On a visit back to Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center, I speak to students on my personal trials in figuring out what the hell to do with my life, in hopes that it might be useful to some of them.
7DFPS Post-mortem: Verticorpse
Original post on 7dfps site here
I don’t think this jam could have gone any better for me than it did, and that’s mostly because of sharpened scope management and some good timing.
Streaming as the Cure for Post-Creation Depression
Sunset Overdrive is out in the wilds! And I feel…surprisingly good! I have talked before how I easily fall victim to post-creation depression. It’s always happened to me – in art, in the theater, in games – there’s this moment when the creation goes out into the world and leaves a big ole void in your heart. Generally I get very depressed, but this time feels different.
Continue reading Streaming as the Cure for Post-Creation Depression
Headphone Shoelace Adventure
I went on a spontaneous comic-drawing spree yesterday, and someone requested that I put them all together in one spot like I did with my Tall Tale comics, so here they are. Apologies as they were scribbled in marker and captured with phone cameras.
Afterlife Dance Party: Ludum Dare 30 Post Mortem
This was my third Ludum Dare, and although I did Afterlife Dance Party within 48 hours and mostly solo, I decided on the last day to switch to the jam so I could have someone help me with music (John Fio to the rescue!) Now, goals and lessons learned and stuff…
Continue reading Afterlife Dance Party: Ludum Dare 30 Post Mortem
Non-Game Design Books that Game Designers Should Read
After some twitter musings the other night, I got several requests for my list of “books that aren’t about game design that I think game designers should read.” Now, don’t get me wrong, there are many wonderful texts on game design and game development in general with all sorts of useful information. However, I am fond of supplementing these reads with books from unrelated fields that still have something to teach about game design. I think it is because you have to forge your own connections when you read them, and when you do your own digging and have the insights yourself without them being presented to you, I find it tends to make the insights a little stickier. Basically it makes for good learnin’, so here we go!
Continue reading Non-Game Design Books that Game Designers Should Read
Tall Tales
During E3, there was a brunch. During said brunch, there was a discussion of Tall Tales (Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, etc), in nostalgic amusement for the Americans of the group and a bewildered, slightly horrified reaction from the Dutch member. We learned that Dutch Tall Tales are a little lacking in the Tall department. Then there were a few other adventures.
I normally don’t like to be all public with inside jokes, as there’s nothing worse than an inside joke you’re not in on, but other people seemed to enjoy these for their own sake so I guess it’s not too bad. So, just for you, a new set of Tall Tales!
The Lisa Brown Method of Level Design
A talk I gave at Glitch City Demo Night about level design. OR IS IT?
On Fibromyalgia
I haven’t had a flare-up this bad in a long time.
I don’t really talk much about the fibromyalgia, I’m shy about it and always worry that talking about it will come across the wrong way, like I’m farming sympathy or something. But Adriel thought maybe I should, on the off chance that someone might stumble along who has it and doesn’t know it and might read about it and think “holy crap that sounds like me, maybe I’m not crazy afterall!” So…here goes!
A Fable
Once upon a time there was a little game designer, and every day she went to sleep early because she was a very sleepy person and that’s when she got her best work done anyway. She would fill up a big glass of water and set it next to the bed so that when she woke up in the middle of the night with the dread-thirst, she could drink the glass and return to her work (sleep).
But one day, some blustery wind and a neighbor’s dance party threw her sleep schedule into tatters and shambles, or perhaps shatters and tambles. She worked very hard to get it back in line, but still had some rough problems with waking up at the wrong times in the night.
The little game designer woke up one night with the dread-thirst at a very unusual time, earlier than usual, but when she reached over for her glass of water, she paused. Her cat was sitting there on the bedside table, watching her intently. The little game designer blinked, puzzled, since normally the cat was to be found at the foot of the bed.
Then, casually, as though this was perfectly routine, her cat leaned over and began drinking out of her glass of water. A long, thirsty drink. He licked his lips and walked back onto the bed, curling up to sleep. Very casual. As though this was a perfectly normal order of events for him.
And nothing was ever the same after that.