World
Start with a place
A game begins with a world that can be described without mechanics. If the place is not interesting on its own, the systems will not save it.
Approach
The work behind the world.
These are the principles we bring to our own games. They describe how we build, not what we have announced.
Systems
Rules that hold
We prefer a small number of legible systems that interact deeply over a large number that only work in isolation.
Play
Playable early
The first version of an idea should be something we can hold in our hands. We learn from play, not from documents.
Craft
Finish, then polish
Scope is a design material. We would rather ship a considered thing than an ambitious one that never arrives.