I can’t believe I went this long without interviewing one of my biggest game design theory heroes, Geoff Engelstein. Together with designer, game design writer and fellow game design podcaster Isaac Shalev, they’ve written a book that seems like it might be kind of a big deal in this field. To quote a bit of … Continue reading "Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design – interview with Geoff Engelstein and Isaac Shalev"
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Tim Fowers
Episode 58 is HERE, with the incredibly awesome and prolific board (and video) game designer Tim Fowers! This was, in many ways, a model episode of the Clockwork Game Design Podcast, because we hit so many different (but relevant) topics involving the process of game design. Yay! Here’s a few key items: Conventions/conferences – which … Continue reading "Tim Fowers"
Read MoreExecution in strategy games should be considered “randomness”
I have long considered execution to be basically a form of randomness, similar to dice rolls or card draws. I have also long recognized that not everyone agrees with me, and some people find the idea deeply offensive. I can understand both of these responses, but today I would like to address them directly and … Continue reading "Execution in strategy games should be considered “randomness”"
Read MoreDanC on the reasons for making games
Today I talked to Dan Cook about competitive games, social games, and our objectives behind making games in the first place. This was one of my favorite conversations with one of my favorite game design theorists out there. His blog, Lost Garden, was literally THE blog (along with maybe some stuff from Anna Anthropy) that … Continue reading "DanC on the reasons for making games"
Read MoreDialectic with my 2012 self on “the importance of theme”
One of the things that’s scary about being a writer is that the things you write keep existing, unchanged, the way that you wrote them, back when you wrote them. Sometimes it’s difficult to go back to a piece you wrote even six months ago and re-read your own work. There’s just always so much … Continue reading "Dialectic with my 2012 self on “the importance of theme”"
Read MoreDifficulty in Videogames
I wanted to write a few words about difficulty in games. First, the word “difficulty” doesn’t really apply to the kinds of things I want to make: strategy games. Or at least, it shouldn’t. Any good multiplayer online strategy game will have a matchmaking system, which does the very best it can at providing a … Continue reading "Difficulty in Videogames"
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