Imagine designing a game with mechanics so addictive and all-consuming that you decide it can't see the light of day.

In this clip, British gaming journalism channel People Make Games chats to Brisbane-based game designers from Halfbrick Studios, to delve into a game prototype (titled Tank Tactics) that ended up scrapped due to its concerning effects. The YouTube investigation takes a casual, big-picture approach that caters to a mass audience. Interview extracts with a prototype player and the designer are mixed in with infographics and creator Quintin Smith's to-camera narration. Reflecting the channel's open approach, Smith lays out the prototype on his own kitchen table to explain the mechanics and demonstrate its appeal.

As the developers of blockbuster app games like Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride, Halfbrick Studios' stature imbues the footage with a human interest angle. The interview reveals the psychological undercurrent of game design, where even prototypes have the power to affect staff relationships and workplace productivity.