Items are one of those weird things we take for granted. Sometimes we use them, sometimes we ignore them, sometimes we forget they exist. And yet as something that is designed for the game, it’s probably worthwhile for players to think more consciously about when and how they use these items. In this essay I explore a few ways in which the design of items – how they work and how they’re introduced to a player – can impact how players think about those items.
Tag Archives: video games
Language and Design
Language is tricky. What we mean when we say a word doesn’t necessarily convey what we want. And the results can be quite bad if we are misunderstood. In this brief essay I use an example of a single word causing confusion to illustrate why care in the use of language is so important in the design of a game.
On Interpretation: What is “Interpretation”?
Words: 2024 Approximate Reading Time: 15-20 minutes Returning to the topic of the art of interpretation and applying it to games, I want to step back for a moment to do some defining. We engage in this activity for a lot of reasons. Sometimes we find a thread in a game or book or filmContinue reading “On Interpretation: What is “Interpretation”?”
Stuck in a Rut?
“Genre” is one of those things we talk about a lot, and perhaps devote a lot of thought to. But usually when we think about genre, we focus on proper categorization. But an interesting aspect of genre is how it impacts design – both from the lens of how games influence each other, and how players set expectations about what a game in a particularly genre should be.
“You Don’t Want to Miss This!”
Missable content in games is one of those things we have varying feelings about. Sometimes we don’t care, sometimes we care a lot. I wanted to share a particularly bad experience, and from that experience attempt to share some rules that I believe help illustrate why sometimes missable content is a product of poor design that harms the player experience.
On Interpretation: What’s in a Word
Interpretation often requires looking into the usage of words to derive meaning. But a hyperfocus on specific wording can lead to errors. In this essay I explore how removing words, sentences, or lines from their context can result in mistaken understandings of the meanings of those same words/sentences/lines in context.
Bumps in the Night
I want to try a little experiment. I’ve long been fascinated by horror as a genre. Not specifically in video games, but in many forms. Movies, books, television, and so on. Video games are just an obvious medium to tackle because so much of my life is tied up in them. But that fascination givesContinue reading “Bumps in the Night”
Talking about Games: Interpretation and Meaning
We can sometimes find ourselves locked in arguments about what a given game is about. But truly answering this question means understanding what we mean when we say a game is “about” something. In this essay I discuss the ways in which we derive meaning from works and how a given work can in fact have multiple meanings – can be about many things all at once.
“No, Not that Way!”
Physics puzzles are one of those things that we often understand to be bad. Not universally, but we acknowledge that you’re going to run into all sorts of problems with the physics that makes the experience frustrating. In this essay, I explore the underlying problems with physics puzzles that actually leads to this frustration, and explain some ways in which physics puzzles can be made more engaging.
Losing Control
Video game controls are one of those things that tend to work well enough that we take them for granted. But when things go wrong, it’s useful to ask why they go wrong. And in particular, to think about what techniques exist to prevent things from going wrong in the first place.
Abstracting Games 