Ludus Novus

What do people actually mean when they say “walking simulator?” Bernband by Tom van den Boogaart doesn’t even seem to have a goal. But then why do you keep playing it? Bernband: https://gamejolt.com/games/bernband/34864 Bernband Remake Twitter: https://twitter.com/bernband Youtube (MP3 below): Transcript: Transcript for this episode If you like this episode, check out the other podcasts … Continue reading Ludus Novus 029 – The Goalless Path of Bernband →

What is a “game?” It only matters in context. When we examine things as games to learn from them, what does that mean? Any useful definition of game used as a critical lens must encompass Soccer, Candy Land, Sim City, Doom, and Gone Home. But Candy Land doesn’t have any player choice. Is it just … Continue reading Ludus Novus 028: Candyland: Game as Critical Lens →

In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast: Prey 2017. The lie of a power fantasy is that power over others is something you deserve. Prey is a consequence fantasy: to take agency, you must incur risk. To escape a cage of lies, you have to open the door onto a world of new danger. … Continue reading Ludus Novus 027: Imposition of Order Results in Escalation of Disorder →

In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I discuss the election and GamerGate and how we can make a difference with games. I start with an excerpt from Austin Walker’s recent, amazing piece “A Note on Trump, Waypoint, and Why We Play.” I move on to discuss mirror neurons, Gone Home, my presumptuous racial … Continue reading Ludus Novus 026: Reflection →

In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I discuss incremental games, also known as idle games or clickers. How did a formula that started as satirical jokes from people like Ian Bogost yield things like A Dark Room? Games discussed: Cow Clicker, Progress Quest, Candy Box, Cookie Clicker, A Dark Room. The Ludus Novus … Continue reading Ludus Novus 025: Idle, Incremental →

This podcast is supported in part by my Patreon. You can help support it by pledging a monthly donation. In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I discuss the decisions we make as game designers and developers and how we are responsible for every aspect of the games we make. I touch on polishing, … Continue reading Ludus Novus 024: Decision Point →

In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I discuss the search for the perfect game and the creation of universes. [display_podcast] When I search through my Steam library and I look for that game, that perfect game, the perfect experience that matches the mood that I am in right that moment, I’m playing a … Continue reading Ludus Novus 023: Searching →

In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I present a new game, "Countdown," in spoken word form. Trigger warning for self-injury.

In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I discuss achievements and how there are a lot more aspects to them than are immediately apparent. Games discussed: Alan Wake by Remedy Entertainment “Babies Dream of Dead Worlds” by Gregory Weir Perfect Cell by Mobigame The music for this episode is “The Temple” by Out of … Continue reading Ludus Novus 021: Tin Medals →

In this episode of the Ludus Novus podcast, I discuss the basic minion summoning and equipment mechanics of Overlord, and how they both encourage tactical gameplay and maintain the characterization of the player character. The music for this episode is from “medieval evil” by Baal Anamelech and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 … Continue reading Ludus Novus 020: Acceptable Losses →

This podcast episode is about an unreleased game from 1990 that a guy showed me at GDC. It’s called Awesome Zone, and it was created by developer Theodore Alby for a company called KnowSoft over the course of a six-week nervous breakdown. The music for this episode is from “Three Goes On Forever” by Time … Continue reading Ludus Novus 019: False Narrativism: Awesome Zone →

This podcast episode is about three games that should have been named Half-Life 3: Episode 1, Unreal Tournament 4, and Star Wars Dark Forces 3: Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast: Jedi Academy.

In this podcast episode, I present and discuss my definition of the word “game.” In short, a game is an interactive simulation that provides metrics which allow a user to track progress toward a goal. Listen on to hear why Microsoft Paint is a game and why winning and losing are really the same thing. … Continue reading Ludus Novus 017: The Rules of the Game →

This week’s episode is a special False Narrativism piece, discussing the obscure but visionary Polish game Oszustwo, or Incongruity. I can easily envision a world in which this game never existed, but fortunately we have access to the most technologically-advanced, creepiest, and hardest-to-play game ever developed.

What do we look for in digital game sequels, and why is it different than in other forms of media? Why don’t we see more sequels that give us more of the same good stuff? References: Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 directed by Sam Raimi Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the … Continue reading Ludus Novus 015: Curse of Ludus Novus →

The classic Super Mario Bros. Let’s take a look at its influence and its gameplay. References: Super Mario Bros. by Nintendo The Legend of Zelda by Nintendo Final Fantasy by Square Bubble Bobble by Taito Pac-Land by Namco Adventure Island by Hudson Soft Donkey Kong series by Nintendo Wrecking Crew by Nintendo Mario Bros. by … Continue reading Ludus Novus 014: From Side to Side →

In this podcast, I talk about exploration games. Exploration games, as I categorize them, are games with an open world that offer an array of paths at any one time. They’re awesome because they appeal to players’ curiosity and completionism, and they help deal with player frustration. References: Morrowind Metroid Super Metroid The Legend of … Continue reading Ludus Novus 013: Over the Next Hill →

In this podcast, I discuss digital games genres and how I think they’re silly. They’re arbitrary niches based on a few popular games, and using them to describe games limits the way we think about making and playing games. I discuss the evolution of our genre system, from Crawford in 1984 to the modern overstuffed … Continue reading Ludus Novus 012: Genre Fiction →

In this podcast, I discuss the player-author contract. An interactive work sets up a trust between the player and the work’s author. This takes the form of a contract which, when violated, can cause the player to reject the work. The Player-Author Contract The work can be played by the player. Violated by games which … Continue reading Ludus Novus 011: Written in Blood →

Is the illusion of player agency as good as real player agency? Isn’t a video game just a simulated game master? Is the Chinese Room a good game? If the author is dead, what about the algorithm? The music for this episode is “The Acorns. Seedin Time in The Oak Room.” by Loveshadow, and is … Continue reading Ludus Novus 010: ELIZA Is Dead →

Death in games is usually a mistake. In these four indie games, it’s an intended part of the experience. The music for this episode is “Make You Cry” by Jonathan Coulton, and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 license. References: Passage by Jason Rohrer Psychosomnium by Cactus Seven Minutes by Virtanen Karoshi by … Continue reading Ludus Novus 009: Extra Life →

60 years of video games. How are we doing? The music for this episode is “Brilliant Day (fourstones.net mix)” by fourstones and DeBenedictis, and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 license. References: Star Wars: Tie Fighter by Totally Games and published by LucasArts Shadow of the Colossus by Team ICO and published by … Continue reading Ludus Novus 008: State of the Art →

Amnesia. Can anyone remember why it’s so common in interactive entertainment? The music for this episode is “Forgettin My Identity” by Jane His Wife, and is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 license. References: Planescape: Torment by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay Flashback: The Quest for Identity by Delphine Software International and … Continue reading Ludus Novus 007: Who Am I? →

The game Walking Away: In what ways does it succeed at what it attempts? The music for this episode is “Criminal” by Peter Toh, used with permission. References: Deus Ex by Ion Storm and published by Eidos Interactive Grand Theft Auto III by Rockstar Games Postal 2 by Running With Scissors The next episode will … Continue reading Ludus Novus 006: False Narrativism: Walking Away →

Length of works: is a given game most like a short story or a novel, and how can length affect content? References: Morrowind from Bethesda Softworks Jigsaw by Graham Nelson “Slouching Toward Bedlam” by Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster Grim Fandango from LucasArts The Myst series from Cyan Worlds The Prince of Persia: Sands of … Continue reading Ludus Novus 005: Level Cap →

Difficulty and completeness: Why do games have to be hard, and how is finishing a game separate from completing it? The music for this episode is “Big Bad World One” by Jonathan Coulton, and is available under a cc by-nc-sa 2.5 license. This episode, unlike most, is available under a cc by-nc-sa 2.5 license. References: … Continue reading Ludus Novus 004: Hurt Me Plenty →

Variable player experience: What do we mean by interaction, and how can two players have different experiences with the same work? The music for this episode is Enrique Granados’s “Spanish Dance n. 2” performed by Mario Mattioli, and is available under a cc by-nc 2.5 license. This is the first episode in which I’ve talked … Continue reading Ludus Novus 003: Not the Same Thing After All →

The unreliable narrator: how do you use this technique when the narrator is usually the player character? The music for this episode is “Noite de Carnaval” by Code, and is available under a cc by-nc 2.5 license. References: The Silent Hill series from Konami Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem by Silicon Knights and published by Nintendo … Continue reading Ludus Novus 002: Telling It Like It Is →

Cutscenes: when are they appropriate, and when do they take away from the game? Correction: In the original version of this episode, I attribute Nothing But Mazes to Stephen Granade, but it is actually by Greg Boettcher. Stephen Granade wrote Child’s Play, which is also part of IntroComp 2006 (and does some interesting things with … Continue reading Ludus Novus Episode 001: Press Enter to Continue →