Flat Kingdom Paper's Cut Edition

A publisher conversation at PAX East

My involvement with Flat Kingdom began at PAX East, where I met the publisher. We agreed that some design lessons could help address problems in the gameplay, and that a focused review could give the team useful changes to consider.

I contributed as an external design consultant. I was not employed by Fat Panda Games, the game’s developer. The connection came through the publisher, and my contribution was a concentrated assessment and consultation.

Turning observations into a 48-hour triage list

I performed a 48-hour design triage and provided the resulting list to the team, along with a consultation on changes intended to improve the game. The deliverable was a practical set of gameplay issues and recommendations that the developers could use to inform their next decisions.

The value of that kind of review is focus. An existing game already has an identity, an implementation, and a team invested in it. The task is to identify where design changes could make the experience work better, explain the reasoning clearly, and give the people building it something they can act on.

My role was to bring that outside perspective to the project and communicate the findings within a short turnaround.

The design context

Flat Kingdom combines platforming and puzzles with a shapeshifting character. Its combat uses relationships between circle, triangle, and square forms, making recognition and understanding the rules central to play. The official Steam page describes the game and credits Fat Panda Games as developer and Games Starter as publisher.

That public description provides context for the game being reviewed. My contribution was the triage list and consultation; the developers retained responsibility for choosing and implementing changes.

Changes and the revised edition

Following the consultation, the team made significant changes and relaunched the game as Flat Kingdom Paper’s Cut Edition. This account reflects my recollection of the engagement and its subsequent outcome. The Steam link provides the public reference for the edition.

The distinction between recommendation and implementation matters here: I supplied the review and design advice, and the team carried the game forward. This was a focused consulting contribution rather than a continuing position on the development team.

For me, the project represents the usefulness of a timely design review: recognize a problem, turn it into a clear recommendation, and help a team see a practical route to improving the player experience.