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I take a lot of inspiration from Valve’s game design. The show-don’t-tell style that many Valve titles use is admirable, considering that many of their IPs are complex. This page will detail the many details that make Valve’s game design so incredible.
Right off the bat, don’t expect designing a game to be easy. It will be hard. Good games take lots of time, and rushed ones are bad. To put it in the words of Gabe Newell,
To make a game’s content feel right, make two games and cut the bad one. In other words, do double what you’d like to, and then scrap any ideas or content that doesn’t fit into the better half of the game.
Cut similair things from your game. If two features are too similair or one is too niche, cut it. You don’t need two of the same thing in a game.
Train the player. In other words, force them to solve a small version of a problem before they solve the real one. This prepares the player for action. One notable usecase of this is in the game Portal. In its escape sequence, players must learn how to solve a puzzle before they are given it.
Playtest. Playtesting allows you to remove parts of your game that feel stale or are too confusing. You already know how to do everything. Make sure it’s easy to learn. Ideally, playtesters should be diverse in video game experience. They can be anybody, too. If your aunt, your uncle, or even your little cousin wants to playtest, let them. It should be noted that it is best to observe the behavior of playtesters, because they aren’t always honest in their reflection.
Reinforce good behavior. If players stray too far off the beaten path, punish them with a lack of gameplay. If they do what they are supposed to, give them ammunition or other resources that they might desire. That gives players a reason to play how you want, which lets you tailor gameplay to your liking.