In case you missed them: “Part One: Mechanics Are Clichés Too!” “Part Two: Where’d This Come from, Anyway? Some Case Studies” "Part Three: Please Don't Break the Player" I designed the following scenario to help inform the paper I wrote at Project Horseshoe (which informs the content of this series). I developed a process of thinking through the scenario to take advantage of contrary game design’s strengths, and to avoid its weaknesses: The scenario takes place in a high-fant

In case you missed them: “Part One: Mechanics Are Clichés Too!” “Part Two: Where’d This Come from, Anyway? Some Case Studies” Potential Problems with Subversion Contrary game design has the potential to give players new perspectives by placing them in unexpected gameplay scenarios. Its intent can confuse players if the design isn’t implemented carefully. An arbitrary subversion—or a poorly chosen time to subvert the mechanic—can convey unintended (and/or unwanted) messages. O

In case you missed it: "Part One: Mechanics Are Clichés Too!" I first became interested in what I’m defining as contrary game design when playing the following games and watching others play them. Each game has a unique take on subverting clichés. By the way, if you’re interested in playing these yourself and haven’t done so, SPOILERS are most definitely ahead! Case Studies Until Dawn Until Dawn plays with classic horror movie tropes, tasking the player with trying to save (o

This post series is based on a report I wrote at Project Horseshoe. I’m not providing concrete answers here. Hopefully, I’m exploring design in a way that will be of use to some developers. In mid-2015, I began noticing games that were adding a “twist” to their gameplay. Traditional mechanics, mechanics that gamers were very familiar with, were leading to unexpected outcomes. So, I became curious as to the nature of these “twists,” the effects they had on gameplay, and—more i