Game Maker's Toolkit
Mark Brown's YouTube channel analysing game design: how great games teach players, level design, difficulty, game feel, accessibility and more, using clips from real games. It is the most accessible way to learn to think like a designer, and the channel also runs the huge annual GMTK Game Jam.
Video
Other
Mark Brown (YouTube)
All
Free
What it is
Game Maker's Toolkit (GMTK) is a YouTube channel by Mark Brown that explains game design through video essays. Episodes look at why specific mechanics, levels and systems work, drawing on clips from well-known games. Series include "Boss Keys" on dungeon design, "Designing for Disability" on accessibility, and a devlog series on Mark's own game. The channel also hosts the GMTK Game Jam on itch.io.
Is it worth watching?
Yes, for anyone who wants their games to be good to play, not just technically working. Programmers who move into game development often under-invest in design; GMTK is an easy way to build that vocabulary. Episodes are 10 to 30 minutes and focused.
Good starting points: videos on how games teach players without tutorials, level design, difficulty, game feel and the jam round-ups that show what makes small games work.
How to use it well
Watch with a notebook. After each video, write one idea you will try in your current project, then try it. Watching design videos without building is entertainment, not practice.
Time
Episodes are 10 to 30 minutes. There is no fixed order.
Free vs paid
Free on YouTube. Mark Brown also has a Patreon for supporters; it is optional.
Common questions
Does it teach programming? No. It is about design. Pair it with your engine's tutorials.
Is it only about big games? Many examples are from well-known titles, but the jam videos and devlogs show how the ideas apply to small games.
Where it fits in the Sefism roadmap
GMTK is the learn pick for the design stage and a light companion to the foundation stage. A good routine is one video a week while you build: pick the one closest to the problem you are facing, such as level design when you are greyboxing levels, or difficulty when playtesters keep failing the same section. Then apply one idea from the video to your game before watching another.
What it will not do
It will not teach you to implement the ideas. Pair each video with a small experiment in your engine so the idea becomes something you can build.
Ready to start?
Opens on Mark Brown (YouTube) in a new tab.
Stuck on something specific?
Writing only gets you so far. If you want an answer to your situation rather than the general case, book a session and we will work through it together. Sessions are free for approved Sefism members, and a few slots open each week.
Follow along
New writing, resources and project ideas land here first.