game design — Blog — like Charlie

The 'Walking Simulator' - Subverting Expectations

Getting stuck or not knowing where to go next in a game sucks. And unless you’re playing a platformer, being reminded of a game’s linearity isn’t a good thing either. There’s certainly a sweet spot between tactful guidance and creative design that gives players a sense of freedom and control. Think of a game like Mirror’s Edge, linear from a level-design perspective but taking advantage of fluid movement and subtle cues (e.g., lighting, sound and skewed perspective) to ensure players keep pushing forward.

Ghost on the Shore is OUT NOW

Three years ago, we began working on a new game. The idea for the core story came to our writer Dagmar Blommaert in a dream in which she had died and could only observe her partner’s immense grief from afar while they mourned, dealt with the loss and eventually moved on.