I actually asked myself, if it needs some kind of little things going up and down the lines. But it seems keeping it simple here is best 🤔
Maxi metro though would be a game ai want to o play (coming from bus simulator recently 😂)
Great post! Part of a later sentence, "getting lost in approaches", particularly stuck out to me. It feels more meaningful than it seems on its face, like cautionary wisdom. Thanks for doing what you do ♥️
that flow state thing you describe is something i get from music improvisation; there's an interplay of flow state and comfort and then also doing things just to make urself happy or impress urself or something that seems fun.
when playing with other people there's these magical moments of working together without communicationl; or using musical communication to achieve something together. at the base you're having fun playing good music but at the best is this euphoric confluence of expression
I've been looking into this topic quite a bit, and I am pretty sure that you can also get there while knitting (like my grandma while watching crime shows), or weaving baskets (like meditating monks in egypt in 400). it's a strange kind of self-hypnosis almost!
Been thinking about this too, but from a different sort of angle, I think; less about obstacles, and more about goals and friction wrt exploration in designed levels/spaces. If you give players movement mechanics that are fun and a space to noodle around, is that enough to engage? Or is more needed?
Because as you say, there's a point where I, as a dev, like to fiddle with movement/gameplay, especially when it's novel and newly implemented. But that doesn't last, and it also doesn't necessarily translate to players. So the levels then give players something to do, to explore, to make goals in.
I think this is where maybe having co-op would be beneficial; two people can find fun together in ways that one player alone can't, just from interacting in the space together. TF2 is a great example of found fun in this vein, I think, wrt friendlies/conga lines. Playing a game together shifts goals
But anyway, those're just stray thoughts. Would a solo player find enough challenge/enjoyment in running around a space/figuring out its quirks, and how can that be tweaked/those expectations be subverted to keep that experience fresh? Are challenges/obstacles the key factors, or motivation/goals?
If you approach it as a /game/ to be /played/ then challenge & friction become more important to the enjoyment of the work. But if we approach it as a piece of art, as one might a book or a painting, that friction is less important. Much of the pleasure could come from interpretation/interaction.
We look at a painting and admire it for the painter's artistry, their abstraction, form, mastery of the craft, etc. We read a book for the story, but also to interpret and unpack that story, themes, etc. Can games be approached in this way too? Can they exist in this way and still make money?
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Maxi metro though would be a game ai want to o play (coming from bus simulator recently 😂)
I've been looking into this topic quite a bit, and I am pretty sure that you can also get there while knitting (like my grandma while watching crime shows), or weaving baskets (like meditating monks in egypt in 400). it's a strange kind of self-hypnosis almost!