Its summer, and I’m off on holiday so I’ve been digging through the archives to find some posts that I think you might enjoy, and probably haven’t read before. It’s fascinating to look back at some of the conversations that really shaped how I think about making games. There are three chats in particular that I’ve chosen for you this week each one taught me something different about the craft of game design. Enjoy.
The first was with Carl (and it was my first ever conversation on the blog), the designer behind Kelp, where we dove deep into building tension in board games. It was one of those conversations that made me realise just how much games are like stories. Carl’s three-act structure approach to his game Kelp was really interesting. We ended up with a proper framework for thinking about tension. Not just how to create it, but how to release it too.
Secondly, there’s my conversation with Mike from Huff No More about playtesting. Mike’s journey with Sakana Stack really opened my eyes to the different stages of feedback you need. From that inner circle of friends right through to random strangers at conventions. His point about not needing to incorporate every suggestion was a game changer for me. Sometimes the best feedback is learning what to ignore.
Finally, there was my chat with Leon from Questiny, who had literally dreamed up a game the night before we spoke. Leon’s background as a performing wizard (and pirate) brought such a different perspective to game design. His five tips for finding creativity should be pinned to your wall, and his approach to “playful curiosity” has become part of how I approach new ideas. Plus, where else are you going to hear about the tetrahedral chickens?
Each of these conversations taught me something fundamental about the craft. Whether it’s the architecture of tension, the spark of creativity, or the discipline of development. They’re all worth a read if you’re interested in what makes games tick, or if you’re working on your own designs.
Right, enough nostalgia from me. Time to get back to my summer.
Want this blog in your inbox, subscribe!
