Writing is hard. Writing interactive, multiple-choice games is harder. Good at turning a phrase? Excellent – now turn seven of them, all equally-well written, that make sense in four different contexts, as said by three different characters.
Making games can be emotionally complicated. The joyous rush of creation, the ego-shattering freefall of disappointment when something doesn’t work out, the creeping sense of frustrated horror when searching for an elusive solution to some arcane design problem – game …
Reading Your Emotions: Secret Roadmap to Success Read more »
Finishing things is hard. For all the brand new conveniences and leisure distractions available today, the harsh reality is that the world only values you for what you produce. This is largely true for game development – unless you’re backed …
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is widely regarded for its excellent writing. There’s a reason for this that may not exactly surprise you: its writing is excellent, and deserves to be studied as an exemplar of what game writing can …
The Lasting Excellence of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver’s Writing Read more »
Maybe it was something a teacher said to you years ago, when you were still a child. Maybe a parent uttered an offhand comment that stayed with you, despite its seeming normalcy. Maybe a stranger muttered something to you on …
“How do you let people betray each other?” “How do you handle gay marriage?” “How do you get people to want to play?” No, the above aren’t results from a Google auto-complete gone wrong. These were just a few of …
PRACTICE Makes Better: Self-Improvement Through Game Design Read more »
It was my last day in Montreal. I had just finished lunch at a local landmark a friend had recommended. The rest of the day was wide open before a late flight back home to New York. I wandered for …
Everything is new. Everything is huge, and you’re so tiny. You don’t know how most things work, so even minute details of everyday things like spoons, light switches and cars seem like miracles. Over time you get bigger, and things …
It’s a glorious Sunday morning. You stir and stretch in your bed, a mess of wonderfully soft sheets and covers. The whole day is open. Will you laze around for a bit more? Get up and go for a walk, …
Music, when soft voices die, Vibrates in the memory; Odours, when sweet violets sicken, Live within the sense they quicken. Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, Are heap’d for the belovèd’s bed; And so thy thoughts, when thou art …