6 Mistakes That’ll Drain the “Juice” Out Of Your Game

Juicebox Illustration by Mimi Chiu

 We game-devs love talking about “juicy games”. It’s a silly term, but players recognize "juice" intuitively: it’s a sensation that feels lively, satisfying, and well… juicy! To paraphrase Justice Potter Stewart: you know it when you see it.

Unfortunately, players are also familiar with the opposite sensation: “dry games”. Games that are slow, awkward, and stilted. If you fear your game is falling into that category, don’t panic! Here are 6 mistakes that could be draining your juice:

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Ludum Dare 47: Ants, Inc.

I just finished my second Ludum Dare Compo! I approached this jam more prepared than last time: I started with a plan, tried it, failed miserably, pivoted, pulled an all-nighter, and finally produced... Ants Inc.

📓 Sketchbook Sunday (Aug '17 - Oct '17)

I absolutely love sketchbooks. They aren't industry standard anymore, but I believe they're still one of the most important tools a game designer can use. Thinking on paper keeps me loose and helps me develop my best ideas. Plus, it's fun to stack up a huge bookshelf of my past work. That's why I thought it would be fun to share some of my sketchbooks on this blog. 

First up is a book from August to October of 2017. That was when I first started using the "sketchbook method". The entire sketchbook is devoted to the Space Squad Escape Room I built for Two Bit Circus. Take a look!

Ludum Dare 46: Ordinary Human Conversation

For the first time ever, I was brave enough to take on the Ludum Dare Compo. For those who don't know, LD is a 48-hour game jam where you have to produce your entire game solo. I fired up every program on my laptop and built... Ordinary Human Conversation. Here what I learned from each step of the process:

Global Game Jam 2020: Turkey's Revenge

It's Thanksgiving and you're a parade float. Break free from the shackles of oppression and destroy the city! Wreck as much havoc as possible before the Air Force shows up to pop you. The theme of this year's Global Game Jam was "repair", but I ended up making a game about the exact opposite of that.

This blog is back! 👶

Hello world! It's been a while. Since I last posted here, I've:

• Worked on mobile games for Zynga (2016)
• Designed educational minigames with Age of Learning (2017)
• Built two escape rooms for Two Bit Circus (2018)
• Founded an arcade gaming startup (2019)
• Been locked indoors for the last two months due to a global pandemic (2020).

It's been a wild ride. With the whole industry shaken up by Covid, my game dev career is going to look very different in 2021. I'll have a lot of skills to re-learn, and new ones to learn in the first place. So this seems like a great time to resurrect my blog, and get to work!

Welcome back.

This blog is retired 👴🏻

Hello! It's no secret that this blog hasn't been updated in quite some time. Since it's collecting dust and spiderwebs, I think I should officially call it "retired". But I'm still making games! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or visit www.salyh.com. Thanks for playing!

Cheers,
-Mike

Spy Cookout

"Your mission, should you choose to accept it: find the location of the Independence Day barbecue bash!"

Every year, my friend Ryan and I host an Independence Day cookout. We decided to up the ante last year, and turn our invitations into an experiential puzzle. Presenting, Spy Cookout.

Global Game Jam 2016: Burritos, Anime, and Deception

Remember when I made a really strange game for last year's Global Game Jam?

Well I just returned from GGJ 2016 with something even stranger: a game about a girl microwaving a burrito, that's played with a MIDI controller and a Microsoft Kinect. Allow me to present Burrito Kudasai.

The Scuttlefoot

"Remember the monster under your bed? The suffocating dread you felt when your parents flicked off the lights and left you alone in the dark? The long, sleepless nights spent wondering if you would make it until morning? It's back."

I've spent the last few months working on something special: my first virtual reality project! The Scuttlefoot is an interactive experience designed for Oculus Rift. 

Jontron: Bird vs. Camel

Ech! Popular game reviewer and all-around swood guy Jontron is under attack by a horde of evil camels! Can you defend him? You may have seen this game featured on Markiplier's YouTube channel! Right now, I'm blushing like sempai noticed me. Play it now.

How To Cook Everything

"How To Cook Everything - A game for terrible chefs."

How To Cook Everything is the single-player version of my Global Game Jam project, produced in collaboration with fellow game makers Pierce McBride and Ryan Sandvik! Play it now.

Knight After Knight

"Help the good Knights across the river. Drown the villainous Vikings!"

This game is a collaboration with the nefarious Ryan Sandvik

Huzzah! Knight After Knight is Game Bootcamp's first venture into the world of 3-D. It's also our second collaboration. Break out the mutton and mead! Play it now.

Moonkid

"The moon is falling and you can only watch." A hybrid game/animation. Experience it now.

Fresh New Branding & Social Media

Game Bootcamp is back in session, soldiers! After traveling 3,000 miles, I've arrived in Los Angeles. That means production can start again. Stay tuned for incoming new games!

I'm also proud to introduce brand new Twitter & Facebook pages and an all-new Salyh.com. I'm taking my branding, social media presence, and other buzz-words to the next level!

Be Right Back!

Hey Bootcampers! Sorry for the lack of activity this week. There's a good reason though: I'm on the move! I've been driving from Boston to LA, and have yet to figure out how to code while driving.  My Wacom tablet is also in the shop for repairs. So, long story short: Game Bootcamp will return in a week or two. Thanks for being patient while I have silly adventures in middle America.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention: I made a sequel to Acid Panic! You can check it out here! Until next time friends, may your bucket never overflow with acid.

New Game — Sweep Miner

Uh oh! A group of kids got themselves lost in a mine full of landmines! Use your memory and wits to navigate through the mineshafts and save the minors. This game is a collaboration with my brother, the CynicSama. Play it now.

New Collaborations, New Deadlines

I'm here to announce some exciting news: in the coming months, I'll be working with other artists, designers, and coders to produce Game Bootcamp's first ever collaborations! We're talking bigger, better games. I'll explain the details when the time comes, but until then: get pumped!

Secondly, I'll be switching Game Bootcamp over to a bi-weekly schedule. When I first started this site, I never imagined the games would become so popular. I'm extremely thankful to all my viewers and players! Ensuring that every game lives up to the Mike Salyh Quality Standard™ requires I spend a bit more time on each game. So... new game every two weeks!

Lastly, I want to give a shout-out to Wolve of Wolve's Weekly. He makes weekly games, and they're awesome. If you like what I do, you have to check his games out. That concludes today's announcements! ;-)

Shave Time!

Are you the funkiest barber in town? Use your shaving cream, razor, and brush to give the perfect cut. As a special bonus for following this blog, you've earned the secret code. Enter the word BOOTCAMP into the game to unlock a secret character. Play it now.

A Sneak Peak At My Next Game

Hello Bootcampers, allow me to introduce Shave 'Em Up! The beard-blasting, barbershop hack-and-chop extravaganza.

This is probably my silliest idea to date. It's also the most ambitious, with multiple game modes and characters to balance. For that reason, I've decided to take this game into overtime. Shave 'Em Up will be released next Friday, August 1st.

As a special bonus for following this blog (and being so patient), you'll get a secret promo code. Enter the word BOOTCAMP into the game to unlock bonus content! I'll see you all next Thursday. Until then, keep your beards tidy!