Design Blog
Hot Take: Mindtrap is a Bad Puzzle Game
A breakdown of why Mindtrap fails as a puzzle game (and how it could be improved).
What is a Roguelike?
An in-depth analysis of the origin, meaning, and evolution of the Roguelike genre.
Fun, Agency, and the Perception of Balance
Why game balance may not be as important as you think it is.
Doomed to be Doom Clones? How Genres Are Created
Ever wonder how new genres are created? The process is a bit trickier than you might expect…
Dized and Confused: An Exploration of Board Game Learning Methods
A dive into the many ways we can learn how to play board games.
Design Tips: Power Curves
Want to know if something is too weak/strong? You may want to check your power curve.
Publications*
Loewen, M., Burris, C. & Nacke, L. (2021). Me, Myself, and Not-I: Self-Discrepancy Type Predicts Avatar Creation Style. Frontiers in Psychology, section Human-Media Interaction. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01902
Stokes, B., Arroyo, H., Loewen, M., Stevenson, T., & Karr, C. (2020). A City in the Cards: Sharing Power in Game Design by Extending the Card Metaphor. CHI PLAY 2020: Extended Abstracts of the 2020 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play. https://doi.org/10.1145/3383668.3419873
Stokes, B., Arroyo, H., Loewen, M., & Stevenson, T. (2020). Neighborhood Circulation of Civic Stories: Alternative Systems and Storytelling Infrastructure. Session at the Urban Affairs Association Conference in Washington, DC, 2020.**
Stokes, B., Williams, O., Arroyo, H., & Loewen, M. (2019). Neighborhood Circulation of Civic Stories: A Trans-Local Platform. Session at the Connected Learning Summit in Irvine, CA, 2019.
*Manuscripts available upon request.
**This convening was canceled from its original date of April 4, 2020, due to COVID-19.