a rhapsody for disneyquest
There is a nondescript blue block of a building in a corner of the newly-reimagined Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort. This unremarkable structure contains five floors of arcade games, virtual reality experiences and interactive exhibits. The place is…
death and victory on the oregon trail: card game vs. video game review
Unlike most of my friends, I never played The Oregon Trail when I was a kid. My first exposure to it was a few weeks ago, in card game format, and I was excited to see what all the fuss…
foldit, player motivation and video games for science
Picture this: You’ve just come home from a long day at work, and have the promise of a free evening before you. It’s been a stressful day, and you want to relax. Do you a) fire up your favourite video…
switching up the controls, from atari to nintendo switch
I sat down with a self-professed “retro gamer” one rainy evening, and we played Pac-Man and Frogger on an Atari connected to an old TV. The difference was that this Atari was set up a little differently, connected to aluminum…
1,001 levels of candy crush
I reached level 1,001 of Candy Crush this weekend. At this point, you stare at me incredulously, without even trying to conceal your ridicule, and ask the burning question, “Why?” You’re not the first person to ask this question. When…
we are addicted to progress: designing progression in games
On a car ride in the passenger seat, my friend handed me his phone and asked me to help him hatch some chickens while he was driving. He was talking about Egg, Inc., this game where you tap a red…
cmu carnival “game night” booths
CMU’s annual spring carnival is a big deal, so when we found out the theme for the booths this year was “Game Night”, Julian, Amy and I decided to go check them out and pass judgment. The booths ranged in…
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…
