"Rational design is all about eliminating unnecessary information, making things inherently readable, understandable and apparent, introducing mechanics in an orderly and easily digestible fashion, and preserving the learning and difficulty curves of a game, known as macro flow."
Back in 2012, Chris McEntee, a former designer at Ubisoft Montpelier who worked on Rayman Origins, wrote in the Game Developer blog section about the company's design philosophy and how it shaped their techniques, offering an extensive primer on how to break down the core elements of your level design and increase comprehension and mastery for players.
Check it out at Game Developer.
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