the power of wildermyth’s modular storytelling in game design
Every once in a while, a game comes along that changes the way we think about interactive storytelling. Undoubtedly, Wildermyth has this star quality. The tactical RPG uses procedural generation to author stories in a unique way, chaining up series…
listening to the voice of elohim in the talos principle
When I played The Talos Principle, the puzzle game by Croteam released in 2014, it brought to mind other great puzzle games. Though it can get lost in the shuffle between the legacy of Myst (1993) and the star power…
the subtle storytelling of the video game inside
Since it’s October again, it’s time for my traditional post about a spooky game. Last year, I wrote about the innovative use of death in the mechanics of Limbo, and this year I’m excited to tackle the storytelling of Inside.…
the great houdini escape room: game design review
My last post was dedicated to identifying some of the most common design blunders in crafting escape rooms. This post follows up with a design deep dive into a well-executed escape room, The Great Houdini Escape Room by Palace Games…
common mistakes to avoid when designing escape rooms
Escape rooms are physical puzzle game environments where you get locked in a room with a group of friends and have a time limit within which you try to escape, by using clues and solving puzzles. These rooms are based…
best of palace games escape rooms: houdini, roosevelt or edison?
Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to have played all of Palace Games’ in-person escape rooms. Located at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, Palace Games offers the trio of The Great Houdini Escape Room, The Roosevelt…
hogwarts legacy story details revealed: deep dive
During yesterday’s State of Play (17 March, 2022), Avalanche and Sony showcased a 20-minute special on Hogwarts Legacy. 14 glorious minutes were dedicated to gameplay footage on the PlayStation, and the game itself looks magnificent. But, as I’ve mentioned before,…
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…
the attraction escape room is palace games’ storytelling gem: review
Palace Games’ new escape room, The Attraction, was a long time coming. When I booked it back in early 2020, I had no idea that a pandemic would postpone our date almost two years. But nonetheless, masked and equipped with…
