r/gamedesign

53K archived posts · Oct 2009 – Sep 2026

Game Design: The Art of Crafting Rulesets

r/gamedesign

For topics related to the design of games for interactive entertainment systems - video games, board games, tabletop RPGs, or any other type. /r/GameDesign is not a subreddit about general game development, nor is it a programming subreddit. This is a place to talk about Game Design and what it entails. Use this community to network, discuss crafting rulesets and general game design, and share game design tips with other game designers. Designers of all experience levels are welcome!

Created Jun 9, 2008

251KMembers (last snapshot)

53KArchived posts

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#[What is r/GameDesign?](#icon-information)

Game Design is a subset of Game Development that concerns itself with WHY games are made the way they are. It's about the theory and crafting of mechanics and rulesets.

If you're confused about what game designers do, "The Door Problem" by Liz England is a short article worth reading.

This is NOT a place for discussing how games are produced. Posts about programming, making assets, picking engines etc… will be removed and should go in r/gamedev instead.

Posts about visual art, sound design and level design are only allowed if they are also related to game design.

Game Designers of all experience levels are welcome!

If you're new to r/GameDesign, please read the GameDesign wiki for useful resources and an FAQ.

#Posting rules

DO NOT post about general Game Development, e.g. "how do I fix this problem in Unity?" or "how do I get a job in the game industry?" Try r/gamedev instead. All submissions must be related to Game Design.

DO NOT post self-promotion, job posts, sales, surveys, polls, low-effort posts, memes, jokes, etc. Show-off posts are only allowed as game design case studies (Tell us how/ why you developed an interesting game design concept in your game)

DO NOT link to an article or video without providing a short summary.

Please be civil.

Please report any submissions or comments violating these rules using the report button.

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#Related subreddits

If your post isn't related to game rule crafting, consider posting in one of the following subreddits:

r/gamedev: All things related to game development, programming, math, art, music, collaboration.

r/tabletopgamedesign: All things related to designing tabletop RPGs, wargames, board, and card games.

r/ludology: For the serious discussion and analysis of games played on a computer, board, field or any other interactive media.

r/GameSociety: reddit's "book club" for games.

r/devblogs: The latest blog posts from your favorite game development bloggers.

r/themakingofgames: For all 'behind the scenes' content of your favorite games.

r/indiegaming: The place for all news and developments in the Indie gaming community.

r/gamedevclassifieds: A game development classified section to help you find talent, or to help the talent find you.

/r/Games: A place for informative and interesting gaming content and discussions.

r/Gaming: All other gaming posts.

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