an interview
While I’ve posted a few interviews with other creatives on the Creative Life portion of this site, this is the first time someone has reached out to interview me (at least, digitally).
Joseph, someone I hadn’t met previously, was working on an essay where he needed to interview someone in his chosen topic: game design. He happened to come across the site and this is what came of it:
What do you enjoy most about making games?
There is so much I enjoy about the process of creating games, but my favorite part is being able to turn something that exists only as a vague concept in my mind into an experience that can be shared and enjoyed by others. I also love how each game is its own unique puzzle, one in which you can’t be entirely sure it’s even solvable until you’ve done it.
What do you enjoy most about playing games?
While I really love the opportunity for interaction that games create, what strikes me as even more compelling about games is the unique way they tell a story. Unlike books or movies, the story in a game is both being told to and by the player. This is possible even with games that have little player interaction. This is why I most enjoy playing a game that provides me with a memorable experience. I end up leaving the game different from when I started.
When do you decide a game is in its final form?
That can be a tough one. Much like art or writing, it’s not always clear to the creator when a game is done. The temptation is to keep tweaking it instead of letting it go. The best general advice I can give comes from some writing advice I’ve heard: if you can’t think of any clear ways to improve it and you can’t tell whether or not the changes you’re considering are improvements, then it’s time to be done.
That said, here are some criteria I would aim to meet before getting to that point:
- Fully playable (not broken). In other words, can an entire session of the game be played in a reasonable length of time without reaching a place where most players want to quit or the game doesn’t seem worth continuing?
- Tested by multiple members and groups from its intended audience. It’s important to make sure the people you designed the game for actually like the game and to take their feedback seriously.
- Multiple blind playtests. Other people should be able to understand and play your game without you being present to run it.
- Publishable. This varies based on how the game will be published, and usually isn’t up to the designer themselves, but it’ll at least need the finished artwork and a rulebook before it’s officially done.
How big of a role do you see art, and the pieces of a game, play?
It depends a lot on the game, but overall I believe art is very important. First, art and graphic design, when done well, convey to players what they can do, what is important, and what the game is about. Art also plays a big role in enhancing the story aspect of a game by grounding players, even giving the game a particular mood.
Lastly, a game’s aesthetic qualities are a big part of what makes it enjoyable. Even a game with simple components and a plain board like Go has an elegance inherent in its simplicity. Can a game with virtually no art or design still be enjoyable? For sure, but the look of the game is really what sells it (especially when it comes to games on a shelf in a retail store).
From my experience, an average game with great art has a better chance of making it back to the table than a great game that looks ugly. We’re naturally drawn to beauty.
What is a game idea you would like to make, but you have not yet?
Oh, I have so many! One idea that excites me in particular is a cooperative game about kids exploring a cave. It’ll be a challenge since I haven’t yet made a co-op game. In general, I love games of any sort with a strong amount of exploration, but I think that can be difficult to do well in tabletop games.
Why be creative, why make your own games at all?
The first part could be a book in itself. I’ve actually written one based on that very thing, just looking for a publisher.
To keep it short: I believe we are all made to be creative and to ignore that is to miss out on a big part of why we’re here. Creativity solves problems, it gives life flavor. We need it to survive.
For the second part: everyone has some area where they’re more naturally talented and more creatively adept. While I enjoy many creative activities, making games is one I have a strong inclination toward. I don’t know why this is and I believe it is something that has developed over a long period of time, but game designs come to me out of the blue and the process of shaping them into a finished product is one I find both challenging and rewarding.
What differences do you see in how tangible games are made and played, versus video games?
There are a lot of differences between physical vs. digital games, even when it comes to a tabletop game that has been ported to a digital form. As far as the design itself goes, digital games tend to take much longer, require a larger team, and are often expensive. There are a lot more hurdles to overcome for a digital game, but they can be much more profitable because of how easy they are to distribute and how wide their audience is.
Play-wise, the biggest difference I see is player interaction, both between players and with the game itself. In digital games, whether played with others in person or remotely, the focus is on the screen. In physical games, the focus becomes the game and the other players. I enjoy many video games, both multi and single player, but there is something special about being in the same room with other people and interacting with pieces in physical space. It creates a unique connection that is rarely replicated in the digital experience. The absence of a screen also allows for a great opportunity to use one’s imagination and I think we all could stand to do that a little more often.