Limbo
A moody black-and-white puzzle platformer from Playdead.
Where Limbo comes up6 episodes and tests
GMark Brown is the creator of Game Maker's Toolkit; Luke Muscat is the designer of Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride and Feed the Deep testWhat's the Point of Prototyping?
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testHow to Make a Good 2D Camera
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit, making his first game, Mind Over Magnet testDon't make this assumption about your players (Developing 10)
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit, making his first game testThe stuff no one tells you about game development (Developing 7)
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit testWhy is it so hard to make game design decisions? (Developing 3)
Gcreator of Game Maker's Toolkit, interviewing the co-creators of Celeste testWhy Does Celeste Feel So Good to Play?Limbo shows that non-playable media can do real work: Arnt Jensen's cinematic concept video helped hire a team and raise funds. The sources also use it as a genre reference, with long continuous levels, platforming in a supporting role, linear puzzle order, and movement curves tuned for realistic animation rather than tight control. Lesson: pitch the feel early and tune design to your goal and audience.
- 1Make cinematic concept videoAnimation, not a playable prototype
- 2Convey mood and visionVideo shows the game's feel
- 3Hire team, raise fundsArnt Jensen used it for both
From Arnt Jensen and Limbo, per this page
What was said about Limbo
Limbo's pitch was a cinematic concept video, not a playable prototype. Arnt Jensen used a cinematic concept video to hire a team and raise funds for Limbo.
It is an example of a prototype that does not need to be playable. Non-playable media such as animation or concept video can be the right tool when the goal is to convey a game's mood and vision.
Limbo shows puzzle games can be long, continuous platforming worlds. Limbo is cited as a puzzle platformer with long continuous levels and platforming sections. Mark Brown used it to widen his narrow idea of a tight grid puzzle game, keeping long levels and platforming as long as they stay secondary to the puzzles.
Limbo is also named alongside Portal as a linear puzzle game. Mark chose the opposite for Mind Over Magnet, a hub with doors that lets players skip a puzzle they are stuck on. Quote: "As long as they always run secondary to the puzzles, which have to be the dominant part of the genre."
Limbo is a benchmark for gentle, accessible puzzle adventures. Mind Over Magnet defines its target audience as fans of gentle puzzle adventures like Toki Tori, Boxboy, Inside, Limbo and Portal, rather than experts who finished Baba Is You or Stephen's Sausage Roll.
Naming the games your audience loves tells you whose playtest feedback to weigh. Quote: "Having a target audience in mind is a great way to keep your design on track."
What's the Point of Prototyping?
Arnt Jensen used a cinematic concept video to hire a team and raise funds for it.
Limbo's pitch was a cinematic concept video, not a playable prototype. Arnt Jensen used a cinematic concept video to hire a team and raise funds for Limbo.
It is an example of a prototype that does not need to be playable. Non-playable media such as animation or concept video can be the right tool when the goal is to convey a game's mood and vision.
How to Make a Good 2D Camera
Normally tracks ahead of the player, but shifts for a better view of the attackers when a pack of rabid dogs chases you.
Don't make this assumption about your players (Developing 10)
Limbo is named among the gentle puzzle adventures whose fans are Mind Over Magnet's target audience.
Limbo is a benchmark for gentle, accessible puzzle adventures. Mind Over Magnet defines its target audience as fans of gentle puzzle adventures like Toki Tori, Boxboy, Inside, Limbo and Portal, rather than experts who finished Baba Is You or Stephen's Sausage Roll.
Naming the games your audience loves tells you whose playtest feedback to weigh. Quote: "Having a target audience in mind is a great way to keep your design on track."
The stuff no one tells you about game development (Developing 7)
Cited alongside Portal as a linear puzzle game, unlike the skippable level order Mark chose for his own game.
Limbo shows puzzle games can be long, continuous platforming worlds. Limbo is cited as a puzzle platformer with long continuous levels and platforming sections. Mark Brown used it to widen his narrow idea of a tight grid puzzle game, keeping long levels and platforming as long as they stay secondary to the puzzles.
Limbo is also named alongside Portal as a linear puzzle game. Mark chose the opposite for Mind Over Magnet, a hub with doors that lets players skip a puzzle they are stuck on. Quote: "As long as they always run secondary to the puzzles, which have to be the dominant part of the genre."
Why is it so hard to make game design decisions? (Developing 3)
It shows puzzle games can have long, continuous levels and platforming sections, which widened Mark's idea of a puzzle game.
Limbo shows puzzle games can be long, continuous platforming worlds. Limbo is cited as a puzzle platformer with long continuous levels and platforming sections. Mark Brown used it to widen his narrow idea of a tight grid puzzle game, keeping long levels and platforming as long as they stay secondary to the puzzles.
Limbo is also named alongside Portal as a linear puzzle game. Mark chose the opposite for Mind Over Magnet, a hub with doors that lets players skip a puzzle they are stuck on. Quote: "As long as they always run secondary to the puzzles, which have to be the dominant part of the genre."
Why Does Celeste Feel So Good to Play?
Its movement curves favor realistic animation, a different design goal from Celeste's tight control.
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