Monsters and Molecules
Last week, I wrote about finding your game’s atom — that is, the smallest possible element of your game, the mechanic that actually defines your… Read More »Monsters and Molecules
Game Design
Atomic Game Theory
I found myself inspired by Sean Preston’s recent post on his Reality Blurs blog. In it, he pondered the viability and appeal of a small,… Read More »Atomic Game Theory
Evil Games?
Famed game designer Jonathan Blow, the brains behind Braid and the upcoming The Witness, raised a few eyebrows this week when he vehemently decried social… Read More »Evil Games?
Design and Declarations
Daniel Clark blogged recently on Lostgarden about a proposed “Declaration of Game Designer Independence.” Go read it. It’s short. And the rest of this post… Read More »Design and Declarations
Games, Stories, and Freedom – Part 2
Last week, I rambled on about video games and the stories they help players create. If you haven’t read that piece yet, I’d encourage you… Read More »Games, Stories, and Freedom – Part 2
Splattered Like a Bug on Monday’s Windshield
I’m still reading Stephen King’s Dark Tower books. No, not again. For the first time. This is the project I started oh… (checks the blog… Read More »Splattered Like a Bug on Monday’s Windshield
Games, Stories, and Freedom
Earlier this week, I mentioned the upcoming sandbox MMO Salem, and that I found the idea of such a beast rather appealing. Not just because… Read More »Games, Stories, and Freedom
Salem MMO Weighs Less Than a Duck
What’s this? Hmm… Salem MMO = Minecraft + Colonial America + Lovecraft + Permadeath. Okay. You have my attention. The video interview from PC Gamer… Read More »Salem MMO Weighs Less Than a Duck
Game Prototyping Toolkit: A Handy Checklist
The best way I’ve found to design a good game is to design as many bad games as you can, as quickly as you can.… Read More »Game Prototyping Toolkit: A Handy Checklist
Change is Good
In the quiet midnight hours between finishing this year’s NaNo novel and… well, now… I was visited, as is the tradition, by three ghosts. The… Read More »Change is Good