Games & Game Development: what Hacker News watches
8 topics, 342 videos. Pick a topic for a focused list, or scan the 100 best-scored across the whole area below.
- 12 HN recommenders 12 months 2013–2025G grapefrukt · talkThe go-to recommendation on game feel and polish, cited by HN as one of the best talks for anyone making interactive things feel good.
- 10 HN recommenders 11 months 2014–2025D Dutch Game Garden · talkA perennial recommendation for anyone learning game feel and juice, praised for showing concrete steps that turn a bland prototype into a satisfying game.
- 14 HN recommenders 12 months 2020–2025D DevGAMM · talkIt is the standard link in HN threads about software decay, lost knowledge and fragile technological civilization.
- 11 HN recommenders 8 months 2018–2025HN keeps recommending it as an inspirational, funny talk on running a long-lived indie studio and what Steam provides for its 30% cut.
- 7 HN recommenders 7 months 2020–2026It is the go-to talk for anyone building falling-sand or pixel-physics simulations, and several commenters say they modeled their own engines on it.
- 8 HN recommenders 7 months 2018–2023Frequently recommended whenever Diablo or its origins come up, for its candid account of the human side of game development.
- 7 HN recommenders 7 months 2013–2020C CreativeMornings HQ · talkHN cites it repeatedly in debates about in-app purchases and monetization corrupting games.
- 6 HN recommenders 7 months 2019–2025HN commenters cite it as the definitive critique of Fortnite's monetization and of manipulative free-to-play design.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2011–2017R rubbermuck · talkRecommended as a thoughtful critique of addictive game design and the designer's role in building ethical games.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2017–2023HN raves about it as one of the best conference talks, showing a master's creative process and sound design.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2017–2021HN recommends it as a great account of how Civilization was made and as a source on perceived fairness in game design.
- 7 HN recommenders 6 months 2015–2018HN commenters use it as a short, accessible primer on social credit and surveillance-driven gamification, linking it in many privacy and China threads.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2018–2024HN recommends it as a transparent MMO postmortem and as the source of the story that the term 'shard' originated with Ultima Online.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2017–2025G Game Maker's Toolkit · explainerHN recommends it as a concise video essay on why Nintendo games feel good and how the company iterates.
- 6 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2022HN points to it whenever Dwarf Fortress comes up, mainly for the alcohol-poisoned cats bug story and a developer's view of the game's depth.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2017–2024HN recommends it as a deeper look at Deus Ex's themes, and as the best essay on its politics and economics.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2013–2025HN cites it for the story of how Pitfall's levels are generated procedurally from a seeded counter, within 4K of ROM.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2016–2019HN people cite it when discussing perceived randomness, luck and player experience in games, and say more designers should heed it.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2026Recommended even to people outside game development as a useful, practical perspective on how creativity works.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2026HN uses it as a canonical anecdote that designers badly predicted player behavior, and in threads about UO and sharding.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2023S SsethTzeentach · commentaryHN considers it the go-to link for conveying the chaos of Space Station 13 in any related discussion.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2019–2023R Razbuten · commentaryHN uses it to illustrate learned literacy in game and software UX, and how unfamiliar conventions confuse newcomers.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2016–2022M MrBtongue · commentaryCommenters call it one of the best, most insightful explanations of sandbox versus theme-park MMO design.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2022Recommended as a prime example of large-scale procedural generation used in a shipped AAA game.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2022N NYU Game Center · talkHN points to it for the design philosophy behind PICO-8's constraints.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2026HN commenters recommend it as a hilarious account of mass-produced app store shovelware and cite it in threads on spam and low-quality content.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2026HN commenters recommend it as the key talk on why game AI is built to be fun rather than to win.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2018–2025Held up as an exemplary GDC postmortem and a first-hand account for fans of the original Fallout.
- 2 HN recommenders 3 months 2014–2019HN points to it as the best talk on how people misunderstand probabilities and how designers handle that.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2022–2024J Jimmy McGee · commentaryRecommended as an engaging, well-researched look at the history of gambling machines and how games borrow their psychology.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2022D Double Fine · demoRecommended as an entertaining, hilarious view of developers watching a speedrunner break their game.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2022HN commenters recommend it as a witty critique of the game, and cite it in discussions of the yellow filter in games.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2026P PocketGamerbiz · talkHN mostly cites it critically, as an insider's blunt playbook for psychologically exploiting players in F2P and loot box games.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2012–2014HN commenters recommend it as a thoughtful take on doing gamification and game design well.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2012–2020E Egoraptor · commentaryHN commenters use it as the standard example of invisible onboarding and good game design, praising it as funny and insightful.
- 4 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2023HN points to it whenever Another World comes up, as one of the better GDC talks by the game's creator.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2024Recommended in indie and solo game development threads as a grounded account of making a living in games.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2023J jon d · talkHN considers it one of the best GDC post-mortems, with funny anecdotes (such as turning down Hotmail equity) and multiplayer insights.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2020–2025HN recommends it when people ask why games aren't marketed by creator like films, and for the value of attaching your name to your work.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2019–2023HN commenters recommend it as a firsthand account from the creator, including the old tooling.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2022S Stephanie Sterling · commentaryPointed to in threads on loot boxes, gacha games and exploitative monetization as a damning overview.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2026Recommended as an accessible talk on emergent narrative and on how RimWorld was designed, and cited in threads on simulation games.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2024Recommended as an entertaining, technical look at squeezing a game into a tiny Atari 2600, told by the original developer.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2023HN commenters cite it as the reference for how a rewind system works and as a point of comparison for undo and serialization approaches.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2017–2019D Day9TV · commentaryHN uses it to argue that mechanical difficulty and limited attention are integral to RTS strategy, especially in StarCraft AI threads.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2023Recommended for its insight into game design and cited as a vivid example of how tricky localization can be.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2018–2021HN uses it as a short explanation of AAA pricing economics in discussions of microtransactions and game pricing.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2023–2024G GiantGrantGames · commentaryHN recommends it for its argument that single-player campaigns and modding are overlooked in RTS design.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2018HN commenters point to it as a fantastic developer commentary on how Doom's first episode was made.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2020–2023HN commenters find his insights good, especially the idea that games work for learning by doing and for teaching problem-solving, in contrast to gamification.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2015–2019HN points to it as a short source on operant conditioning in games, loot boxes and engagement loops, with design alternatives.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2021–2026HN recommends it as a detailed RCT documentary in threads on the game's optimization and design legacy.
- 2 HN recommenders 2 months 2016–2024HN commenters recommend it as an honest account of the emotional toll and persistence of long indie game development.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2025C Chris Crawford · talkHN people mention it as a notable historical talk from the early game industry, though some see it as showing his eccentricity.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2025J Joseph Anderson · commentaryHN uses it mainly as a critical review of the game, saying it captures a lack of respect for the player, though one commenter suggests watching it after finishing.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2021–2023HN mentions it for the game design history it contains and as part of a list of good gaming history channels.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2023HN cites it as the standard walkthrough of Mario's implicit teaching and as an example of hiding the tutorial inside the problem.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2020–2022HN people cite it for solo-dev inspiration and for the rendering technique behind the game's look.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2022–2023J Josh Strife Hayes · commentaryPointed to as a breakdown of predatory monetization design in games.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2023–2026Z Zeusmonomon · talkHN points to it for Wright's ideas on procedural design and as the source of the huge expectations around Spore.
- 1 HN recommenders 1 months 2016–2020Cited in game-economy threads as a clear explanation of why vendor-sellable loot causes hyperinflation and how designers counter it.
- cited 4× 0 months 2014–2017M [mtbdesignworks {Miegakure, 4D Toys}] · demoHN links it in discussions of 4D visualization and Miegakure as an intuitive demonstration of the fourth dimension.
- cited 6× 0 months 2017–2024HN commenters link it as the primary source for the 'multiplicative gameplay' idea and the chemistry engine behind BotW.
- cited 3× 0 months 2023–2025B Bloc · demoPointed to as an early example of LLM-powered NPC dialog in games.
- cited 3× 0 months 2020–2023T The Video Game History Foundation · interviewPointed to as a rare look at the real SCUMM code of a classic adventure game.
- 16 HN recommenders 10 months 2019–2025HN treats it as the best real-world AAA example of ECS and game netcode, and cites it constantly in discussions of data-oriented design.
- 9 HN recommenders 9 months 2018–2023HN treats it as the go-to explanation of ECS, valuable even for people who don't use Rust.
- 7 HN recommenders 9 months 2021–2026S SIGGRAPH Advances in Real-Time Rendering · talkHN treats it as the definitive deep dive on Nanite, admired for the engineering ambition behind pixel-sized triangles and compute-driven rendering.
- 13 HN recommenders 9 months 2020–2026It is one of the most frequently recommended videos on HN for old-school game development hacks under tight hardware constraints.
- 9 HN recommenders 9 months 2015–2026A Alexandre Franco · talkHN recommends it as a talk whose advice on simplicity and avoiding unnecessary work applies well beyond games.
- 7 HN recommenders 9 months 2014–2025HN programmers recommend it, and the Jai series that followed, for the game-industry view on replacing C++ and for watching a language being invented.
- 11 HN recommenders 8 months 2025–2026B Better Software Conference · talkHN commenters recommend it for its source-based history of OOP, though some dispute its account of Alan Kay.
- 6 HN recommenders 7 months 2023–2026G Godot Engine · talkFrequently recommended for an experienced game-engine builder's view on why GC pauses are inevitable and why Swift's approach is appealing.
- 6 HN recommenders 7 months 2012–2018Q QuakeCon Official · talkHN rates his QuakeCon keynotes among the best technical talks, and cites this one for the VR segment and for his views on Linux gaming.
- 3 HN recommenders 5 months 2015–2019A favorite on Ask HN lists of programming YouTube channels, praised for mind-blowing systems and graphics programming and a watchable coding style.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2015–2020B Bruce Hauman · demoIt is the canonical demo HN people cite for live interactive development and hot reloading, as proof the workflow is real and not smoke and mirrors.
- 9 HN recommenders 5 months 2023–2025HN treats it as the best entry point to geometric algebra and an intuitive route to understanding quaternions.
- 5 HN recommenders 6 months 2021–2025The go-to link in any anti-cheat thread for a concrete, well-delivered account of machine-learning cheat detection in production.
- 7 HN recommenders 6 months 2017–2026M Media Molecule · talkHN calls it an inspirational must-see on SDF rendering and a favorite tech talk for graphics programmers.
- 6 HN recommenders 6 months 2017–2023HN cites it as the example of a better alternative to whiteboard and fizzbuzz-style interviews.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2020–2024B BUas Games · talkThe go-to talk whenever Wave Function Collapse, Townscaper or tile-based procedural generation comes up.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2023–2026R retrogameinternals · demoHeld up in debugger and tooling threads as an amazing ideal of a tight feedback loop and what debugging could be.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2022–2025HN considers it one of the best game networking talks, with insights that carry over to distributed systems generally.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2013–2025K Kostiantyn Kostin · talkCited again and again as Carmack's key public statement on functional programming and purity in game development, plus his remarks on garbage collection.
- 4 HN recommenders 5 months 2020–2025HN treats it as the definitive practical talk on rollback networking in a shipped AAA fighting game.
- 5 HN recommenders 5 months 2017–2024C Casey Muratori · lectureSeen as the origin of the IMGUI idea that inspired Dear ImGui, recommended to anyone curious about immediate-mode UI design.
- 6 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2023P PlayStation · talkHN treats it as required viewing for understanding the PS5's SSD and architecture beyond raw specs.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2013–2026D Daniel Hands · demoHN points to it as the standard example of procedural content generation and extreme size optimization in games.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2020–2024HN commenters point to it as the first-person story of how Myst grew out of HyperCard and fit on CD-ROM, especially in threads about HyperCard and retro game constraints.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2014–2022HN recommends it as an approachable way into C and low-level programming that gets to something visible quickly.
- 5 HN recommenders 4 months 2018–2026M max4warn · talkHN points to it as the definitive example of server-side, behavioral, non-invasive anti-cheat using machine learning, often as a counterpoint to kernel-level anti-cheat.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2023–2025A AngeTheGreat · demoHN points to it as a standout example of physics-based sound synthesis and engine simulation.
- 4 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2022R Roguelike Celebration · talkHN recommends it as a fun, informative survey of easy-to-implement dungeon generation methods from the author of the Rust roguelike tutorial.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2025–2026R runevision · explainerHN recommends it as the original explainer for a clever dithering technique and the go-to video in dithering threads.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2018U UncommentatedPannen · explainerPraised as an engrossing, in-depth look at SM64 mechanics that is surprisingly compelling to watch.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2024–2025HN recommends it as an excellent inside look at Valve's history, its technology and the games industry of the time.
- 3 HN recommenders 4 months 2021–2025S sentdex · demoCited as an early, striking demo of neural networks acting as game engines and world models.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2021–2022M Martin Donald · explainerCommenters recommend it as the clearest way to understand WFC, especially in threads about Townscaper and tiled content generation.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2011–2018Q QuakeCon Official · talkCited as a source for Carmack's views on static analysis, open source and languages, and praised as a captivating, conversational speaker.
- 3 HN recommenders 3 months 2017–2021HN recommends the series as a thorough look at low-level game programming by someone with deep knowledge, offered free.
Showing the 100 best-scored of 342. Use search to find the rest.
Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.