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ATLAS / IDEAS

Game design atlas

Find a mechanism, understand its tradeoffs and smallest useful scope, then build your game with a design card and sample project.

192 Mechanisms32 Mechanism domain48 Art styles12 Genre guides

Art styles My research shelf Rain Canopy Workshop · Try the complete prototype Pixel toolkit

Core loop

01Read height/water
02Preview earthworks
03Apply terrain changes
04Check buildings and access

Building and layoutsOne rule

Cut-and-fill terrain

Flatten a hill to save a bridge or preserve it against floods?

Reference gamesTimberborn · Cities: Skylines II

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Core loop

01Plan floor use
02Connect vertical access
03Trace people/cargo
04Fix bottleneck floors

Building and layoutsOne rule

Vertical access in layered buildings

Move production upstairs or keep hauling short and avoid stair congestion?

Reference gamesTimberborn · SimAirport

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Core loop

01Define space
02Place doors/fixtures
03Validate requirements
04Have agents use the room

Building and layoutsOne rule

Room recognition and requirements

Share a hall to save space or partition it for specialized requirements?

Reference gamesRimWorld · Two Point Hospital

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Core loop

01Inspect commitments
02Estimate new capacity use
03Accept or decline
04Deliver and settle penalties

Trade and managementOne rule

Contracts and capacity commitments

Take a high-margin two-day job or preserve flexibility for existing deliveries?

Reference gamesMy Time at Portia · SimAirport

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Core loop

01Read customer mix
02Choose facilities
03Track fulfilled needs
04Address unmet service

Trade and managementOne rule

Customer needs and service mix

Cover common needs or add specialized service for a smaller group?

Reference gamesSimAirport · Two Point Hospital

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Core loop

01Preview cash calendar
02Choose borrowing
03Pay build/operating costs
04Repay and review

Trade and managementOne rule

Borrowing and operating cash

Expand for future income or preserve cash through slow days?

Reference gamesTwo Point Hospital · Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale

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Covers are original AI-generated style illustrations. Game names reference publicly visible design choices and remain the property of their owners. This atlas does not supply screenshots or assets from those games. Prompts and combinations are original drafts for new games.