Justin Gary
Justin Gary
“Justin Gary went from world champion Magic: The Gathering pro-tour competitor to award-winning game designer and then to multi-million-dollar CEO. He has a lot to teach and you can find that wisdom clearly articulated in these pages.”
— Peter Adkison, Founder of Wizards of the Coast
 
“Justin has done a service to games by writing this book - even experienced designers will benefit from looking at design through his eyes.”
— Richard Garfield, Creator of Magic: The Gathering, RoboRally, and King of Tokyo
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The Step-By-Step Guide To
Unlocking Your Creative Potential

“Every journey starts with a single step, and if your desired journey is to become a game designer, I can think of no better first step than reading and doing the exercises in Justin’s book. Justin has managed to capture and communicate the process for designing games starting from the blank sheet of paper all the way to thousands of fans playing your game.”
— Jordan Weisman, Creator of Shadowrun and BattleTech
 
“This book is not just for gamers. Anyone thinking about turning a skill or hobby into a successful career will benefit from Justin’s experience and insight!”
— Greg Goldstein, President of IDW Publishing
 
 
 
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The 5-step journey to reAlizing your creative potential

Have you always wanted to be creative, make games, or start a company?  Do you find yourself getting stalled and not knowing where to start?  Do you get stuck half-way through and give up?  Don't worry, you are in good company!  I wrote this book to break down the creative process in a simple step-by-step way that busts through creative blocks and gets you living out your creative dreams in no time!

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1. Learn the Basics of Creativity

This is where you learn to master the magic of the human mind: Creativity. 

Everyday we think up wild new ideas and dream of manifesting them in the real world. With the right structure, it is completely possible to bring those ideas to life, whether it's a new game, company, or anything else you dream up.

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2. Master The Core Design Loop

The Core Design Loop is the secret used by successful designers. 

You'll be taught, step-by-step, how to master the Core Design Loop and why it is the most important part of transforming an idea into reality. 

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3. Refine Your Designs

As you iterate on your design, you will learn how to shift your focus so you don't waste time and get hung up on the wrong things. 

This is where you'll get uncomfortable as you choose what to keep, what to fix, and what to throw out. It's a big challenge with fantastic rewards.

 
 
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4. Build Your Vision

Once you have a great design, what's next? 

You will learn the steps of getting your project prototyped, produced, and published to get your game in the player's hands. This is where you start to see your dream realized.

 
 
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5. Make Money and Create More!

Creativity doesn't have to be a hobby.

By the end of this book, you'll learn how to carve a clear path to making money from your designs, building a lifestyle and thinking clearly and strategically, just like a game designer.

 
 

Have You Ever Dreamed Of Designing, Creating, And Publishing Your Own Games?

 

Join the Think Like A Game Designer Mastery Course

“This program is helping to foster and train a new era of aspiring game designers, and with the mentorship of Justin Gary, along with the support and guidance from the Stone Blade Entertainment team, these students are getting an education and access to the industry like nothing else on the market.”
— Tony Serebriany, The Op, Publisher of Telestrations
 

If you are anything like me, you love the idea of making awesome games to share with the world.

But starting down that creative path can be tough, and you probably don’t have time to waste making big mistakes that could cost thousands of dollars and hold your game back for years.

That's why, after a 20-year career in game design, a game design book, and a game design podcast, I've decided to create this course.

The Think Like A Game Designer Mastery Course is a simple and effective way to learn game design.

This course will not just help you learn to bring your game to life, but teach you to take the first steps toward a career in game design. We even offer opportunities to pitch your game to some of the biggest names in publishing.

The Think Like A Game Designer Mastery Course is a step-by-step approach to game design that will give you the confidence to create your game and the knowledge to sidestep the design mistakes that every new designer makes.

This course is designed to transform you from a person with games on the brain to games on the table.

I'll show you how to come up with ideas, iterate on your design, prototype on the cheap, effectively playtest, and finally, get your game published.

— Justin Gary

 
 

Lessons from world class designers

In the Think Like a Game Designer Podcast, award-winning designer and Stone Blade Entertainment CEO Justin Gary speaks with world-class game designers to deconstruct the step-by-step process for creating games and working in the gaming industry. In each episode, we distill the process of creativity into actionable advice that anyone can use all while giving listeners an opportunity to learn more about their favorite games and designers.

Here are a few guest designers we’ve had on the podcast:

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“The greatest game design podcast ever! Three things set Justin Gary apart as a teacher of design. First, the professionalism and tact with which he hosts the podcast and shares his own insight. Second, the cast of world-renowned designers that Justin knows personally and invites on the podcast. Third, the conviction to break down these wealths of knowledge into universal principles. I have learned more about design here on this podcast than anywhere else! Thank you, Justin!”
— Podcast Review
“Awesome Podcast—Great Lessons, Fantastic Stories. Justin Gary is an amazing game designer and an incredible teacher when it comes to game design. In this podcast, he interviews his friends (other awesome game designers) about making games. You get to hear fantastic stories and learn helpful lessons. If you’re an avid game player or a future game designer, this is for you.”
— Podcast Review
“Fantastic. As a working game designer (Subnautica, Vampire the Masquerade:Vendetta), I find very few truly helpful resources out there. The incredible line up of experts here is stunning. There’s so much wisdom here, I find myself so inspired I’m jotting down new game ideas, tools and insights non-stop. A little dangerous when I’m biking but my neurons are on fire! Thanks for all the great work you do, Justin! It’s really appreciated. It’s time to get to work on some new projects!”
— Podcast Review
 
 
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About Justin Gary

Justin Gary is an award-winning game designer, entrepreneur, and professional speaker. He started his career in gaming at the age of seventeen when he won the Magic: The Gathering US National Championships. He went on to play Magic professionally for several years, winning a Grand Prix, Pro Tour, and World Championship along the way. Justin started designing games working on the Vs. System trading card game and went on to lead-design the DC Comics: Infinite Crisis set. Afterwards, he created The World of Warcraft Miniatures Game before starting his own company, Gary Games, in 2010, which released its hit deck-building game Ascension that year. 

Today, Justin designs games, consults, and runs multiple successful companies from his home in San Diego, California.