Furidashi Game Design Academy

In this episode, we discuss the sensuous side of gamedev, the upsides and downsides of "friction," and how to better understand what your player wants to be doing, so as to craft a better suited gameplay experience for them. Download the Sympathetic Memories demo for free on our Itch.io site: https://furidashipod.itch.io/sympathetic-memories Substack: https://gamedesigndiscourse.substack.com/ Patr...

In this episode we deconstruct the concept of auteur theory and show how even when a game's production has a strong creative direction, often that means getting people to buy into that vision and contributing to it rather than having their work dictated to them. We talk about the documentary Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds and how it reveals the ways in which solodev and team development are not a...

In this episode Lauryn and Nicholas tackle how game designers translate their own interests and influences into tangible elements in their own games. Working from Nicholas' ongoing work on Sympathetic Memories, we first examine the way historical and literary influences work their way in. Then, we round out the episode by exploring how solo work of this kind can inform the way inspiration works in...

In this episode we talk about the uses of first and second person narration in games, not only in terms of basic storytelling but also how they work their way into systems like objectives and quest logs. We explore the philosophical underpinnings of first person perspective and try to show how games can actually meaningfully collapse what we typically think of as subjective and objective modes of...

In this episode we focus on where ideas come from, how they develop out of our experiences and interests, and how they ultimately coalesce into specific pillars and themes for a game. We also discuss what it means for these pillars to be in tension with one another, and how that can play out both in terms of a game's narrative as well as its mechanics. Download the Le Concours des Filles (soon to...

In this episode, Lauryn and Nicholas pick up where they left off in discussing how Baldur's Gate 3 structures its skill check encounters. We look at how encounter design in video games generally seems to privilege a system of challenges and achievements where the player's subjective experience is either an afterthought or simply a second order effect. We consider what it might look like to center...

In this fourth season of Furidashi, Nicholas is making a game! So, the first thing we need to figure out is... well... where to even begin. We discuss the good and bad of game engines, licensing agreements, how to leverage your existing skills, and where to draw inspiration from. In the past, we've focused more on top down, theoretical considerations in game design, but this go around we're going...

In this episode, we extend our discussion of Baldur’s Gate 3 into thinking about how video games translate various aspects of their tabletop counterparts. More than just mechanics, we look at how video games try to simulate the more subjective and social aspects of pen and paper roleplay, something that, historically, video games have struggled with. But Baldur’s Gate 3 seems to mark a very real d...

In this episode, we sit down to tackle Larian’s colossal new game, Baldur’s Gate 3. We really only scratch the surface here, but we try to focus on the many ways in which the game addresses the question of freedom, both in gameplay terms as well as thematically, and we dig into how, unlike most RPG video games, Baldur’s Gate 3 actually lets you roleplay in the classic tabletop sense. Substack post...

In this episode we examine the three epochs or eras of Final Fantasy. We trace its early, now legendary, days as a tactical, turn-based RPG, the shift to more cinematic gameplay, and the subsequent turn away from the game’s roots toward a more high-paced, third person action gameplay. The point of all this is to show that there is a clear throughline from where we were to where we are now, even if...

In this episode, we delve into Final Fantasy 16 and the recent trend in Final Fantasy games towards more action oriented gameplay. But rather than make all the same tired comparisons others have already made to Devil May Cry or Game of Thrones, we focus on the clear evolution Final Fantasy games have undergone, and how this seemingly recent development has, in fact, been a long time coming. Patreo...

Greetings! In this episode, we make Lauryn explain herself and her gamedev journey. We talk about what it was like to make the transition from writing to level design and eventually back to narrative systems as well as what it means to take on a leadership role in the games industry. Unlock the full episode (and more!) for $5 a month on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/furidashi Twitter: https://t...

In this episode, we ask an admittedly clickbaity question that, nevertheless, raises some points: is Diablo 4 an RPG? We cover a bit of the history of roleplaying games, the awkward transition from tabletop to video games, and how character progression maps onto–or, in some cases, fails to map onto the player’s evolving gameplay experience. All of that to explain why maybe we need to rethink RPG a...

In this episode we continue our discussion of AI, focusing on its potential within the games industry, as well as its pitfalls. We consider the labor issues involved and how, despite all the hype, the reality of the many things that fall under the AI umbrella is an incredibly murky one, touching on issues of copyright as well as the basic question of who AI is for and who is it being done to. Unlo...

In this episode, we take a look at a visual novel from 2019, the incredibly prescient Eliza. We spend some time laying out the unique mechanics of a visual novel and how those reading mechanics parallel the counseling methods the game interrogates. We also spend quite a long time thinking about the way the game reflects the culture of tech and the imperative to understand the ethical and cultural...

In this episode, we talk about the concept of contiguity in worldbuilding and in game design more generally. We focus on longstanding franchises like Assassin’s Creed and Final Fantasy to look at how game worlds retain a clear sense of identity, despite evolving over time and in some cases even branching out into other media. You could call it vibes-based game design, but it is also a call to the...

In this episode, we discuss Kingdom Hearts 2 from 2005. We contextualize it in terms of the transformation of AAA games taking place in the 2000s, how the game functions like a theme park… because Disney… how that theme park design presents the concept of a multiverse for a younger player demographic, and how the allegorical structure of the game creates a layered experience in terms of gameplay,...

In this episode, we discuss character progression, how it differs from player and subjective progression, and how character can manifest not just as an arc through the story, but through gameplay as well. We look at examples as wide ranging as The Witcher, Street Fighter, X-COM, Battletech, and Gran Turismo. What do all of these games have in common? What can they tell us about character in video...

In this, our one hundredth episode, we finally tackle 2013’s The Last of Us. While we acknowledge that the story is, well, just okay, we also dissect the game’s level and encounter design to see how The Last of Us creates compelling experiences for the player. We also look at the companion system and how the game elicits empathy through the complex interactions between Joel and Ellie and the persp...

In this Patreon episode we jump off last week's Wordle episode to think about what it means for a game to work its way into the daily rhythms of our lives, as augmentation, versus carving out a sequester moment in our lives, as simulation. We delve into the early history of PC games and their relationship to hobby gaming, in an effort to provide a loose genealogy of the single player experience th...

In this episode, we discuss the popular browser game, Wordle, which was a worldwide phenomenon and yet somehow escaped notice when it came time to list the best games of 2022. We also discuss the way some video games work their way into the daily and weekly rhythms of our lives and why those games often find themselves on the outside or on the fringes of what gets to properly be called a video gam...

In this clip from our Patreon episode we discuss many of the elements that make up mystery plots, how they work on a gameplay and not just a narrative level, as well as the effect these elements have on creating compelling characters. Unlock the full episode (and more!) for $5 a month on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/furidashi Twitter: https://twitter.com/furidashipod Lauryn: https://twitter.co...

In this episode Lauryn and Nicholas discuss the 2022 game Pentiment from Obsidian Entertainment. We look at how the game functions as a form of productive historical revisionism and how attention to historical circumstances works itself out in terms of game mechanics and systems. We also discuss the mystery plot structure and the many ways in which Pentiment subverts it. Opening Music: "Sicut cerv...

Lauryn and Nicholas dive into their not game of the year, because that concept is silly, but rather the game they both feel really pushed for the possibilities for narrative and narrative systems design: Half Mermaid's Immortality. Also on the docket: why it's good sometimes for a game to make you queasy. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/furidashi Twitter: https://twitter.com/furidashipod Lauryn:...

Our gift to our Patreon subscribers this holiday season: a chill playthrough of the first book in the Choose Your Own Adventure series! Join Lauryn and Nicholas as they make bad choices and critique the game's UI design! Unlock the full episode (and more!) for $5 a month on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/furidashi Twitter: https://twitter.com/furidashipod Lauryn: https://twitter.com/thelaurynash...