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David McDonough

@davidmcdonough.bsky.social
1.2K followers 223 following 50 posts

Game designer, programmer, and teacher over 16 years. Former lead designer at Firaxis with credits on Civilization and XCOM titles, formerly at Cloud Chamber and Otherside Entertainment. Board game designer of Dawn's Early Light.

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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
Land of the giants #solodev #indiedev #gamedev #unity3d #shapes
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 16/08/2025
Now with actual motion, dern you Bluesky and your GIF settings✊🔥 #indiedev #solodev #gamedev #unity3d #shapes #pylon
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
Being a solo dev means being a technical artist too, and it can be really satisfying 🎨 Making a lil' fx using logarithmic curves and perlin noise to create procedural incense smoke #indiedev #solodev #gamedev #unity3D #shapes
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
NOW we're cooking with vector art gas 🔥 #indiedev #solodev #gamedev #Unity3D #shapes
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
Wave Function-based background set is starting to really shape up now that I wrote a custom SVG importer and converter to 'Shapes' drawing data 🔥 #indiedev #solodev #gamedev #unity
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
Next step for Realm building: merge patterns. Different realms have to built in certain spatial groups in order to merge into larger, more powerful versions of themselves. 'Shapes' gives me a nice little "constellation" style display for that in the Former UI. #indiedev #gamedev #solodev #unity
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
Next step for the wave function background: some real architectural primitives. Much better foundation for building some good environment art. #indiedev #solodev #gamedev #unity
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Having some fun with wave function collapse to generate procedural mountain polygons under the Realms #indiedev #gamedev #solodev #unity #shapes
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Reposted by David McDonough
TactiCon @tacticon.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
#TactiCon Panel 2025 - Sustaining creativity within a franchise: making a sequel as fresh as the first one ⭐️ @fireflynick.bsky.social ⭐️ @jamesgroundshatter.bsky.social ⭐️ Stephan Wirth ⭐️ @davidmcdonough.bsky.social Watch live now: store.steampowered.com/sale/Tactico...
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
I’ll be in the Sustaining Creativity panel on Friday to talk about my time on Civ and XCOM! #tacticon #gamedev #indiedev
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Reposted by David McDonough
52 Pickup Studios 🎲🃏♟️ @52pickupstudios.com · 16/07/2025
The time is right for a new game design/dev bingo! Have you crossed off any of the below? #gamedev #indiedev 🎲✂️ #bingo #ttrpgdesign #ttrpgdev
Game design/dev bingo, made using buzzwordbingogame.com
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
This is hands-down one of the best books a game designer can read — for knowledge and insight, and for inspiration. With chapters including “Colonoscopies and Board Games” and “Quantum Tic-Tac-Toe,” you can’t go wrong. Time for a re-read! #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #gamedesign
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
First playtester approved! And he even found like a dozen bugs 😂 #indiedev #solodev #gamedev
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
One nail at a time ❤️A project can seem impossible when looking out across a huge space of to-do, but you get there. Every nail you drive is one closer to done. #indiedev #solodev #gamedev
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
WHOOOF READ THIS #gamedev
owenmahoney.ai
Sympathy for the Devil
What looks like discipline is often just fear, dressed up in process.
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 27/05/2025
Even for everyday programmers there’s sometimes no substitute for getting the problem space on paper 📝 #gamedev #indiedev #solodev
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 08/05/2025
A week ago was my last day at Otherside Entertainment. We did a lot of great things there, we had lofty ambitions and ideals, but in the end it wasn’t to be. Time for a good rest and then the next chapter!
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
How to Write a GDD Method 3: The Story! What does the game feel like? What's the player see, think, and imagine? The most potent way to illustrate the VISION of the game. #gamedev #indiedev #solodev #gamedesign
youtube.com
How to Write a GDD Method 3: The Story
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 20/04/2025
How to Write a GDD Method 2: The Flatpack! What are all the pieces you need and what are the instructions to use them? #gamedev #gamedesign #indiedev #solodev
youtube.com
How to Write a GDD Method 2: The Flatpack
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
Everyone hates on UI development but I find it quite satisfying. It’s like making a clock with all the little components coming together to make something smooth and beautiful ❤️ #gamedev #indiedev #solodev
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
How to write a GDD, method 1: The Recipe What are the ingredients, steps, and expected result when served? #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #gamedesigntips
youtube.com
How to Write a GDD Method 1: The Recipe
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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Reposted by David McDonough
Nate Purkeypile: Solo Indie Dev🤘🏹🔪 @npurkeypile.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
Announcing my next game!🤘 "Deedlee Doo! Carkour!"🔥 -A game where you do parkour with a car using explosions 🚗💥 -Everything in the game is made out of clay in real life🎨 -The sound effects and music are all mouth sounds👄 Wishlist it now on Steam, out on May 12th, 2025!🎸
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Be careful about telling players what to care about #gamedev #indiedev #gamedesigntips #gamedesign
youtube.com
Style Points
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 06/04/2025
pcgamesn.com
The secret dice rolls of XCOM: Enemy Within. How Firaxis fudge the numbers
You've probably done this in XCOM: quicksaved before a risky 10% chance to hit shot, missed, guiltily quickloaded to before you took the shot and tried again. Except it doesn't work. XCOM cleverly sav...
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 06/04/2025
Can you fudge the numbers? Should you? #gamedesign #gamedev
youtube.com
Lying About Chance
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 31/03/2025
What makes a choice false or shallow? #gamedesign #gamedev #gamedesigntips
youtube.com
False Choices
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
Two ways to see core design, just keep your promises #gamedesign #gamedev
youtube.com
Fixed and Fluid
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
"You Fell Off the Edge" would make a great theme for a game jam
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
What's good design = what's right for the experience #gamedesign #gamedesigntips #gamedevelopment
youtube.com
I Hate Fishing Minigames #gamedevelopment #gamedesign #gamedesigntips
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
It can be amazing! #gdc #gdc2025 #gamedevelopment
youtube.com
Go to GDC!
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Not for everyone! Maybe buy the Vault and make a game instead #gdc #gdc2025 #gamedevelopment
youtube.com
Don't Go to GDC
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Make Bad Games to learn how to make good ones #gamedesign #gamedesigntips
youtube.com
Make Bad Games
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Designers are composers, players are musicians, together they create beauty #gamedesign #gamedev
youtube.com
Games Are Music
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Wisdom from Sid Meier #gamedesign #gamedesigntips #gamedevelopment
youtube.com
Don't Let the System Have All the Fun
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
#gamedesign #gamedevelopment
youtube.com
Let Them Cheat
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
#gamedev #gamedesign
youtube.com
Good Failure
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
youtube.com
Guide, Don't Teach
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
First of a new thing making shorts on game design for game designers
youtube.com
Band Aids Hurt Design!
YouTube video by Game of Inches
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Reposted by David McDonough
RWTema @rwtema.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
Looking through the source code of the Command & Conquer games that EA just released github.com/electronicarts. Some fun stuff in the comments.
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Reposted by David McDonough
Alex Kanaris-Sotiriou @kanaratron.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
I love creating games with a flat-shaded art style as it gives space for the player's brain to fill in the blanks.
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Reposted by David McDonough
Alice Ruppert 🐴🎮 @malicedafirenze.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Hey so cool news for the thousands of people who were hype for our Mongolian courier rider game a few months ago: we're doing a giveaway for 10 Early Access Steam Keys! To participate: 1. Follow our pre-page on kickstarter (click 'notify me on launch') 2. Like and Retweet this post
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Reposted by David McDonough
Ryan T. Brown 🎮🩷 @toadsanime.lostincult.co.uk · 19/02/2025
Monster Train 2 announced - a roguelike deckbuilder, coming to consoles + PC, with a Steam demo live today. (Support it by wishlisting on Steam)
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Reposted by David McDonough
Darenn @darenn.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Dawnfolk reached 10,000 copies sold this morning! 🎉Thank you all for the amazing support! #indiedev
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Reposted by David McDonough
Alex Kanaris-Sotiriou @kanaratron.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Spent the evening watching Egyptology documentaries with my dad and discovered work (mid 1800s) of Scottish artist David Roberts. Wow.
A lithographic print made from a drawing. It shows a scene from Egypt in the mid 1800s.A lithographic print made from a drawing. It shows a scene from Egypt in the mid 1800s.A lithographic print made from a drawing. It shows a scene from Egypt in the mid 1800s.A lithographic print made from a drawing. It shows a scene from Egypt in the mid 1800s.
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Reposted by David McDonough
Petrana 冰冰 Radulovic (she/her) @petrana.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
Poetry Foundation not fucking around with today's poem of the day www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/89897/...
A screenshot of Maggie Smith's "Good Bones"
Life is short, though I keep this from my children.
Life is short, and I’ve shortened mine
in a thousand delicious, ill-advised ways,
a thousand deliciously ill-advised ways
I’ll keep from my children. The world is at least
fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative
estimate, though I keep this from my children.
For every bird there is a stone thrown at a bird.
For every loved child, a child broken, bagged,
sunk in a lake. Life is short and the world
is at least half terrible, and for every kind
stranger, there is one who would break you,
though I keep this from my children. I am trying
to sell them the world. Any decent realtor,
walking you through a real shithole, chirps on
about good bones: This place could be beautiful,
right? You could make this place beautiful.
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
Satisfactory was made by someone who read ‘The Lorax’ and said “I need to be the Onceler”
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 28/12/2024
Quote with a title screen that is iconic to you.
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David McDonough @davidmcdonough.bsky.social · 02/12/2024
BE is ten years old this year, RT ten years next year. Still hurts to remember the reception, still proud of it ❤️
youtube.com
Civilization: Beyond Earth is better than I remembered it being
YouTube video by PotatoMcWhiskey
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Reposted by David McDonough
Johan Toresson @jtoresson.bsky.social · 27/10/2024
I have a joke about game development, but production of said joke started under different management and has since been scrapped because an xls scared the new ones.
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