While playing Destiny 2 off and on last week, it occurred to me just how much I appreciate a well-designed game map. In general, I admire a variety of map styles but ones that have clean (uncluttered) design, make use of muted colors, and indicate levels of difficulty in subtle ways interest me the most. I find Destiny 2’s maps aesthetically pleasing because of the minimalist … Continue reading Map Appreciation
A recent conversation with one of my gaming friends, along with my completion of What Remains of Edith Finch (WRoEF), got me thinking about the term “walking simulator” and everything I dislike about it as a descriptor of what are usually indie games. Consider yourself warned; this is going to be a bit of a rant. Continue reading “The Problem with “Walking Simulators””Despite being associated with such words as “aggression,” “violence,” and “sexism,” video games have found their way into elementary, secondary, and even college classrooms (for many good reasons). Some games are certainly deserving of criticism, and this is one reason why educators should carefully select the games they use with students. Still, many ask questions relating to the “why?” factor. Why play video games? This question can be branched … Continue reading Press Start: Playing Video Games to Learn
