24d • General discussion
One of Nintendo’s core design principles is simple:
If players reach their goal too easily, it’s boring.
If it’s too hard, they quit.
The balance between difficulty and guidance is everything.
That balance has helped build one of the most successful companies of all time.
Which makes me wonder:
What’s the real difference between game design… and sports coaching?
Or even education?
In games:
- You solve problems.
- You experiment.
- You fail safely.
- You receive feedback.
- You try again.
- You feel progress.
In great coaching and teaching:
- You solve problems.
- You experiment.
- You fail safely.
- You receive feedback.
- You try again.
- You feel progress.
The mechanics are almost identical.
The difference isn’t content.
It’s design.
Nintendo doesn’t obsess over “making things easier.”
They obsess over creating environments where challenge feels meaningful, not overwhelming.
In sport and education, we often drift toward two extremes:
- Over-instruction (too much hand-holding)
- Over-exposure (too much difficulty, too soon)
Both kill engagement.
Maybe the lesson isn’t to “gamify” coaching or teaching.
Maybe it’s to design experiences where:
- difficulty is intentional
- autonomy is protected
- feedback is timely
- and getting a little lost is part of the journey
Because sometimes, as Nintendo suggests, getting lost is where the real learning happens.
Curious to hear thoughts:
Are we designing learning…
or just delivering content?
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One of Nintendo’s core design principles is simple:
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