About r/gamedesign
For topics related to the design of games for interactive entertainment systems - video games, board games, tabletop RPGs, or any other type. /r/GameDesign is not a subreddit about general game development, nor is it a programming subreddit. This is a place to talk about Game Design and what it entails. Use this community to network, discuss crafting rulesets and general game design, and share game design tips with other game designers. Designers of all experience levels are welcome!
The community at a glance
r/gamedesign is a Subreddit for Game Designers with roughly 298K members. It has been around since 2008. It uses a forum format for communication. It is the 5th largest community in the Game Design topic page.
Roughly 35K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Game Design, Design, and Game. Product recommendations often mention laptop, third person camera, and game making software.
Community Topics
Community Features
This community has a forum
Subreddit Analysis
via GummySearchMember growth over time
All time (yearly)
- 2013: 7K members
- 2014: 7K members
- 2015: 8K members
- 2016: 10K members
- 2017: 11K members
- 2018: 15K members
- 2019: 33K members
- 2020: 46K members
- 2021: 36K members
- 2023: 48K members
- 2024: 25K members
- 2025: 29K members
- 2026: 22K members
Past year (monthly)
- Sep: 2K members
- Oct: 2K members
- Nov: 3K members
- Dec: 3K members
- Jan: 3K members
- Feb: 3K members
- Mar: 3K members
- Apr: 3K members
- May: 3K members
- Jun: 3K members
- Jul: 3K members
- Aug: 226 members
Topics
- Game Design69 posts in the past month#169Game Design
- Design57 posts in the past month#257Design
- Game38 posts in the past month#338Game
- Looking For31 posts in the past month#431Looking For
- Annoying28 posts in the past month#528Annoying
Flair
- Discussion48 posts in the past month
- Why don't most games (open world ones at least) have some sort of an in-game note taking system?
- what's a video game mechanic that you don't consider to be bad, but you rarely or never see it done properly?
- This game gets 11 endings from three branching “diamonds” instead of one giant story tree
#148DiscussionWhy don't most games (open world ones at least) have some sort of an in-game note taking system? · what's a video game mechanic that you don't consider to be bad, but you rarely or never see it done properly? · This game gets 11 endings from three branching “diamonds” instead of one giant story tree - Question46 posts in the past month
- how do you make a player distrust a character through mechanics, not a cutscene?
- Why do so many games treat information as a reward instead of a starting condition?
- Are bots frowned upon?
#246Questionhow do you make a player distrust a character through mechanics, not a cutscene? · Why do so many games treat information as a reward instead of a starting condition? · Are bots frowned upon? - Resource request3 posts in the past month
- how on earth do you learn UI for games
- problem with top down map
- Turn-based game, need some help with game design elements
#33Resource requesthow on earth do you learn UI for games · problem with top down map · Turn-based game, need some help with game design elements - Article2 posts in the past month
- We spent 5 months replacing our game's island progression with an open world. Retention after tutorial dropped from 40% to 4%.
- The Game Designer's Guide to the Mathematics of Hidden Information Games: Part 1
#42ArticleWe spent 5 months replacing our game's island progression with an open world. Retention after tutorial dropped from 40% to 4%. · The Game Designer's Guide to the Mathematics of Hidden Information Games: Part 1 - Meta2 posts in the past month
- Weekly Show & Tell - July 18, 2026
- Weekly Show & Tell - July 25, 2026
#52MetaWeekly Show & Tell - July 18, 2026 · Weekly Show & Tell - July 25, 2026
Product recommendations
- laptop3 posts in the past month
- Best laptop for running Unreal Engine
- Best laptop for running Unreal Engine
- List of the Best Laptops For Video Game Design Under $1500
#13laptopBest laptop for running Unreal Engine · Best laptop for running Unreal Engine · List of the Best Laptops For Video Game Design Under $1500 - third person camera3 posts in the past month
- Which game have the best third person camera?
- Which game have the best third person camera?
- Which game have the best third person camera?
#23third person cameraWhich game have the best third person camera? · Which game have the best third person camera? · Which game have the best third person camera? - game making software2 posts in the past month
- What is the best game making software for a beginner?
- What is the best game making software for a beginner?
#32game making softwareWhat is the best game making software for a beginner? · What is the best game making software for a beginner? - best skill icon2 posts in the past month
- Help me decide the best skill icon for my game: AI vs Artist
- Help me decide the best skill icon for my game: AI vs Artist
#42best skill iconHelp me decide the best skill icon for my game: AI vs Artist · Help me decide the best skill icon for my game: AI vs Artist
Community Reviews
Frequently asked questions
- Who is r/gamedesign for?
- Best for Game Designers enthusiasts looking for a Reddit-based community with forum discussion.
- Is r/gamedesign free to join?
- This listing is not marked as paid-only. Access rules and any fees are decided by the community.
- How many members does r/gamedesign have?
- Roughly 298K members, based on figures reported by the community or its host. Member counts are approximate and change over time.
- What platform is r/gamedesign on?
- r/gamedesign runs on Reddit. Reddit communities (or "subreddits") are forum-based groups on the popular social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website Reddit. Reddit is commonly known as "the front page of the internet". Users submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images, which are then voted up or down and discussed by other members. From investing Reddit communities, to professional ones, to ones just for laughs, you're likely to find a community for you on Reddit.
- What topics does r/gamedesign cover?
- On the Hive Index, r/gamedesign is organized under Game Designers.
- How do I join r/gamedesign?
- You can join r/gamedesign by clicking this link, or pressing the "Go to community" button above.
- What are the Game Design communities like?
- Communities for game developers and designers at indie studios and beyond. Discord is the primary hub, with communities for feedback on prototypes, finding collaborators like artists and musicians, getting indie game jobs, and talking craft across all stages of development.
Added 12/23/2021
Monthly Stats
- 13
- Views /mo (+63%)
- 11
- Visitors /mo (+38%)
- 0
- Referrals /mo
Similar Communities
12r/gamedev
The subreddit covers various game development aspects, including programming, design, writing, art, game jams, postmortems, and marketing. It serves as a hub for game creators to discuss and share their insights, experiences, and expertise in the industry.
r/Unity3D
A subreddit for News, Help, Resources, and Conversation regarding Unity, the game engine. Do NOT use your phone to take screenshots. Video and photos of computer screens taken by phones are NOT allowed. All screenshots must be grabbed from the computer itself.
r/EmuDev
Community of people building emulators. Discord: https://discord.gg/dkmJAes
r/GameDevelopment
/r/gamedevelopment is a community for serious discussion about anything related to game development.
r/IndieDev
This is the place for indie devs and gamers to share anything, be it game development, their favorite games or just cool images, GIFs and music from an indie game in a casual community-run environment. If you're an indie gamer, this place welcomes you too! After all, every gamer is a potential indie developer!
r/gamejams
Game jams are accelerated game development events where participants make a game in a short amount of time - an hour to a day to a week or more. THEY ARE SO MUCH FUN.