the game design of taskmaster: indirect control
Indirect control is one of my favourite topics in game design, and it’s no surprise that it can be found in the tasks in the television game show Taskmaster. But, first, what is indirect control? Game designer Jesse Schell describes…
from galaxy’s edge to galactic starcruiser: why it’s so difficult to theme star wars locations
Disney’s latest Star Wars themed location, the Galactic Starcruiser hotel, is set to open in March 2022 at Walt Disney World in Orlando. But the voyage so far has been bumpy, to say the least. In December, the official trailer…
disney genie plus app and the game design of fastpass
FastPass has been an integral part of my experience visiting the Disney theme parks. Introduced in 1999, the system was initially designed as a virtual queue. At popular rides, FastPass kiosks printed a limited number of tickets for time slots…
storytelling of disney’s pirates of the caribbean ride… and the redhead (part 2)
In every Disney ride, there is a strong thread of storytelling running through the entire experience. After all, Disney is a company built on story, stemming from its roots in the film and animation industries. Its theme parks are best…
the history and design of disney’s pirates of the caribbean ride (part 1)
Pirates of the Caribbean has long been one of the most beloved rides at the Disney theme parks. It was the last ride personally overseen by Walt Disney, though it did not open in Disneyland until 1967, three months after…
“snow white’s scary adventures” ride changes its storytelling forever
“Snow White’s Scary Adventures” is one of those rides that I remember going on as a small child on my very first trip to Disneyland. It’s by all measures a classic. In fact, “Snow White’s Scary Adventures” is one of…
toy story midway mania and carnival games: fun to play vs. fun to watch
Front of mind for most game designers is making games fun to play. But there’s another side to games, too. Especially with Twitch and online streaming, it’s more and more important that games are also fun to watch. But making…
