for various reasons. Maybe it’s a diamond in the rough, or the marketing wasn’t there, or it could be a game ahead of its time. For this monthly series, I’ve asked my fellow writers on SUPERJUMP to pick a game they think is deserving of a chance in the spotlight. Let us know your favorite hidden gems in the comments.
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2 months ago | 
cgboss.substack.com | Josh Bycer |Weiqing Teh
Welcome to another BossKey Newsletter Updateš®Doom AI generated šDeadlock Lore is all about Magic moba steampunkš± Concord what it got wrong on Live Service DesignRecently Doom Got recreated or cloned by AI. This came up in one of the AI Newsletter I follow. The Gist is that Doom GameNGen is a realtime diffusion based engine sending frames of training data to the screen in real time. In my basic understanding its a real-time video generator.
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2 months ago | 
superjumpmagazine.com | Josh Bycer
I was reading a piece recently on Game Developer that gave me pause about the meaning of game design at the AAA level: is it really about focusing on analytics and trying to “math” the perfect game? A monumental shift occurred in the 2010s with the rise of the indie development scene. But one important conversation that is often missed in the context of that shift is the assumptions about AAA development and which of these can/should be put to rest.
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Jan 24, 2025 | 
superjumpmagazine.com | Josh Bycer |Antony Terence
Plenty of amazing games go unnoticed and are not played widely for various reasons. Maybe it’s a diamond in the rough, or the marketing wasn’t there, or it could be a game ahead of its time. For this monthly series, I’ve asked my fellow writers on SUPERJUMP to pick a game they think is deserving of a chance in the spotlight. Let us know your favorite hidden gems in the comments. Josh BycerThe indie space led to many different genre resurgences and reveals throughout the 2010s.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
superjumpmagazine.com | Josh Bycer
I have played plenty of video games at this point and have noticed that - when it comes to originality in game design - you're often guaranteed to find it in the indie space (especially from first-time developers). It's understandable that many game designers want to be "the first to create X" or "take Y genre in a new direction". But there are risks associated with these goals, especially in relation to something I call the over-design trap.
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Jan 13, 2025 | 
superjumpmagazine.com | Josh Bycer
Digital Extremes, Grinding Gear Games, and Hoyoverse are just a few of the big names in mobile and live service that I have covered. Yet, a single mobile game stands out for its enduring popularity, continuous evolution through new content, and yearly revenue in the millions. In terms of gameplay and monetization, Kablam’s Marvel Contest of Champions is exceptionally unique.
