Polaris Game Design
@polarisgamedesign.com
Solving the toughest problems in game design. Mostly a yearly weekend retreat for professional game designers. https://polarisgamedesign.com/
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The Polaris List
Polaris is a non-profit committed to improving and refining the art and craft of game design. In order to get a snapshot of current game design thinking and reference points, we wondered — what do wor...
polarisgamedesign.com
We asked 167 pro game designers what games influenced their work, and aggregated the results into a top-100! I'll thread the list here, but if you wanna cheat, head on over: polarisgamedesign.com/the-polaris-...
Podcast with more nuance: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/are-t...
Podcast with more nuance: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/are-t...
Reposted by Polaris Game Design
One year ago today, I released the ashcan of REALIS, my first TTRPG. Today, we've got a near-complete draft that's 50,000 words longer than the preview that so many of you checked out, with over 100 new pieces of art.
Thanks to everyone who checked it out. And get ready for the KS later this year.
Thanks to everyone who checked it out. And get ready for the KS later this year.
January 20, 2026 at 10:20 PM
One year ago today, I released the ashcan of REALIS, my first TTRPG. Today, we've got a near-complete draft that's 50,000 words longer than the preview that so many of you checked out, with over 100 new pieces of art.
Thanks to everyone who checked it out. And get ready for the KS later this year.
Thanks to everyone who checked it out. And get ready for the KS later this year.
Game designer @natloh.bsky.social Nat Loh's top 10 influential games (unranked):
GTA 3
Megaman 2
The Legend of Zelda: BOTW
The Legend of Zelda
Star Control 2
Wolfenstein 3D
Metal Gear Solid
Lode Runner
Civilization
Shadow of the Colossus
Runner-up: "Naruto [...] on Skylander ability ideation."
GTA 3
Megaman 2
The Legend of Zelda: BOTW
The Legend of Zelda
Star Control 2
Wolfenstein 3D
Metal Gear Solid
Lode Runner
Civilization
Shadow of the Colossus
Runner-up: "Naruto [...] on Skylander ability ideation."
January 20, 2026 at 1:28 AM
Game designer @natloh.bsky.social Nat Loh's top 10 influential games (unranked):
GTA 3
Megaman 2
The Legend of Zelda: BOTW
The Legend of Zelda
Star Control 2
Wolfenstein 3D
Metal Gear Solid
Lode Runner
Civilization
Shadow of the Colossus
Runner-up: "Naruto [...] on Skylander ability ideation."
GTA 3
Megaman 2
The Legend of Zelda: BOTW
The Legend of Zelda
Star Control 2
Wolfenstein 3D
Metal Gear Solid
Lode Runner
Civilization
Shadow of the Colossus
Runner-up: "Naruto [...] on Skylander ability ideation."
Reposted by Polaris Game Design
Happy Weekend! My tiny Over the Garden Wall adventure game has hit 10k plays on itch.io🎉! It's FREE to play https://juliaminamata.itch.io/otgw -- A nice way to spend a cozy half hour or so indoors. ❄️ There's also a walkthrough, no worries about getting stuck!
The Round-about Orchard: A tiny Over the Garden Wall game by JuliaMinamata
A two-room adventure game that takes about fifteen minutes to play
juliaminamata.itch.io
January 18, 2026 at 8:46 PM
Happy Weekend! My tiny Over the Garden Wall adventure game has hit 10k plays on itch.io🎉! It's FREE to play https://juliaminamata.itch.io/otgw -- A nice way to spend a cozy half hour or so indoors. ❄️ There's also a walkthrough, no worries about getting stuck!
Creative Director & Designer Michael Austin's 10 most influential games (unranked):
Adventure
Super Mario Brothers
Legend of Zelda
Oblivion
Counter-Strike
Assassin's Creed
Stardew Valley
Slay the Spire
Civilization
Satisfactory
Adventure
Super Mario Brothers
Legend of Zelda
Oblivion
Counter-Strike
Assassin's Creed
Stardew Valley
Slay the Spire
Civilization
Satisfactory
January 18, 2026 at 1:31 AM
Creative Director & Designer Michael Austin's 10 most influential games (unranked):
Adventure
Super Mario Brothers
Legend of Zelda
Oblivion
Counter-Strike
Assassin's Creed
Stardew Valley
Slay the Spire
Civilization
Satisfactory
Adventure
Super Mario Brothers
Legend of Zelda
Oblivion
Counter-Strike
Assassin's Creed
Stardew Valley
Slay the Spire
Civilization
Satisfactory
Reposted by Polaris Game Design
The influence of Ultima Online (by Raph Koster) www.raphkoster.com/2017/09/28/u...
January 16, 2026 at 9:52 AM
The influence of Ultima Online (by Raph Koster) www.raphkoster.com/2017/09/28/u...
Ken Rolston's top 10 influential games (unranked):
Little Inferno
Civilization
Baldur's Gate
Myth II: Soulblighter
Dragon's Dogma
Daggerfall
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Card Hunter
Call of Duty
Honorable Mention: Tunnels and Trolls tabletop rpg
Little Inferno
Civilization
Baldur's Gate
Myth II: Soulblighter
Dragon's Dogma
Daggerfall
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Card Hunter
Call of Duty
Honorable Mention: Tunnels and Trolls tabletop rpg
January 16, 2026 at 1:49 PM
Ken Rolston's top 10 influential games (unranked):
Little Inferno
Civilization
Baldur's Gate
Myth II: Soulblighter
Dragon's Dogma
Daggerfall
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Card Hunter
Call of Duty
Honorable Mention: Tunnels and Trolls tabletop rpg
Little Inferno
Civilization
Baldur's Gate
Myth II: Soulblighter
Dragon's Dogma
Daggerfall
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
Card Hunter
Call of Duty
Honorable Mention: Tunnels and Trolls tabletop rpg
Top 10 influential games according to designer Jolie Menzel @joliemenzel.bsky.social (unranked):
Kirby 64
Pokemon Crystal
Sonic Adventure 2
Super Smash Brothers: Melee
Super Mario Sunshine
Katamari Damacy
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Portal
Skyrim
Minecraft
Kirby 64
Pokemon Crystal
Sonic Adventure 2
Super Smash Brothers: Melee
Super Mario Sunshine
Katamari Damacy
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Portal
Skyrim
Minecraft
January 13, 2026 at 1:46 AM
Top 10 influential games according to designer Jolie Menzel @joliemenzel.bsky.social (unranked):
Kirby 64
Pokemon Crystal
Sonic Adventure 2
Super Smash Brothers: Melee
Super Mario Sunshine
Katamari Damacy
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Portal
Skyrim
Minecraft
Kirby 64
Pokemon Crystal
Sonic Adventure 2
Super Smash Brothers: Melee
Super Mario Sunshine
Katamari Damacy
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Portal
Skyrim
Minecraft
Reposted by Polaris Game Design
Because I love to talk about the games that made me as a designer: here's a blog post about my response to @polarisgamedesign.com's survey of influential games.
azhdarchid.com/a-design-gen...
azhdarchid.com/a-design-gen...
A Design Genealogy in Ten Lessons
Back in August, Polaris surveyed 150 game designers about the games that influenced them. This is my list.
azhdarchid.com
January 11, 2026 at 3:10 AM
Because I love to talk about the games that made me as a designer: here's a blog post about my response to @polarisgamedesign.com's survey of influential games.
azhdarchid.com/a-design-gen...
azhdarchid.com/a-design-gen...
Top 10 influential games as submitted by Brenda Romero @brendaromero.bsky.social :
Dungeons & Dragons (1977)
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
M.U.L.E.
Civilization
DOOM (1993)
Half-Life 2
Minecraft
The Beginner's Guide
That Dragon Cancer
What Remains of Edith Finch
Dungeons & Dragons (1977)
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
M.U.L.E.
Civilization
DOOM (1993)
Half-Life 2
Minecraft
The Beginner's Guide
That Dragon Cancer
What Remains of Edith Finch
January 10, 2026 at 6:48 PM
Top 10 influential games as submitted by Brenda Romero @brendaromero.bsky.social :
Dungeons & Dragons (1977)
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
M.U.L.E.
Civilization
DOOM (1993)
Half-Life 2
Minecraft
The Beginner's Guide
That Dragon Cancer
What Remains of Edith Finch
Dungeons & Dragons (1977)
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord
M.U.L.E.
Civilization
DOOM (1993)
Half-Life 2
Minecraft
The Beginner's Guide
That Dragon Cancer
What Remains of Edith Finch
Polaris Report summary: A Toolkit for Encouraging Player Stories
how can we make it more likely that players will share their stories with each other? here's some tips on how to seed higher "tellability" in your design!
or read the paper: polarisgamedesign.com/2022/a-toolk...
how can we make it more likely that players will share their stories with each other? here's some tips on how to seed higher "tellability" in your design!
or read the paper: polarisgamedesign.com/2022/a-toolk...
A Toolkit for Encouraging Player Stories
Players play games, and when things go right, they tell compelling stories about their play experiences. Sometimes these stories even become community legends. This report looks to identify the condit...
polarisgamedesign.com
January 9, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Polaris Report summary: A Toolkit for Encouraging Player Stories
how can we make it more likely that players will share their stories with each other? here's some tips on how to seed higher "tellability" in your design!
or read the paper: polarisgamedesign.com/2022/a-toolk...
how can we make it more likely that players will share their stories with each other? here's some tips on how to seed higher "tellability" in your design!
or read the paper: polarisgamedesign.com/2022/a-toolk...
a new batch of Polaris reports is coming soon! have you browsed all the reports from past years lately? new game design insights might catch your eye: polarisgamedesign.com/reports/
Reports
REPORTS 2022 2023 2023 Understanding Systems Suspense Why is it fun to learn the rules of a videogame? Not just to play the game, but to learn it; to travel from the state of unknowing to knowing, to ...
polarisgamedesign.com
January 9, 2026 at 2:12 PM
a new batch of Polaris reports is coming soon! have you browsed all the reports from past years lately? new game design insights might catch your eye: polarisgamedesign.com/reports/
Daniel Stansens submitted this top 10 influential games list:
Everquest
Planescape: Torment
Diablo 2
Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2(!)
Battlefield 1942
Rogue
King's Quest
Mass Effect 1
Star Wars: Galaxies(!)
Final Fantasy 4(!)
Non-videogame honorary mention: The artist Plastiboo
Everquest
Planescape: Torment
Diablo 2
Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2(!)
Battlefield 1942
Rogue
King's Quest
Mass Effect 1
Star Wars: Galaxies(!)
Final Fantasy 4(!)
Non-videogame honorary mention: The artist Plastiboo
January 8, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Daniel Stansens submitted this top 10 influential games list:
Everquest
Planescape: Torment
Diablo 2
Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2(!)
Battlefield 1942
Rogue
King's Quest
Mass Effect 1
Star Wars: Galaxies(!)
Final Fantasy 4(!)
Non-videogame honorary mention: The artist Plastiboo
Everquest
Planescape: Torment
Diablo 2
Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2(!)
Battlefield 1942
Rogue
King's Quest
Mass Effect 1
Star Wars: Galaxies(!)
Final Fantasy 4(!)
Non-videogame honorary mention: The artist Plastiboo
Reposted by Polaris Game Design
We asked 167 pro game designers what games influenced their work, and aggregated the results into a top-100! I'll thread the list here, but if you wanna cheat, head on over: polarisgamedesign.com/the-polaris-...
Podcast with more nuance: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/are-t...
Podcast with more nuance: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/are-t...
The Polaris List
Polaris is a non-profit committed to improving and refining the art and craft of game design. In order to get a snapshot of current game design thinking and reference points, we wondered — what do wor...
polarisgamedesign.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:27 AM
We asked 167 pro game designers what games influenced their work, and aggregated the results into a top-100! I'll thread the list here, but if you wanna cheat, head on over: polarisgamedesign.com/the-polaris-...
Podcast with more nuance: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/are-t...
Podcast with more nuance: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/are-t...
Reposted by Polaris Game Design
Apropos of Zork and Hithchiker's Guide to the Galaxy making it into the @polarisgamedesign.com list of influential games, here's the parser interactive fiction I think everyone should play:
Aisle
Spider & Web
A Mind Forever Voyaging
Anchorhead
Slouching Towards Bedlam
Savoir-Faire
Eat Me
Aisle
Spider & Web
A Mind Forever Voyaging
Anchorhead
Slouching Towards Bedlam
Savoir-Faire
Eat Me
January 7, 2026 at 3:19 AM
Apropos of Zork and Hithchiker's Guide to the Galaxy making it into the @polarisgamedesign.com list of influential games, here's the parser interactive fiction I think everyone should play:
Aisle
Spider & Web
A Mind Forever Voyaging
Anchorhead
Slouching Towards Bedlam
Savoir-Faire
Eat Me
Aisle
Spider & Web
A Mind Forever Voyaging
Anchorhead
Slouching Towards Bedlam
Savoir-Faire
Eat Me
Ian Schreiber's @ianschreiber.bsky.social top 10 influential game list (unranked):
Final Fantasy VI
To The Moon(!)
Narbacular Drop(!)
Marble Madness (arcade)(!)
Killer Queen (arcade)(!)
Undertale
Pulsar (arcade)(!)
Star Control II
Archon(!)
Yars' Revenge(!)
Final Fantasy VI
To The Moon(!)
Narbacular Drop(!)
Marble Madness (arcade)(!)
Killer Queen (arcade)(!)
Undertale
Pulsar (arcade)(!)
Star Control II
Archon(!)
Yars' Revenge(!)
January 7, 2026 at 1:27 AM
Ian Schreiber's @ianschreiber.bsky.social top 10 influential game list (unranked):
Final Fantasy VI
To The Moon(!)
Narbacular Drop(!)
Marble Madness (arcade)(!)
Killer Queen (arcade)(!)
Undertale
Pulsar (arcade)(!)
Star Control II
Archon(!)
Yars' Revenge(!)
Final Fantasy VI
To The Moon(!)
Narbacular Drop(!)
Marble Madness (arcade)(!)
Killer Queen (arcade)(!)
Undertale
Pulsar (arcade)(!)
Star Control II
Archon(!)
Yars' Revenge(!)
Occasionally in the coming year(s), we'll post the top 10 influential games list from designers that gave us permission to do so, and/or their remarks on the influence.
We'll try to remember to mark (!) on the ones that didn't show up in the top 100, but we'll probably forget sometimes too.
We'll try to remember to mark (!) on the ones that didn't show up in the top 100, but we'll probably forget sometimes too.
January 7, 2026 at 1:25 AM
Occasionally in the coming year(s), we'll post the top 10 influential games list from designers that gave us permission to do so, and/or their remarks on the influence.
We'll try to remember to mark (!) on the ones that didn't show up in the top 100, but we'll probably forget sometimes too.
We'll try to remember to mark (!) on the ones that didn't show up in the top 100, but we'll probably forget sometimes too.
did Portal actually /directly/ influence games & their design more than, say, DOOM? not necessarily.
but it's interesting that a disproportionate number of designers have it lurking in their landscape, stewing, simmering, whether or not they work in shooters or in narrative design.
but it's interesting that a disproportionate number of designers have it lurking in their landscape, stewing, simmering, whether or not they work in shooters or in narrative design.
January 5, 2026 at 1:52 AM
did Portal actually /directly/ influence games & their design more than, say, DOOM? not necessarily.
but it's interesting that a disproportionate number of designers have it lurking in their landscape, stewing, simmering, whether or not they work in shooters or in narrative design.
but it's interesting that a disproportionate number of designers have it lurking in their landscape, stewing, simmering, whether or not they work in shooters or in narrative design.
if it sounds like most professional designers we surveyed were
North Americans
over 30
who mostly worked in console or PC games
that is in fact the bias (the Polaris organizer network). Maybe in a few years we'll redo it more widely... could we get 300 designers.. 500?
North Americans
over 30
who mostly worked in console or PC games
that is in fact the bias (the Polaris organizer network). Maybe in a few years we'll redo it more widely... could we get 300 designers.. 500?
January 5, 2026 at 1:35 AM
if it sounds like most professional designers we surveyed were
North Americans
over 30
who mostly worked in console or PC games
that is in fact the bias (the Polaris organizer network). Maybe in a few years we'll redo it more widely... could we get 300 designers.. 500?
North Americans
over 30
who mostly worked in console or PC games
that is in fact the bias (the Polaris organizer network). Maybe in a few years we'll redo it more widely... could we get 300 designers.. 500?
We asked 167 pro game designers what games influenced their work, and aggregated the results into a top-100! I'll thread the list here, but if you wanna cheat, head on over: polarisgamedesign.com/the-polaris-...
Podcast with more nuance: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/are-t...
Podcast with more nuance: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/are-t...
The Polaris List
Polaris is a non-profit committed to improving and refining the art and craft of game design. In order to get a snapshot of current game design thinking and reference points, we wondered — what do wor...
polarisgamedesign.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:27 AM
We asked 167 pro game designers what games influenced their work, and aggregated the results into a top-100! I'll thread the list here, but if you wanna cheat, head on over: polarisgamedesign.com/the-polaris-...
Podcast with more nuance: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/are-t...
Podcast with more nuance: www.gamedeveloper.com/design/are-t...
designeritis - the condition in which, after learning or practicing the craft of game design, your intrinsic joy of playing games "for fun" is damaged, lower, or difficult to sustain.
sound familiar?
sound familiar?
December 11, 2025 at 2:07 AM
designeritis - the condition in which, after learning or practicing the craft of game design, your intrinsic joy of playing games "for fun" is damaged, lower, or difficult to sustain.
sound familiar?
sound familiar?
Game Design is Simple, Actually: "fun is basically about making progress on prediction" and the nature of good problems
www.raphkoster.com/2025/11/03/g... by the enlightening @raphkoster.bsky.social
www.raphkoster.com/2025/11/03/g... by the enlightening @raphkoster.bsky.social
Game design is simple, actually
So, let’s just walk through the whole thing, end to end. Here’s a twelve-step program for understanding game design. One: Fun There are a lot of things people call “fun.” But most of them are not u…
www.raphkoster.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Game Design is Simple, Actually: "fun is basically about making progress on prediction" and the nature of good problems
www.raphkoster.com/2025/11/03/g... by the enlightening @raphkoster.bsky.social
www.raphkoster.com/2025/11/03/g... by the enlightening @raphkoster.bsky.social
Reposted by Polaris Game Design
my bio on the other place was once "creating elaborate excuses for inherently enjoyable activities", so, like, I am definitely sympathetic to the idea that a thing games can do is provide a way to do a thing a player wanted to do before they saw the game
Weigh in nerds!
Do you find it helpful to discuss "player fantasies"? Does the term fill you with disgust? Do you have a good handle on what it means?
Do you find it helpful to discuss "player fantasies"? Does the term fill you with disgust? Do you have a good handle on what it means?
I am writing something about "fulfilling player fantasies" in games. I would appreciate any thoughts people have on the subject (positive or negative - is this a valuable concept?), talks or papers discussing or popularizing this sort of rhetoric, etc etc
November 7, 2025 at 12:34 AM
my bio on the other place was once "creating elaborate excuses for inherently enjoyable activities", so, like, I am definitely sympathetic to the idea that a thing games can do is provide a way to do a thing a player wanted to do before they saw the game
Reposted by Polaris Game Design
Player fantasies are one form of player contract. If only someone was writing a giant-ass paper on player contracts... @polarisgamedesign.com
Weigh in nerds!
Do you find it helpful to discuss "player fantasies"? Does the term fill you with disgust? Do you have a good handle on what it means?
Do you find it helpful to discuss "player fantasies"? Does the term fill you with disgust? Do you have a good handle on what it means?
I am writing something about "fulfilling player fantasies" in games. I would appreciate any thoughts people have on the subject (positive or negative - is this a valuable concept?), talks or papers discussing or popularizing this sort of rhetoric, etc etc
November 7, 2025 at 1:04 AM
Player fantasies are one form of player contract. If only someone was writing a giant-ass paper on player contracts... @polarisgamedesign.com
we are preparing a report aggregated from a survey of 165+ pro designers! each was asked "what 10 video games most influenced/inspired you personally?"
which individual title do you think will be at the top and why?
which individual title do you think will be at the top and why?
November 5, 2025 at 1:46 AM
we are preparing a report aggregated from a survey of 165+ pro designers! each was asked "what 10 video games most influenced/inspired you personally?"
which individual title do you think will be at the top and why?
which individual title do you think will be at the top and why?
some reading that we are told influences pro designers:
The Atrocity Exhibition - J. G. Ballard (x2)
The Simple Art of Murder
“Nudge” (2008)
Culture series - Iain M Banks
Force of Art - Krzysztof Ziarek
Artificial Hells - Claire Bishop
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Here - Richard McGuire
The Atrocity Exhibition - J. G. Ballard (x2)
The Simple Art of Murder
“Nudge” (2008)
Culture series - Iain M Banks
Force of Art - Krzysztof Ziarek
Artificial Hells - Claire Bishop
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Here - Richard McGuire
November 5, 2025 at 1:44 AM
some reading that we are told influences pro designers:
The Atrocity Exhibition - J. G. Ballard (x2)
The Simple Art of Murder
“Nudge” (2008)
Culture series - Iain M Banks
Force of Art - Krzysztof Ziarek
Artificial Hells - Claire Bishop
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Here - Richard McGuire
The Atrocity Exhibition - J. G. Ballard (x2)
The Simple Art of Murder
“Nudge” (2008)
Culture series - Iain M Banks
Force of Art - Krzysztof Ziarek
Artificial Hells - Claire Bishop
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Here - Richard McGuire