winniecc – The Mechanics of Magic

Final Class Reflection

June 2, 2025

Before this class, I thought about play and game design mainly in relation to fun and entertainment. I saw games as a way to…

Critical Play: Play Like a Feminist

May 28, 2025

I played Gamelab’s Diner Dash on mobile, marketed for players 8+ who enjoy time management games. On initial impression, Diner Dash appears to have all that is “bad” about…

Sketchnote: Onboarding in Plants vs Zombies

May 27, 2025

Critical Play: Games of Chance & Addiction

May 21, 2025

I played League of Legends, a PC/Mac live service game released by Riot Games that is popular among young adults interested in watching esports….

Sketchnote: Addiction by Design

May 18, 2025

Critical Play: Worldbuilding

May 14, 2025

I played Spirit Island, an analog game created by Greater Than Games that targets board game enthusiasts 14+. Spirit Island flips the script compared…

Sketchnote: Loops & Arcs

May 10, 2025

A game I enjoy is Good Pizza, Great Pizza, and it employs a skill chain where you first master making simpler pizzas like flatbread…

Critical Play: Puzzles

May 7, 2025

The puzzle game Tengami by Nyamyam, released on iOS, Wii U, Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Android, is an adventure game that takes place in…

Sketchnote: Puzzles in Games, Puzzles as Games

May 4, 2025

Checkpoint 1: Concept Doc

May 4, 2025

Spotify 3 game directions: Incorporate challenge/accomplishment fun. Each room solves a puzzle that gets closer to discovering the truth about Gingy being evil/his evil…

Critical Play: Mysteries & Escape Rooms

April 29, 2025

In Escape the Room: Cursed Dollhouse by ThinkFun which is an escape-room-in-a-box game for players 13+, players reconstruct a haunted history through exploration. The…

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

April 27, 2025

Critical Play: Walking Simulators

April 23, 2025

This post examines how “walking games” like Journey, created by thatgamecompany (and which I played on iOS), tell stories without any combat or violence…

Mindmap: Narrative Architecture

April 20, 2025

Critical Play: Competitive Analysis

April 16, 2025

Charades is a classic party game that relies on the performance of recognizable actions, titles, or phrases without speaking while others guess what’s being…

Sketchnote: Game Design Patterns for Building Friendships

April 12, 2025

Critical Play

April 7, 2025

I played Avalon by Indie Boards and Cards, a board game targeted at groups of 5-8 people 13+ years old who enjoy strategic, deceptive…

Sketchnote: What Games Are and Aren’t

April 5, 2025

MDA & 8 Kinds of Fun

April 5, 2025

One game I started playing recently is Call of Duty. This game involves many detailed mechanics like fast-paced movement, a wide variety of weapons,…