Blog - The Game Development Strategy Guide

10 Sep 2025

The Game Development Strategy Guide celebrated by early reviewers; selected by Kirkus Reviews for an indie spotlight

Book, Press

New book by Cheryl Platz honored for its groundbreaking approach to demystifying and documenting modern video game development with new tools and insights in a fun and accessible way Bellevue, WA : The Game Development Strategy Guide: Crafting Modern Video Games That Thrive is a uniquely expansive take on end-to-end on video game development written by designer and creative director Cheryl Platz that’s being celebrated by early reviewers as a ‘tour de force’ for developers at all stages of their careers. The book covers everything from player motivation to video game economies, as her experience in senior leadership for video…

28 Aug 2025

New talk debut: Modern Motivators of Play

Book, Events

Game Development Strategy Guide author Cheryl Platz was honored to debut her new talk, "Modern Motivators of Play," as the kickoff to her book tour at McCaw Hall during the inauguaral SLICE (Seattle Loves Indie Creators Expo) conference on August 27, 2025. Cheryl's talk expands on the Motivators of Play introduced in Chapter 1 of her book The Game Development Strategy Guide: Crafting Modern Video Games That Thrive, and covers some context that didn't fit in the book. Talk Summary In the first portion of the talk, we cover more of the detail behind some of the many motivational frameworks…

27 Aug 2025

Author Cheryl Platz launches book tour for The Game Development Strategy Guide at Seattle Indies SLICE on August 27

Book, Events, Press

Explore changes in player motivations backed by theory and data paired with ideas in Cheryl’s microtalk “The Modern Motivators of Play” at McCaw Hall SEATTLE, WA, UNITED STATES, August 26, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Author, game developer, and creative director Cheryl Platz is honored to be launching the book tour for her new book, The Game Development Strategy Guide: Creating Modern Video Games That Thrive, with a microtalk intended to help indie game developers recalibrate their understanding of what drives today’s demanding video game fans based on industry scholarship, research, and data - all while gamers and game developers from around the…

26 Aug 2025

Enduring Play S1 E2 Released: Safe and Thriving Prosocial Gaming Communities with Carlos Figueiredo

Enduring Play

The second episode of Season 1 of Enduring Play: A Game Development Podcast, hosted by Game Development Strategy Guide author Cheryl Platz, is now live with guest Carlos Figueiredo, Director of Player Trust and Safety for Mojang Studios/Minecraft and co-founder of the Thriving in Games Group. Today's conversation brings hope for the future of positive gaming experiences, and is a must-listen for anyone creating multiplayer gaming experiences but also any parents of gamers who are wondering what goes into creating or encouraging safe online gaming experiences. https://www.gamedevelopmentstrategyguide.com/enduring-play-season-1/enduring-play-season-1-episode-2-safe-and-thriving-gaming-communities-with-carlos-figueiredo/ Key Quotes: "Prosocial behavior is something that's actively contributing to a thriving community.…

25 Aug 2025

The Game Development Strategy Guide receives “Get It” recommendation from Kirkus Reviews

Book, Press

We're thrilled to share that the experienced reviewers at Kirkus Reviews appreciated the Strategy Guide's unique and accessible take on the video game industry, yielding a "Get It" recommendation for their readers. "Platz treats the history of gaming with reverence, mentioning deep cuts such as MadMaze alongside indie darlings like Unpacking; this makes the guide feel truly all-encompassing—as expansive as an open-world RPG—in a way that will resonate with industry insiders, newbie developers, and curious players alike. A wide-ranging introduction to how games are made, balancing insider rigor with accessibility."Kirkus Reviews: The Game Development Strategy Guide, August 21, 2025 Head to the site…

19 Aug 2025

New Game Development Podcast: ‘Enduring Play’ Explores Thriving Games and Studios With Industry Veterans

Enduring Play, Press

Level up your game development career at any stage of the game with 10 candid interviews that explore the best and the worst of modern video game development. BELLEVUE, WA, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- It’s time to level up your game development career by learning from a series of engaging and candid conversations with game development veterans passionate about building a better industry in Enduring Play: A Game Development Podcast, launching today on all major podcast networks. Explore what it takes to create thriving video games and game development studios with host Cheryl Platz – creative director, faculty…

19 Aug 2025

Enduring Play Season 1 Episode 1 Released: Using UX Strategy to Put Players First with Celia Hodent, PhD

Enduring Play

The first episode of Season 1 of Enduring Play: A Game Development Podcast, featuring author, UX Strategist, conference organizer, and former Epic Games UX Director Celia Hodent PhD is now available on all major podcasting platforms. Hosted by Game Development Strategy Guide author Cheryl Platz, this conversation between two user experience designers demystifies portions of the craft in a thoughtful way that's accessible to people from all disciplines. https://www.gamedevelopmentstrategyguide.com/enduring-play-season-1/using-ux-strategy-to-put-players-first-with-celia-hodent-phd-enduring-play-s1-e1/ Key Quotes: "One of the things that I see a lot in the game industry is people don't necessarily want process because it's a creative industry. And I get it. But…

14 Aug 2025

Strategy Guide and Podcast Merch now available!

Blog, Book, Enduring Play

If you just don't have enough purple in your life... or, more importantly, you're looking for wardrobe additions that'll spark interesting game development conversations, the new merch collection for The Game Development Strategy Guide and Enduring Play: A Game Development Podcast is here for you. The launch products include: Enduring Play Podcast Logo Apparel and Merch "My Video Game Art is More than Pixels" Spectrum of Game Art Apparel and Merch "What Makes You Play" Motivators of Play Apparel and Merch If you don't like the main product offered, scroll to the bottom to view alternative offerings like other types…

06 Aug 2025

Cheryl’s Microtalk at Seattle Indies SLICE

Book, Events

Cheryl is honored to be bringing her first talk from The Game Development Strategy Guide to Seattle Indies SLICE at McCaw Hall on Wednesday, August 27. Cheryl will be delivering a 10-minute microtalk: "The Modern Motivators of Play" - that provides data to support the change in player motivation over the last few years, and what that means for the areas of the gaming market that need the most love. She will be available afterwards for Q&A, and will be signing bookplate stickers for her upcoming book The Game Development Strategy Guide, which is available for pre-order and releases September…

26 Jul 2025

Trailer 2 for Enduring Play: Artificial Intelligence for Game Development

Enduring Play

During the 10-episode first season of the Enduring Play podcast, a recurring theme of discussion is artificial intelligence. What role does it play today in video game? What role should it play? Does it destroy the heart of a game to use these tools, or is this a critical part of helping us cope with the scale and complexity of modern game development? The fact is that there are no easy answers - so tune in to hear the full story yourself direct from the folks who are making these decisions on the front lines of the industry. Explore the…