Innovation and Craft

At the end of Mark Rosewater’s Daily MtG article he discusses the difference between innovation and craft.

Innovation is important early in the life-cycle of the game, new ideas are important to create a great new game, and the ideas can sustain the game while it’s a bit rough around the edges.

Craft is important later on, it’s what you need to sustain the game in the long term. Dotting all the i’s, crossing the t’s, making sure that it’s as polished, complete and easy to play as possible, this is where the craft of game design comes into its own.

Games can survive with only one of the other, but great games have both.

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