Player-Centered Game Design
Build Games Players Truly Love — From Day One.

Player-Centered Game Design is a practical, field-tested system that shows you how to engage real players early, crush UX issues before launch, and create games that players crave—giving you the edge in today’s competitive market.
This book is built for indie developers, UX designers, and producers who want to craft games players actually love, without relying on guesswork or trend-chasing. It gives you proven methods from real games research and practical tools you can apply immediately.
In This Book, You’ll Learn How To:
- Apply player psychology to design engaging experiences.
- Build intuitive, player-first gameplay flows.
- Use real-world player feedback to drive design decisions.
- Integrate usability testing into every stage of development.
- Identify and fix crucial UX issues long before launch.
3-Hour Video Course Also Available
Player-Centered Game Design
Most games fail—not due to bad ideas, but because real players are forgotten. This 3-hour video course, based on the principles from the book, uses fresh examples to teach you how to create games players truly understand, love, and keep playing. Perfect for aspiring game designers and indie developers.
Enroll Now on UdemyBook Covers

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Help Shape the Future of Player-Centered Design
Your insights make a real difference. Share your thoughts, suggestions, or favorite takeaways—and help refine the next generation of player-first games.
Give Your FeedbackAbout the Founder

Janne Tyni, Ph.D.
This work is part of IndieUXR's ongoing research into ethical game design and player psychology.
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