I always start out with the parameters for the game. How many cards? What size and format will the map take (if there will be a map)? How long should the playing time be? And then I work from there.
Quotes by Jason Matthews
I’m not smart enough to design mechanisms in the abstract. I’ll leave that to Reiner Knizia and the mathematicians. I try to tell a story about something (usually historical and political, in my case), so I work on mechanisms that fit the story.
I think game design is a lot like writing. You need to design for yourself first. And if it feels right to you, it will be entertaining to other people.
Game design is like other art forms, it has trends and fashion. A good idea today may seem sort of warmed over in a few months.
