Published inGame Design FundamentalsCritical Play: Theme Only GamesThis weekend, I played two tower defense games: Heroes of Mangara, which had a fantasy theme, and Battle Cats, which had a quirky…Nov 2, 2020Nov 2, 2020
Published inGame Design FundamentalsCritical Play: Puzzles — PortalPortal is a compelling puzzle game with a strong narrative thread throughout. There is direct narration in the form of GLaDOS as well as…Nov 1, 2020Nov 1, 2020
Published inGame Design FundamentalsCritical Play: Mystery — Life is StrangeLife is Strange uses many narrative techniques to create a sense of mystery. The main technique in this game is direct narration, which…Nov 1, 2020Nov 1, 2020
Critical Play: The PretenderThe Pretender is a social bluffing game of mini-charades made by Hazel Reynolds of the indie-game company Gamely. The game consists of two…Oct 5, 2020Oct 5, 2020
Published inGame Design FundamentalsCritical Play: The SandboxThe Sandbox is a social world-building and playing game created by Pixowl for iOS and android. I played on iOS.Sep 29, 2020Sep 29, 2020
Published inGame Design FundamentalsRockband Game Mechanic FailI have incredibly fond memories of playing Rockband with my family. But there is one mechanic in this game that always perplexed me —…Sep 24, 2020Sep 24, 2020
Published inGame Design FundamentalsPlaytest: Zoom gameQuick Count is a game for two or more players on an online video conference.Sep 17, 2020Sep 17, 2020
Published inGame Design FundamentalsCritical Play: Inhuman ConditionsInhuman Conditions is a roleplaying card game created by Tommy Maranges and Cory O’Brien. I played on a free online platform.Sep 17, 20201Sep 17, 20201
