About Varianta

A data lab for people who make games.

Break it down: a designer says a reward feels too rare; an engineer says the rate is correct; a playtester swears the whole thing is broken. Everyone is looking at the same system, and everyone is a little bit right — because they're all describing different parts of one distribution, without the numbers in front of them. Varianta started to end that argument. We put the numbers on the table, plot the spread, and let the math settle who's right.

What we do

We teach the mathematics of randomness in game systems — how a pseudo-random generator actually behaves, how weights become drop rates, how a loot table balances, and what variance does to the way a session feels. Not as abstract theory, but as models you can run in a spreadsheet and check against your own game the same afternoon. Every lesson ends with a file you keep.

Who it's for

Designers who want to argue for a change with evidence instead of a hunch. Developers who want to implement a reward curve correctly the first time. Curious players who've always wondered what “5% drop” really means over a hundred kills. You don't need a maths background — just a willingness to open a spreadsheet and follow the reasoning.

What we believe

That intuition and rigour aren't opposites. That a formula is only worth teaching if you can see it move a real game system. That the fastest way to end a balancing argument is to plot it. We keep the tone practical and the examples honest — if a model has limits, we say so, and we'd rather show you the working than hand you a black box.

Where we are

We work from the Enseada do Suá waterfront in Vitória, Espírito Santo, and teach in English to game makers wherever they are. The course and the companion ebook are the heart of what we offer; everything else is in service of getting the ideas from our heads into your builds. If you want to talk through whether it's a fit, our door — and our inbox — is open at [email protected].

One thing to be clear about: “games” here means video games, the software kind. Varianta is educational material about how those systems behave, and has nothing to do with money riding on a result.