Spryly

No Show Conference

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:28:55 -0700

I’m giving a lecture at the No Show Conference at MIT in July! The title of my talk is “Designing for Togetherness.” It’s a fluffy topic, but I hope to ground it in some concrete lessons I’ve learned through my work on weird physical games like Biba and Graveyard Snuggle. You should come :)

The game I’m prototyping now, however, is very much a traditional screen-based solo experience. I’m not sure how that fits in with my portfolio, or even my identity as a designer. If I truly believe that games are tools to bring people together (and I do), should I not permit myself to explore designs outside of that? And if I allow myself to explore other philosophies and styles of play, am I at risk of becoming a shallow designer?

Graveyard Snuggle -- Out Now for iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:34:00 -0700

Get it on iTunes, Amazon, or Google Play! :) And don’t forget to check out the video! :)

Video

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:34:07 -0700

How to Play Graveyard Snuggle

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:00:00 -0700

Graveyard Snuggle comes out tomorrow, April 26th, on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, and Amazon’s Appstore for Android! To prepare you for your forthcoming snuggle adventures, I’ve written up a short description of the game’s rules. It’s dead simple :)

Sit in a circle with 2 or more of your dearest friends.
Summon the skeleton by tapping on the glowing skull. Listen closely for the skeleton’s commands.
Obey each command by placing one of your bones on another player’s bone. You may also be commanded to pass the device from one player to another.
Everyone must obey the skeleton’s commands — even those not holding the device! For example, if the skeleton orders you to place your left hand on another player’s skull, everyone in the group must person that action to the best of their abilities.
Do not take turns, and do not wait for the device to be in your possession before moving.
Continue knotting your bodies until someone moves the device too abruptly and ends the game.

Hopefully that paints a picture in your head :) Expect a gameplay video either today or tomorrow!

The game is done! :) If all goes well, Graveyard Snuggle will be...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:00:39 -0700

The game is done! :) If all goes well, Graveyard Snuggle will be released on Thursday, April 26th, 2012 on the iOS App Store (for iPhone and iPod Touch), Amazon Appstore, and Google Play.

I’ll post a gameplay video a day or two before the game’s release date so you can get a better idea of how it plays. I’ll also post a short writeup explaining the game’s rules (there aren’t many).

I hope you’ll like it! O_O

The game is almost done! :) I’ve been receiving an...

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:45:56 -0800

The game is almost done! :) I’ve been receiving an abundance of helpful feedback from all of my playtesters. Thank you to those of you who have been participating!

I’m conducting one big final playtest tomorrow. I hope to capture it on video so you can see exactly how it plays. For now, here’s a look at the game’s host :) He’s dying to play with you.

http://bit.ly/zlEzK7

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:22:03 -0800

http://bit.ly/zlEzK7:

Would you kindly sign up to playtest my little game? I would love to hear your feedback :)

Here’s a peek at the title screen for Graveyard Snuggle....

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:43:39 -0800

Here’s a peek at the title screen for Graveyard Snuggle. The environment is composed of several overlays that fade in and out. The colour of the clouds, houses, graves, and stones slowly changes over time.

Now Playtesting

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:36:58 -0800

I’m slowly starting to distribute Graveyard Snuggle to my list of playtesters. I pretend not to care what people think, but really this is the most terrifying part of development for me.

I designed this game with the idea that it would be fun for families of all configurations to play on game night or around the holidays. I imagined that kids would enjoy the physical challenge and adults would (secretly) enjoy the awkwardness of it. I imagined that Great Grandma would enjoy spectating and the family dog would enjoy interfering.

Of course, playtesting inevitably shatters my hopes and dreams :) I think the game is fun with the right group of people, but I can’t be sure, so I fear the worst :)

On that note, if you have an Android or iOS (iPhone or iPod Touch) device and you’re interested in trying it out with some of your friends, give me a shout :)

Viktor and I have been iterating on the Graveyard Snuggle logo....

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 18:15:07 -0800

Viktor and I have been iterating on the Graveyard Snuggle logo. Here’s the final product :)

"This game could be used as a thinly veiled attempt to “get some.” Then again, could be..."

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:26:17 -0800

“This game could be used as a thinly veiled attempt to “get some.” Then again, could be fine with the right person! Just don’t play this with your gaming buddies by accident. That could be awkward.”

- Andy Kix cuts to the core of Graveyard Snuggle’s social dynamics in his comment left on the Indie Games Weblog :)

Snuggling and Intimacy

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:38:42 -0800

Let me tell you a bit about Graveyard Snuggle.

The concept for Graveyard Snuggle originated way back in the Fall of 2009 while I was attending grad school. I was brainstorming with my friend Su Yon Sohn, and we started talking about how little physical contact we make with other people from day to day. Outside of the bedroom, it’s rare to experience more than a handshake with family, friends, and colleagues.

But it feels nice to be touched by another person. It’s one of the ways we build deep and trusting relationships with each other. We even consider it more intimate to hold hands with someone than to kiss.

So Su Yon and I decided to make a game that invited players to touch each other. We called it Touchi — a Twister-esque game where players gradually entangled their limbs until it became impossible to move without falling apart.

There was something remarkably pure about the way Touchi created fun and surprising interactions. But it wasn’t without its flaws, so a couple months ago I began working on a spiritual sequel to Touchi. That game is, of course, Graveyard Snuggle.

I have a few goals in mind that I’m hoping to achieve with Graveyard Snuggle:

Integrate a digital component that adds structure and challenge to the physical movement.
Clearly define an end state so players know when the game is over.
Incorporate a fantastical narrative context that encourages players to release their inhibitions.
Distribute the game through easily accessible channels.

The game still has to undergo a rigorous playtesting process before I’ll know how close I am to achieving these goals. If you have an iPhone and a group of open minded friends, give me a shout and I’ll send you an early build to play. I’m curious to see what you think :)

Family and Game Design

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:13:27 -0800

My priorities in life are simple:

Care for and appreciate my family.
Hone my craft as a game designer.

There’s a lot of overlap. My family inspires my work, and my work (at least in theory) allows me to provide for my family. I hope I can one day make something that we can enjoy together, as well.

Every other year or so my mother and I sit down and watch The Joy Luck Club. It’s about a group of women who regularly meet up for a game of mahjong. They tell stories and share memories while they play. The game itself isn’t important (though their personalities are reflected through their playstyles). For them, the game is just an excuse to get together and socialize.

So I think about my family when I’m working on a project. I think about the idea of a family, and, more abstractly, I think about togetherness. I believe that games are tools to connect you with the people you love (or those you want to get to know). I hope my games will do just that :)

Soon I’ll share with you the thought process behind one of the hobby projects I’m working on — a physical party game called Graveyard Snuggle :)

"For me you’re only a little boy just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need..."

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:01:00 -0800

“For me you’re only a little boy just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you have no need of me, either. For you I’m only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, we’ll need each other. You’ll be the only boy in the world for me. I’ll be the only fox in the world for you…”

- Spoken by The Fox to The Little Prince.