This week, Microsoft announced that Dream-Build-Play 2012 (DBP) is open for registration. The contest (now in its 6th episode) is a showcase of the year's best of games that have been developed using their XNA game-creation-tools. I will of course be entering City Tuesday in it because the deadline is close enough

If you think this looks like a mess, well it does because it is. I am working on the training level which means I have to make a small sampling of the major themes and trails that will be in the game. It is a cross-cut, a sampler-platter, a coming-attractions reel. All of

PacMan does not require a designer to carefully craft a puzzle mechanic. Instead, the rules and resources of the game are enforced by the some-what AI controlled ghosts. The fun of it comes from working out the escape routes that are thrust upon you by the game. Neither does Tetris. Compare that

I attended the monthly International Game Developers Association meeting last night. The theme of the session was playtesting in which anyone can bring a game and get feedback from the many developers in the area. It is a humbling experience. However, the feeling I get after is not unlike a vigorous workout. It

Play testing is not the same as market testing. I have heard people bemoan the overly-thorough play-testing of games that AAA companies like Valve inflict upon their games. "Tsk Tsk", they say, "I want a game that captures the designer’s vision and hasn’t been mellowed out by generic review boards that soften games