Raph Koster

SEPTEMBER 1, 2022

I just watched a couple of videos about sandbox vs themepark games (in particular one by NerdSlayer and another by Josh “Strife” Hayes )… One thing that struck me about the ways players often talk about this (because at this point the history is so old) is that people think of sandbox as the older version of MMOs, and themeparks as newer.

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Sandbox Simulation Content Scripting 59

Raph Koster

JULY 18, 2024

This week, it’s all about the second set: The Ease of Nintendo Meets the Depth of the Sandbox MMO The game will be deep: a set of proven game mechanics brought together in one universe. (If you missed last week’s, it’s here , and I expanded on it on the blog here.)

Sandbox 70

Sandbox Mechanics Localization Mobile 70

Mircosoft Game Dev

JANUARY 15, 2023

Many games still use this approach nowadays (after all, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it) but, increasingly, game design has been moving from “individual stages” to “open” or “continuous” worlds where the boundaries between levels disappear. Creating games this way is, as a result, more challenging.

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AAA Game Developer Game Development Development 145

Game Daily

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Raph Koster is one of gaming’s most renowned designers of online play worlds, like Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies. As author of the highly influential book A Theory of Fun for Game Design, he’s a sought-after commentator on the state of gaming. “These days.

Media 52

Media Technology Internet Sandbox 52

Grid Sage Games

JULY 17, 2022

I wrote about this factor in my recent article on game design philosophy. While some players enjoy puzzling out creative ways to get ahead, at the extreme end it eventually devolves into optimal tedium which is overall harmful to the experience.

Beta 52

Beta Content Balance Mechanics 52