Game Design Standards
Entertainment Depot has an article called Standards in Game Design, asking several game developers (Levelord, George Broussard, John Romero, Rick Johnson and others) about certain aspects of a game that should always be the same. Like Esc bringing up the menu, having an option to invert mouse in FPS games, etc.
From The Chatty
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Thou shall hath 1 crate per acre, unless using a Carmack engine, then every square foot.