New Development Studio One More Game Shares Their Alpha-Driven Approach To Design

ArenaNet founder and former Riot Games developer Jamie Winsor have founded a new fully-remote development studio called One More Game that’s built on a fast-paced freeform approach to development. Among the new studio’s big-name hires include former Guild Wars artist Daniel Dociu who explains their “alpha-driven” mindset in designing and creating concept art.

“For an artist, few tasks are as compelling — or as daunting — as building a new world from scratch,” said Dociu. “Our task as artists is to think deeply about the type of game the team is creating, and to design our universe such that the setting, characters, and style feel like a natural, logical extension of the gameplay experience.”

“Alpha-Driven Development aims to carve a path through the unknown,” he added. “We don’t start with a crystal-clear vision or established audience expectations. Our approach is based on agility: it asks developers to move quickly, always be willing to turn on a dime, constantly try new ideas, and fail fast.”

That doesn’t mean that the developers will be designing their flagship game and creating artwork without some sort of guide. According to Dociu, they rely on a “North Star” to help point them in the right direction.

“It’s difficult to share much about our north star, since we haven’t yet announced our game,” he said. “But to offer a tease: our north star asks artists to transport themselves back to the magical mindset we all had as children, bringing incongruous sets of toys and characters together into a new world of imagination. Fidelity and realism are irrelevant — the rules of the universe you created served the story you wanted to tell, and the way you wanted to play.”

One More Game remains close-mouthed about their upcoming game but they were more than happy to share some of the concept art that they’ve been working on. You can check those out on the One More Game official site.