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ATLAS / IDEAS

Game design atlas

Find a mechanism, understand its tradeoffs and smallest useful scope, then build your game with a design card and sample project.

192 Mechanisms32 Mechanism domain48 Art styles12 Genre guides

Art styles My research shelf Rain Canopy Workshop · Try the complete prototype Pixel toolkit

Core loop

01Read corner and speed
02Choose a braking point
03Control the turn
04Compare exit speed and time

Vehicles and racingOne rule

Braking and exit lines

Brake late for more straight-line speed or slow earlier for a better exit position?

Reference gamesGran Turismo 7 · art of rally

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Core loop

01Enter at a suitable speed
02Initiate a slide
03Countersteer
04Recover grip on exit

Vehicles and racingOne rule

Drift and grip recovery

Increase the slip angle for a longer drift or straighten early for a narrow exit?

Reference gamesAbsolute Drift · art of rally

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Core loop

01Place cargo
02Read balance and terrain
03Control speed through hazards
04Deliver and inspect losses

Vehicles and racingOne rule

Cargo and balance

Carry a full load slowly or make two faster trips with a more stable center of mass?

Reference gamesSnowRunner · Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

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Core loop

01Enter the wake
02Maintain spacing
03Find an opening
04Leave and overtake

Vehicles and racingOne rule

Slipstream overtaking

Stay behind to build speed or change lanes before the corner closes the gap?

Reference gamesGran Turismo 7 · Slipstream

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Core loop

01Read reserve and refills
02Choose a segment
03Control boost duration
04Replan after refilling

Vehicles and racingOne rule

Managing boost reserves

Boost out of the bend or save it for the long straight before refilling?

Reference gamesF-ZERO 99 · Burnout 3: Takedown

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Core loop

01Read RPM and road
02Predict the next demand
03Shift up or down
04Observe acceleration and RPM

Vehicles and racingOne rule

Gear-shift timing

Shift up now or hold a lower gear because braking is imminent?

Reference gamesGran Turismo 7 · DiRT Rally

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Covers are original AI-generated style illustrations. Game names reference publicly visible design choices and remain the property of their owners. This atlas does not supply screenshots or assets from those games. Prompts and combinations are original drafts for new games.