Feb 2026 · Studio Philosophy
Every decision at Haika Games runs through one filter: can someone understand this in ten seconds? If not, it's not ready.
The ten-second rule didn't come from a design book. It came from watching playtesters. Every time someone stalled — every confused expression, every "wait, what do I do?" — that was a ten-second failure. We started counting.
It means cutting before polishing. It means playtesting before finishing. It means the core loop ships before the cinematics. If someone can't understand the game in ten seconds of play, the game isn't ready — regardless of how good it looks.
Rules exist so you don't have to relitigate decisions under pressure. When a feature is almost done and someone says "can we just add one more tutorial prompt?" — the ten-second rule answers for us. No. If it needs explaining, it needs redesigning.