designing social games where points don’t matter
When trying to define what a game is, one of the more common answers is that games require “winning” and “losing” states. This is one of the distinctions between games and things like puzzles or interactive media. However, in some…
the dating game
Of all the rites of passage in our lives, the one that strikes me as most like a game is dating. Nowadays, dating apps and websites have taken advantage of this and help us play the so-called dating game. Lessons…
we can never escape race in video games
Among the topics in how games relate to society and the real world, you hear about sex, gender and violence a whole lot, but hardly ever about race. This is a discussion I think we need to have, however, because…
advice on why you shouldn’t game jam
For game designers just starting out, a common piece of advice is to participate in game jams. Game jams give developers of all disciplines practice in several things that are crucial to the game creation process. In the short time…
get your mind in the gutter: the in-between medium of comics
“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” – Leonard Cohen In the world of storytelling media, books and games sit at the extremes. Books are seen as passive – the story is laid out, and…
the wall, a game about berlin during the cold war (game dev process)
The Wall is a stealth game based on the political climate of Cold War Germany and its effect on the citizens of Berlin. The game’s four levels reflect the structural evolution of the Berlin Wall and its “Death Strip”, with…
