Authors
Two bylines, one bench.
OutBrick is a small studio, so the journal is written close to the work: design notes from the person making the game, and research essays edited by a desk that reads the sources first.
Mourad Hamdi
Mourad makes small, thoughtful games for the space between one task and the next. OutBrick is his ongoing experiment in calmer play.
All 28 storiesDesigning a game for the life players actually have
Why “gaming life fit” is a better design question than chasing a bigger hours-played number.
What Angry Birds teaches about the long road to a hit
Rovio’s own history is a useful reminder that iconic games are often the visible tip of a much longer practice.
Tetris proves that simple rules can keep opening up
A look at constraint, rhythm, and the endless variety inside a very small ruleset.
Why colour should never be the only clue in a puzzle
The case for pairing colour with shape, text, and other signals—so a readable board stays readable for more players.
OutBrick Editorial Desk
The OutBrick Editorial Desk turns player research, accessibility practice, and game-making lessons into useful, readable notes.
All 71 storiesWhy a two-minute puzzle can feel like a proper reset
A research-backed look at competence, attention, and the small satisfactions that make a short OutBrick session worth returning to.
Monument Valley and the power of making less feel complete
A closer look at ustwo’s “less game, more experience” idea—and what OutBrick borrows from it.
Minecraft’s early lesson: let discovery build the next layer
How an open-ended beginning grew through creation, survival, crafting, multiplayer, and platform expansion.
The case for daily rituals that do not demand you
Daily play can be a welcome rhythm when it invites attention without turning absence into failure.
