Simulated Fun

Today, I want to talk a little about the relationship between games and simulations. You’re probably already aware that all games have at least a little bit of simulation going on. On the one hand, you have games that are very tightly connected to simulations, so much so that they start to lose some of […]

Interview with Sheep Dreams Electric!

This is a quick one–I just wanted to let everyone know that I was interviewed at Sheep Dreams Electric, a thoughtful new blog on all things games. Check it out!

Iterative Design in Action: Deranged Fantasy Games

Open any book on game design and one of the first terms you’ll see is iterative design. The idea is simple: start with something basic, test it, refine it, add to it, and repeat until you have a complete game. Take this approach instead of, say, keeping your elaborate masterpiece hidden during months of production […]

Understanding Design

I realized I’ve been talking a lot about game design without explaining what it is. This probably wouldn’t be a problem, except design in general, and game design specifically, are relatively new concepts, and I believe many people have misconceptions about them. When people think about the design of something, they often think about how […]