Dead Cells - What the F*n!

Explore how Motion Twin's Dead Cells achieved hardcore gameplay without inducing rage-quitting in this 34-minute GDC talk from 2019. Dive into Sebastien Benard's insights on modernizing permadeath, implementing control tricks, designing traversal without helpers, and crafting combat systems. Discover the unforeseen consequences of these design choices and learn how making the player's life easier paradoxically resulted in a more challenging yet enjoyable experience. Gain valuable knowledge about game design principles that can be applied to create engaging and balanced gameplay in your own projects.

Intro
Who the hell is this guy?
About Motion Twin
Dead Cells project
Modernizing permadeath
Control tricks
Traversal without helpers
Combat
Unforeseen consequences
Conclusion