Looking for something in the text? Search the full archive.
940 pieces · Titles A–Z
Game Ideas Un limited: Transition
One way to make a setting interesting lies in the tensions of flux.
Game Ideas Un limited: Treasure Hunt
Quest-style adventure design considered in Game Ideas Unlimited: Flag Captures is reconsidered under a more linear model.
Game Ideas Un limited: Treats
A grab-bag of goodies from Ascians to Trick-'r-Treat is tossed out to celebrate Halloween.
Game Ideas Un limited: Trust
Does your character trust his companions? Should he? Should they trust him? Perhaps at times we assume too much honor among thieves; after all, isn't it to their advantage for us to think of them that way?
Game Ideas Un limited: Types
In my dream, I saw some I knew yet didn't know, some I didn't know yet knew, some I knew and knew, and yet some I didn't know nor know; and I knew that knowing and not knowing were part of who these characters were, and…
Game Ideas Un limited: Variations
We start the third year of the weekly series with thoughts on using the old to create the new.
Game Ideas Un limited: Wait
The series draws a lesson in game strategy from playing solitaire.
Game Ideas Un limited: Waltz
Form follows function, as every architect knows; but if form dominates, creativity is crushed, and what was once a vibrant and exciting medium becomes and interesting sidenote in history. That's what this article…
Game Ideas Un limited: Wars
Picking up from our consideration of how to generate mass troops for Hordes , we consider some shortcuts for making mass combat run more smoothly in play.
Game Ideas Un limited: Weather
Meteorological ruminations provide some thoughts on the sky, and what it's likely to do in a game world.
Game Ideas Un limited: Wisdom
Tricks to playing the wise character are considered.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Believable Nonsense
When you believe in things you don't understand, is that superstition? Creating these quirky notions and bringing them into a game world can be challenging, but rewarding.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Common
The stuff of characters is within us. Even very different characters are in some ways very much the same.
Game Ideas Unlimited: David
Inspiration is drawn from David, David , David, and a few other people.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Derivative
In the creative world, it's a dirty word; but it gives us much to consider.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Dog
The author takes a close look at the beast with whom he shares his home, and attempts to divine something of how it thinks.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Edison
The advice and example of a certified creative genius is considered in the effort to understand creativity.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Embraces
After a long delay, the series returns with a consideration of how to bring romance into the action.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Ephemeral Illusion
The idea of running a game through illusion is explained, and the notion of designing a game to work that way is critiqued.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Faith
The article takes a look at the depths of character that can spring from something as simple as sincere belief.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Flashbacks
Free this week , we look at how and why to use flashback techniques in games, and flash back to the articles in the past quarter.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Flies and Fairies
Let's take a look at the defensive side of the equation: there's more to survival than how tough you are.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Flirting
Role playing games may help us discover who we are and who we could be.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Ives Loves a Parade
Some observations about modern music are applied to game design.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Knowing
Real life is often about what we don't know; how can we know less about our characters?
Game Ideas Unlimited: Map
The author goes on an adventure through the corridors of a local school, and realizes that our perception of real space and our understanding of maps do not always match.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Motivation
Why, the characters may ask, are we here? But it might not be a grand metaphysical question--merely an actor asking his motivation. What brings us together and keeps us together as characters in the story?
Game Ideas Unlimited: Multiple Staging
It's a technique that works extremely well to increase excitement and anticipation in books and movies; why not in games?
Game Ideas Unlimited: Names
What things are called can be revealing--or deceptive.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Pain
A first hand experience of real pain is a springboard for considering what it should mean to our characters.