More Than a Feeling: Pacing in Game Design
Why hello, it’s been a while. Sorry about that, I got a little distracted by my candidacy. I passed! (Yay.) Now let’s get back to writing.
Designing for Sanity’s Sake: Using Modular Design
Recently I posted a preview of Starship 1 by Geoff Englestein, a boardgame which I look forward to with bated breath. Come on Geoff, pick up the pace. I know you have publishers knocking down your door! As I described fully in that post, Starship 1 is a game where each player[…]
Designing for Sanity’s Sake: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
Every design needs goals. What kinds of goals? Aesthetic goals. I don’t mean just how the game looks. I am speaking from the standpoint of the MDA Framework, a groundbreaking attempt to formally model the elements of gameplay. Let’s explore the three elements of MDA, starting from the canon definitions in the[…]
Designing for Sanity’s Sake: Starting at the Beginning
Game design is inherently complicated. It involves the interaction of many widgets and doodads, along with the exciting and often unpredictable human element. This complexity is magnified when the game is multi-player, as the vast majority of board games are. Keeping a handle on the numerous design decisions made throughout[…]
This Game Needs a Star Trek License, ASAP! (Starship 1 Preview)
I’m back from the wild hinterlands of New Jersey. I had a great time at Metatopia – the highlight was definitely Starship 1 by Geoff Engelstein. (Starship 1 is a tentative title.) Those “in the know” out there will recognize him as being a contributor to The Dice Tower podcast[…]
Tidbits: Vindicated!
I was reading an article posted on Press X or Die recently that discussed difficulty in gaming, much like I did a couple months ago. I found myself grinning and clapping like an idiot because the writer there had the same idea on what differentiates challenge from frustration. God Hand[…]
Challenge, Part 2: See Image
I bet you’ve been positively climbing up the walls to see the continuation of my previous post on challenge in game design. It’s been an unclosed loop, a loose end, a DREAM of yours yet unfulfilled. Don’t worry, I’m here to help. Aye, the supposed rub: You can’t design an[…]
![Jamestown Legend Of The Lost Colony [Mediafire PC game] SS](https://joshuayearsley.com/synonyms/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/jamestown-legend-of-the-lost-colony-mediafire-pc-game-ss.jpg)
Challenge, Part 1: What is it good for? (A lot.)
I have been thinking a lot recently about the use of challenge in game design after a good friend of mine mentioned that I’m somebody who can’t stand to play a game unless it is hard enough. (I’m looking at you, Assassin’s Creed 2.) I’ve written enough about this now[…]
Form in Game Rewards (Or: How to squeeze out every last drop of dopamine from your brain)
There are many ways that a game can reward its player. In modern games we have come to appreciate the ability of concrete achievements and unlockables to cause players to game longer and harder. Congratulations, you’ve killed 1000 men in your manshoot game (as Rock Paper Shotgun so affectionately calls[…]
Checklists in Research – You are not too smart to use them!
In my review of the Checklist Manifesto, I promised to write a post about some checklist applications for scientists and researchers. At first I thought I had exhausted any content with the post about Adam Savage’s tips. However, there are important distinctions between those tips and a good checklist. In[…]