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Prototyping with index cards: is it worth it?
We tested three games in a row using nothing but index cards and a pen. The results were mixed.
After Engrenagens do Vale cost us weeks of iterating on pretty components too early, we tried the opposite: our last three prototypes were built with nothing but index cards and a pen.
It worked well for testing mechanics. It worked poorly for testing “game feel” — some ideas only reveal their real problem once components feel final. The practical takeaway: index cards for the first five sessions, then invest in real components.