Polishing off the last pages

Popular games such as Portal (physics puzzle), Super Mario Bros (jump and run), Legend of Zelda (adventure with minigames), or Halo (action) look quite different on the outside, but they have one thing in common. They were successful because they had "polish".

In a polished game, everything is of one piece. The rules and game interactions provide a consistent experience. The game provides all details needed for the solution, and leaves no plot holes that distract from the solution (also known as the "Chekov's Gun" principle). Players are never pulled out of the immersion. Whether a move is illegal or legal, there is an obvious in-game reason, no wordy explanations required.

Be careful not to water down your fun game ...

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