Iteration

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Iteration means to go over something again and again, seeing what works, what doesn't, and refining the end product each time. It's time consuming and exhausting, but is a proven method for making your game better.

The more I iterate, however, the more numb I get to everything, so I find it's extremely useful to get feedback from others. I might not always agree with their solutions, but more often than not, I find they've honed in on problem areas I hadn't noticed.

A key component of iteration is called "playtesting". This involves actually playing your game or letting others do so, and evaluating it for certain core factors such as "fun, challenge, engagement, etc."
I've probably iterated HAUNTIBLES hundreds of times by now. I feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. But the game is getting better each time. Trick now is knowing when it's good enough, for I feel if one's not careful...you could iterate forever.

Many video game designers prototype and playtest in paper form first, as it's much faster way to iterate.

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