Akary – The Mechanics of Magic

Critical Play: Puzzles—Strange Horticulture—Akary Buenrostro

May 8, 2026

Strange Horticulture Platform(s): PC (Steam/Windows/macOS), Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4/5, and mobile devices (iOS/Android) Developed by Bad Viking, Published by Iceberg Interactive Target…

Sketchnote—Puzzles in Games, Puzzles as Games—Akary

May 6, 2026

Link! You can’t see the glitter pen ink 🙁

Tean Rakali—P2 Checkpoint 1—Plugs N’ Potions

May 6, 2026

After some evil Figma layering here is our concept doc! Enjoy. not a virus, swearsies. Love, Team Rakali

Akary—P2 Checkpoint 1—Plugs N’ Potions

May 6, 2026

Moodboard Directions Based on our first playtest and my post-playtest ideation, I see three possible paths forward. Each direction prioritizes a different kind…

SPOILERS—Critical Play: Mysteries & Escape Rooms—EXIT: The House of Riddles—Akary Buenrostro

May 1, 2026

EXIT: The House of Riddles | Thames & Kosmos | Tabletop | 1-4 players, ages 12+, puzzle and (allegedly) escape room enthusiasts. I argue…

Sketchnote: Designer’s Notebook: The Role of Architecture in Videogames—Akary Buenrostro

April 29, 2026

Link to image.

Critical Play: Walking Simulators – Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture – Akary Buenrostro

April 24, 2026

Developer: The Chinese Room (Dan Pinchbeck, Jessica Curry) Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Platform: PlayStation 4, Windows, Linux, Mac Release: 2015 SPOILERS FOR THE LAST…

Mindmap: Narrative Architecture – Akary Buenrostro

April 22, 2026

Drive Link to enhanced pic Games are hard to see within the stars but listed below! Also linked their Steam links or equivalent. …

Critical Play: Competitive Analysis – Akary Buenrostro

April 16, 2026

Game / Platform: One Night Ultimate Werewolf (ONUW) / Tabletop Analog Game Creator: Though there’s an official game developed at Bézier Games by Tes Alspach…

Sketchnote: Game Design Patterns for Building Friendships—Akary Buenrostro

April 15, 2026

Link to google drive with better quality image. You have to tilt your head to tilt your head to read (exactly) one section but…

Short Exercise: What do Prototypes Prototype? – Akary Buenrostro

April 10, 2026

Our team is currently split between two directions: Mafia with (currently) undefined minigames, or a Clue-style game meets social deduction framework. My four exercise…

Critical Play: Bluffing, Judging and Getting Vulnerable…Bluffing in Avalon – Akary Buenrostro

April 10, 2026

Game: The Resistance: Avalon Creator: Don Eskridge (published by Indie Boards & Cards) Platform: Tabletop (physical card game) Target Audience: 6-10 players, ages 13+….

Sketchnote: What Games Are and Aren’t – Akary Buenrostro

April 8, 2026

Here is a link to a google drive with better image quality.

Fallout New Vegas—Short Exercise: MDA & 8 Kinds of Fun—Akary Buenrostro

April 8, 2026

I’ve spent way too many hours staring at character creation screens. Endless options…but most of the time? None of it actually matters once you…

Mindmap: Formal Elements – Akary Buenrostro

April 2, 2026

For the mindmap I used some flexibility with the traditional Rider-Waite tarot meanings to represent the main ideas. The colors are just brushstrokes taking…

Introduction: Akary (ah-car-E)

April 2, 2026

Akary (ah-car-E), she/her. Excited to get to know y’all. Oh! This pic was taken over break at this super cool dorm style hostel in…