In a packed auditorium at the Game Developers Conference last week in San Francisco, 10 indie developers gave a series of microtalks about topics like accessibility, design challenges, diversity, and … sausages. Each speaker during the “Indie Soapbox” brought a unique perspective, and the lineup included the likes of composer and designer Danny Baranowsky (Crypt of the Necrodancer), campaign game developer Rosa Carbo-Mascarell (CorbynRun), and the New York University Game Center’s director, Frank Lantz (Universal Paperclips).
Some speakers challenged developers to consider new angles. Davey Wreden, who developed The Stanley Parable and The Beginner’s Guide, posed the question of how to innovate player-engagement strategies. He posits that most people keep playing because they’re “focused on future outcomes” — they want to get better at the game, they want to make progress, or they want to see more content or story. In all these instances, they’re anticipating what comes next.
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