According to independent developers Martin Jonasson and Petri Purho (Jesus vs. Dinosaurs), the best way to make a satisfying game is to make it "juicy" -- the "juicier" your game is, the more fun it will be to play.
Now what exactly does that mean? "Juicy things are things that wobble, squirt, bounce around, and make little cute noises; it's sort of a catch-all phrase for things that make a game more satisfying to interact with," Jonasson explained during a presentation at this year's GDC Europe. "Juice is typically auditory or visual, but it doesn't really need to be…it's about maximum output for minimum input."
Purho, who also created the 2009 hit Crayon Physics Deluxe, added, "If a game's juicy, it's way more fun to interact with it and it feels more professional. It doesn't matter if the graphics are crappy, but if it lacks that interactivity, it feels off."
Using a simple Breakout clone as an example, the pair demonstrated how developers can tween, stretch, or squeeze in-game objects to give their titles a sense of life. All of their tips are very simple to implement, and Jonasson and Purho believe that these final touches can turn a good game into something truly special.
Throughout their GDC Europe presentation, the pair offered even more tips for making "juicier" games, and you can check out their full talk in the above GDC Vault video.
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Juicy games FTW!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6utKjLUbcE