It’s an honor to announce that Serious Play has awarded “13 Minutes Ago” with a Silver Medal, a game that was quite controversial when I released it, but was truly necessary. The Serious Play Conference is a leadership conference for professionals who embrace the idea that games can revolutionize learning. Speakers, who come from all parts of the globe, share… Read more →
In Germany it is illegal to use nazi references, including flags, in various ways. One of them is games. Wolfenstein for instance, is a game that looks very different in Germany. However, movies are not put under the same scrutiny. Reason? Movies are considered art. Games are only entertainment. But, is X-Men First Class less entertainment than a video game?… Read more →
In the current ocean of survival games, most inspired by the Minecraft phenomena, it’s hard to find something that truly stands out as an original product. I was skeptical myself with Don’t Starve. Few games have charmed me almost instantaneously. In the first few minutes of game play, I was already seeing myself hooked to this masterpiece for ages. What… Read more →
What is an art game? Answering that is as simple as answering this other question: What is “Art”? Truth is, nobody can agree on a single definition. Yeah, sure, you can look it up in the dictionary and use that as a reference. Art is relative. So relative in fact, that it probably doesn’t exist. Art is a concept completely… Read more →
This is one of the joyful hidden gems. You can play it for free on Kongregate (which, by the way, if you don’t know about Kongreate – now you do). You cannot get simpler than this game. It reminds me of a 1944 film experiment, “Heider and Simmel”. The purpose of this film was to explore how human beings attach meaning. In the… Read more →
Playing all the AAA titles available out there will only do you good if you are working at a studio that develops AAA titles. Even so, playing Auteur Games will still be extremely vital. Most big titles out there are innovative in scope, but not necessarily innovative when it comes to content. Most game designers are not currently working on… Read more →
I’ve met many programmers facing a single major problem when they attempt to create their own games: Art. They suck at it. It’s great to collaborate with other people who share talents that you lack, but a lot of times you don’t find the right person, or you do find someone but they may have a hard time committing without getting… Read more →
When it comes to film, most of the directors we consider “Auteurs” are those who deliver products with great similarities in style and subject matter. Examples of this are: Tim Burton: Dark, Fantasy, Creepy, Playful. Woody Allen: Comedy, Absurd, Ensemble, Romance. Martin Scorsese: Mafia, Voice Over, New York, Fast Cuts. This “personal style” is what makes their films easily recognizable.… Read more →
