Doctor ProfessorAlto’s Adventure and the Legacy of CanabaltThis is Alto’s Adventure. It’s an endless runner in which you snowboard down a mountain to rescue your runaway llamas, doing tricks and…Jun 14, 2021Jun 14, 2021
Doctor ProfessorActually Learning to Play: Why There Should Be Easy and Hard Modes for Game UIWhy don’t games have hard and easy modes for the UI? Different players have different needs, and one-size-fits-all solutions shrink a…Sep 7, 2020Sep 7, 2020
Doctor ProfessorDon’t Be the Fun Police: Why Games Shouldn’t Force PlaystylesWhen we play games for fun, we often need a goal system to shepherd us along. This is what makes it a “game” instead of a “toy” — the…Aug 29, 2019Aug 29, 2019
Doctor ProfessorRhythm and Readability: Why Bubsy: Paws on Fire! is the Best Bit.Trip RunnerRhythm Games are For FlowJun 17, 2019Jun 17, 2019
Doctor ProfessorThe Designer is Dead: Five Reasons to Go Beyond Intended ExperiencesGames are designed to create particular mental and emotional states in their players. The Dark Souls games use difficulty to “give players…Mar 18, 2019Mar 18, 2019
Doctor ProfessorKeep Liking What I Don’t Like: Art, Kitsch, and Video GamesOh no! You just found out that somebody likes a thing you don’t like. What do you do?Dec 24, 2018Dec 24, 2018
Doctor ProfessorHow Engagement Rewards Backfire: The Overjustification Effect and the Peak-End RuleImagine you’re a kid at a new school deciding where to sit for lunch. Another kid sees you and offers you some candy, saying they have…Oct 8, 2018Oct 8, 2018
Doctor ProfessorThe Suspense is Skilling Me: Punishment, Learning, and TensionI.Aug 20, 2018Aug 20, 2018
Doctor ProfessorPreparation, Strategy, Tactics, and Action: Phases of ChallengeMany games are tests of skill. Players succeed or fail at the game’s goals based on their physical dexterity and reaction time, general…Jul 23, 2018Jul 23, 2018
Doctor ProfessorWhy Valve Can’t Just Do the Right Thing: Moral Complexity versus Automatic NormsSteam, owned by Valve, is the world’s biggest digital distributor of computer games. For years, it’s had frustratingly inconsistent and…Jun 18, 2018Jun 18, 2018