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Blending Game Mechanics and Narrative
Humans love stories. We are the storytelling ape after all. Our ability to consume and adapt to complex information gives us both our survival advantage, one of our most unique experiences as a species. Stories have been delivered for millennia…
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Education Gamification – Teaching Positive Messages to Children
I’m back at Barcelona Game Creators! This time, I was invited to deliver a talk on my approach to gamification in educational games, and how to ensure that our design decisions have a positive effect on the player, especially when those players are children. It was fantastic to be there, and thank you to everyone…
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Game Design Patterns – Critiquing Your Creative Strategy
In January, I was invited to give a talk at the Barcelona Game Creator’s meet-up in Barcelona. I wanted to be able to share this talk with more people, and to have a record of my own development as I learn and share more about games and how they fit in to our world. The…
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Subnautica – Guiding Natural Exploration
For those who aren’t terrified of the open ocean, Subnautica is a game that skilfully encourages curiosity & exploration. Behind its well-paced survival crafter gameplay loop is a series of design choices that guide the player’s hand in discovering the story of Planet 4546B, whilst ensuring that this discovery feels natural & player-led. Let’s explore…
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Celeste – Designing Player-Led Difficulty
Celeste is a difficult game. And yet, despite its difficulty, at no point in my playthrough of the game have I ever felt stuck, or that any particular challenge is unfair. Celeste is designed to tempt you into trying again, to make persistence the only logical option. But with difficulty being one of the most…