Valve's "Secret Weapon"

Game Design 101

🔴 Get bonus content by supporting Game Maker’s Toolkit - https://gamemakerstoolkit.com/support/ 🔴 Valve is famous for crafting games that are polished and intuitive. But that's no accident: the developer has a near-religious obsession with playtesting. Learn more, in this video. === Before you watch === Content warning: Blood, Combat === Sources === [1] Valve reflects on The Orange Box, ten years later | PC Gamer https://www.pcgamer.com/valve-reflects-on-the-orange-box-ten-years-later/ [2] Developer Commentary | Portal https://store.steampowered.com/app/400/Portal/ [3] Portal Beta 2005 & More 2006 Content | Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo7sozG32F0 [4] Beyond the Box | 1UP Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20110524000033/http://www.1up.com/features/beyond-the-box [5] Kim Swift - 'Our Journey From Narbacular Drop To Portal' | IGS 2007 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F0SVZA9fIo [6] Narbacular Drop | Digipen Institute of Technology https://www.digipen.edu/showcase/student-games/narbacular-drop [7] Valve's Design Process for Creating Half-Life 2 | GDC 2006 https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1013237/Valve-s-Design-Process-for YouTube mirror: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1plhILdjuZE [8] Valve’s philosophy with User Research... | Steve Bromley https://www.stevebromley.com/blog/2011/09/01/valves-philosophy-with-user-research-in-games-habe-newell-and-mike-ambinder/ [9] The Science of Playtesting | GameSpot https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-science-of-playtesting/1100-6323661/ [10] Opening the Valve | Eurogamer https://www.eurogamer.net/i-valve-060606 [11] Valve Is Finally Ready to Talk About Its Games Again... | The Escapist https://www.escapistmagazine.com/valve-ready-to-talk-about-its-games-again-nine-years-later/ [12] Thinking With Portals | Game Developer Magazine [PDF] https://ubm-twvideo01.s3.amazonaws.com/o1/vault/GD_Mag_Archives/GDM_January_2008.pdf [13] 126 - Josh Weier Interview | Kiwi Talkz https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/kiwi-talkz/126-josh-weier-interview-hRrUGebZ1w9/ [14] The Cabal: Valve's Design Process For Creating Half-Life | Game Developer Magazine Mirror: https://www.hl-inside.ru/magazines/gdm/GDM_1999-12/ [15] Handbook For New Employees | Valve [PDF] https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/apps/valve/Valve_NewEmployeeHandbook.pdf [16] The 100 greatest video games of all time... | GQ https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/best-video-games-all-time [17] The Final Hours Of Half-Life 2 | Gamespot https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-final-hours-of-half-life-2/1100-6112889/ [18] Why Are Valve's Games So Polished? | IGN https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/03/27/gdc-09-why-are-valves-games-so-polished [19] Half-Life 2: Episode One Update Released | Steam https://store.steampowered.com/oldnews/681 [20] How fidgeting playtesters convinced Valve... | PC Gamer https://www.pcgamer.com/how-fidgeting-playtesters-convinced-valve-to-drastically-shorten-half-life-alyxs-intro/ [21] Christine Phelan - Creating a Nightmare... | Konsoll 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf92MhRZ4i8 [22] Integrating Narrative into Game Design... | GDC 2008 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2YRVWZupwo [23] RPS Interview: Portal's Kim Swift... | Rock Paper Shotgun https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rps-interview-portals-kim-swift-and-jeep-barnett [24] Meet the minds behind Half-Life 2 | PC Gamer https://www.pcgamer.com/meet-the-minds-behind-half-life-2/ [25] The Final Hours of Portal 2 | Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/104600/Portal_2__The_Final_Hours/ === Chapters === 00:00 - Intro 01:25 - Playtesting Portal 05:47 - Valve's History 08:38 - Playtesting Tips 15:43 - Conclusion === Games Shown === Portal (2017) Super Mario Odyssey (2017) Far Cry 3 (2012) Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021) Portal 2 (2011) Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023) Narbacular Drop (2005) Half-Life 2 (2004) skate. (Unreleased) Left 4 Dead (2008) Half-Life 2: Episode One (2006) Half-Life Alyx (2020) God of War Ragnarök (2022) Untitled Magnet Game (Unreleased) Superliminal (2019) Viewfinder (2023) === Credits === Music provided by Epidemic Sound - https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/vtdu5y (Referral Link) Narbacular Drop - Full Walkthrough | COG in the Game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZO3KvTcATo Konsoll 2021: Christine Phelan - Creating a Nightmare in Half-Life: Alyx | Konsoll https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf92MhRZ4i8 F-Stop (After-Image) - "lab_intro_scripted2" | fstop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y3lFdqtO-Y Portal 2: F-STOP PROJECT CAPTURE - Full Walkthrough | Bolloxed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM5oxIbL4ds Exposure by LunchHouse Software | LunchHouse Software https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9vUzt9xhnI Mirror: https://www.playground.ru/portal/news/anons_exposure_serii_dokumentalok_ob_otmenyonnom_prikvele_portal-704827 === Subtitles === Contribute translated subtitles - https://amara.org/videos/MyGYKu72hcPs/

About the course

Videos that look at the fundamental lessons of game design, applicable to pretty much every type of game