Scratching an Itch

#27 How a puzzle game became a roguelike

Dice of Dusk by Kultisti is a puzzle roguelike game. It has random generated puzzles, progression, and builds! It also has a timer to create pressure, and one thing I forgot to mention in the episode is that this has another amazing side effect: “easy” levels become challenging in that you are trying to solve them as fast as possible to bank time for future stages. Good design serves two purposes at once. Get full access to zivan at zivanovic.substack.com/subscribe [https://zivanovic.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

#26 Star Realms vs Ascension

Star Realms has player life; Ascension has a victory point pool. Both games have the core mechanic of buying cards from the center row to build your deck in a play session. However, they feel completely different. Yesterday, I talked about how that decision for the victory condition changed mechanics, and today I’m using the theory of constructed emotion to explain how that changes perception and therefore emotional experiences. Get full access to zivan at zivanovic.substack.com/subscribe [https://zivanovic.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

#25 Star Realms

Star Realms by White Wizard Games [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.starrealms.starrealmsapp&pcampaignid=web_share] is a deckbuilding game just like Ascension [https://substack.com/@zivanovic/note/p-192144186?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=fcl1f]. However, unlike Ascension, Star Realms is a confrontational game, where the goal is to deplete the other player’s authority. This results in some huge mechanical and emotional differences for the same core mechanic. In this first of a two part series, I talk about the mechanical changes the win-condition results in. Get full access to zivan at zivanovic.substack.com/subscribe [https://zivanovic.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

#24 Why is drafting so fun?

Draftula by Jose Pacio is a tile-placing and drafting game. It’s a very fun game that made me realize why drafting has become a widely adopted progression mechanic for games. Get full access to zivan at zivanovic.substack.com/subscribe [https://zivanovic.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

#23 Ascension: Deckbuilding Game

Ascension by Stoneblade Entertainment [https://store.steampowered.com/app/320430/Ascension_Deckbuilding_Game/] is one of the seminal deckbuilding games. I’ve played it a lot recently and in this episode I talk about why I like the honor point pool and how I think it allows for adjustable challenge. I also briefly talk about why I think this game can easily become “a daily ritual game”. Get full access to zivan at zivanovic.substack.com/subscribe [https://zivanovic.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]