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.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Possibilities
Deduction may be elementary, but it is inductive reasoning which we more commonly use in life--and that can be used to make games more interesting, if it's understood.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Procession
At the risk of offending, the author uses a very touchy example from life to show how societal values can be skewed in fiction.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Sense
Our perceptions of reality are, ultimately, perceptions. Do we all perceive reality the same? And if not, how can the differences matter?
Game Ideas Unlimited: Senseless
Have your characters ever been really afraid?
Game Ideas Unlimited: Sentience
In his quest to create truly alien intelligence, M. Joseph Young deconstructs human intelligence, asking what we mean when we call a creature "sentient".
Game Ideas Unlimited: Stitches
M. J. sews up the week with some thoughts about what it takes to run games in real settings.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Tactics
To roleplay fighters well, we must think like fighters. Do you hack and slash without a plan? This article explores the importance of battle plans, and suggests a few that have worked in the past.
Game Ideas Unlimited: The Alien
M. Joseph Young's pursuit of alien culture and intelligence was at least moderately successful in creating one unusual race. This deconstruction may take the mystery out of the beast, but it may also help referees…
Game Ideas Unlimited: The Process
This (free) look back at where we've been also gives some insight in how the creative process is learned.
Game Ideas Unlimited: Time
Not every world has a twenty-four hour day; in fact, not every world knows what an hour is. How do we create time systems we can use which still seem alien?
Game Ideas Unlimited: Uncertainty
You don't know much about the enemies you face; but they don't know much about you either. How can you use that to your advantage?
Game Ideas Unlimited: Value
What things are worth is not written in stone, so we take a look at how to decide--or control--the value of things in the game world.