Survivor’s Evolving Metagame – Part 1: The Metagame Emerges

Survivor’s Evolving Metagame – Part 1: The Metagame Emerges

PROLOGUE: I NEVER METAGAME I DIDN’T LIKE One of the hardest aspects of creating a game—and consequently one of the most interesting aspects—is the idea of game balance. Games live or die based on how well balanced they are. Whether it’s through a series of extensive checks and balances or just through introducing random chance,…

Chocolate-Flavored Chocolate: The Hyperreal World of Girls’ Last Tour

Chocolate-Flavored Chocolate: The Hyperreal World of Girls’ Last Tour

“Say ‘cheese!’” Okay, but…why? From the time that we’re children, we experience people telling us to say “cheese” when taking a photo. Many of us never question it until much later in life, if at all. Why say “cheese” when cheese has nothing to do with photography? With a bit of thinking, it’s easy to…

The “Baccano” of Pulp Fiction: Omake

The “Baccano” of Pulp Fiction: Omake

This was my original first chapter for “The ‘Baccano’ of Pulp Fiction,” detailing how both Baccano! and Pulp Fiction are descendants of pulp magazines. I’m pleased with how a lot of it turned out, but I ultimately made the decision to cut it for two reasons. The first is that I’m not an expert on either pulp…