The gap between what players complain and what they actually enjoy
In this article, I want to explore those game design elements that players vocally despise, yet secretly depend on. From a first-principles perspective, our brains are hardwired to pursue comfort. However, the "flow state" that games strive to provide requires players to oscillate constantly between pressure and comfort. Therefore, we incorporate design elements that players claim to hate, but which are essential for maintaining that flow. Without contrast, there is no pleasu
Design Lens: Breaking Down Game Design through First Principles.
In the process of creating this game, I attempted to approach it from various angles to identify potential areas for optimization. One such approach is the application of "First Principles." First Principles suggest that game design establishes boundaries through rules (defining what we cannot do) and provides players with a series of choices within those boundaries (defining what we can do). These choices and rules form the player's cognitive expectations (how we achieve our
Why I want to create this game
I wish to use this game to weave together my past, present, and future. It is a personal creative endeavor that encapsulates my identity as a Taiwanese man in his 30s—the influences that shaped me (games, manga, novels, cinema, world-building, art styles, music, etc.), the life experiences I have gathered (designing board games in college, working on mobile game projects after graduation, and moving to Sweden in 2020 to build a family), and ultimately, my visions for the futu