amplify what makes you unique

Tools and articles for game makers to help you create even more.

Hi, I’m James. I spent a decade engineering at startups and prototyping games. Now I craft resources that keep your creativity flowing.

series

Tools for Game Development

A collection of tools to assist you in game development, from animation and design to project management and business planning.

Game Design Lessons

Analyses of what makes great games fun, with design lessons drawn from the most engaging mechanics and experiences.

Game Development Tips

A collection of learnings that I've gathered along my journey towards my first commercial release, from coding to art to design.

Tools for Habit Formation

Several tools to help you with forming habits, from tracking and goal setting to mindfulness and reflection.

Tech Experiments

Deep dives into the latest tech capabilities and experimenting with AI/LLM systems to find the boundaries of what's possible.

Solo Creation Insights

Lessons earned from trying to create something meaningful solo. From trying to make a sustainable living to the realities of being the only employee.

framelet

procedural sprite animation simulator

tane

your living game design document

mech mash

discover game loops that excite you

Procedural 2D Animation

framelet lets you apply animation styles like jitter or color cycling to your sprites in just a few clicks.

Finding Fun #16: God of War 3

Learning ways to design for power fantasy from one of the best to ever offer it.

LLMs: A Dangerous Echo Chamber

ChatGPT is a powerful tool, but be aware that it's designed to tell you what you want to hear.

Discover Game Loops

mech mash helps you explore game mechanics to discover synergies that set your gameplay apart.

Improve Your Steam Page

Applying Steam's best practices across these parts of your page can help boost your visibility.

You Are Employee #1

A reality check for indie makers and solo founders about the accountability of being the only employee.