Tag Archives: XBLA

Force Against Habit: Braid (Mac) Review

In the time that I’ve been playing and thinking about indie game superstar, Braid, enigmatic Swedish electronic band, The Knife released their first album in 7 years. 2006’s Silent Shout was a watershed moment for The Knife, garnering heaps of critical praise for … Continue reading →

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The Doubt of the Benefit: Fake Progress and Lumosity’s “Brain Games”

, Matt Carey When ShuffleBrain CEO Amy Jo Kim took the stage at the 2011 CasualConnect game design conference, she started her speech “Smart Gamification” with a strangely defensive proviso: “I’m going to give you a quick run-through of how … Continue reading →

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Minecraft: Development, Discovery, and The Final Frontier

Minecraft is a stunning precedent for independent game developers. It’s a game that made Notch, its sole developer, a multi-millionaire before anyone really knew what was happening or what to do about it. There have been a number of copycats in Minecraft’s wake, simulating its blocky aesthetic, its open-ended approach to “world-building,” crafting, and interaction. However, what these copycats can’t duplicate is the most unprecedented part of Minecraft’s success: that it sold millions of copies as an alpha build, an unfinished game. Continue reading →

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