More stories
A comic page has more than one kind of time
Panels, words, gaps, and your own attention explain why a quiet page can feel slower than a crowded one.
Comic lettering is the performance between the pictures
Balloon placement, emphasis, and graphic voices help a silent comic page sound like a conversation.
A remix asks which part of the song should lead
Remixes and alternate mixes can move familiar material into a new foreground without making the original obsolete.
A great platformer jump is a small act of generosity
Tiny allowances around takeoff and landing can make a difficult game feel fair. The space around the jump matters just as much.
The CD-ROM encyclopedia turned browsing into a kind of play
Maps, sound and linked entries made a finite reference collection feel like somewhere to explore. The important change was the route through it.
Why Chihiro’s Story Doesn’t End Like Cinderella’s
Alice, Cinderella and a Japanese folktale help explain how Spirited Away’s heroine becomes capable without surrendering her name or her future.
Why a game can look unmistakable before you know its name
A good screenshot can make you want to play. A distinctive visual language can do something stranger: make you recognize a game from a character’s outline, the bend of a building, or the way a menu heading sits on the screen.
A clear map does not have to spoil the adventure
Being lost and being curious can feel similar for a minute. Both involve an unanswered question. After that, they may diverge. One question is “What is over that ridge?” The other is “Am I even going toward the place I was trying to reach?”
When the game changes the music, listen for the seam
A film can arrange a musical arrival around a fixed sequence of shots. A player may stand still, double back, take the long route, or spend another minute examining a corner. Music for an interactive experience has to contend with that freedom.
Read the barrier, not just the accessibility menu
You reach a door in a game. Opening it asks you to hold a button, steer a cursor, and release at the right moment. Somewhere in the settings is a control-remapping option. That sounds promising—until you realize the obstacle is not which button you press. It is having to keep it pressed while doing something else.
Before buying another controller, choose the kind of together
The invitation is simple: let’s play something together tonight. The setup questions arrive later. Does everyone need a copy? Are you looking at the same view? Can a third person join? Is “multiplayer” describing people on the sofa or people on separate machines?
The room has already started telling the story
Before anyone enters, a room can make a suggestion. Two chairs face each other across a crowded table. A third waits beside the door. A coat is folded carefully over its back, but the cup nearby has been left unfinished.