Games as Indie Music
Before I started making games, the first “art” that I made was music.
More than practice, or recording, or perfection, what I really loved was jamming.
You gather around and just play what comes to you, bouncing off the other musicians.
I love that style of improvisational, conversational art.
And games can be like that!
I have had that experience in game jams, obviously, when working with teams.
But I have also tried to bring it to longer form, or solo, projects.
There is value to being loose with your plans, and following what’s fun, or interesting in a project.
Games as Collage
I say music was the first “art” that I learned, but I have been making collages, and kit-bashing, since I was a child.
Collage is a reactive practice. You can only plan so much, because ultimately you are at the whims of the existing materials.
And maybe games can be like that?
Obviously, with a larger game, you (or your team) can make everything from scratch?
But you are always relying on something pre-made, whether it is a texture, a tool, a bit of boilerplate code, a game engine.
Those things aren’t formed of the earth, they were made, by a person, and you gain a lot of value when you start to treat them like fragments of the work you are making, rather than non-entities to be forced into your vision.
There is value to making things yourself, but there is also a creative value that comes from working with predesigned limitations.
Games as Poetry
When I started making games I was very focused on designing juicy mechanics (what some people call “Game Feel”, because they are obsessed with sucking the joy out of game design).
And I still like that practice.
There is value in making games that are, you know, fun.
But over time I’ve come to appreciate games that are trying to deliver a more complicated experience.
Generally these games are short, and mechanically simple (though the mechanics are still often really focused and well designed, there are just fewer mechanics).
The experience of these games is more like poetry.
The focus is on the rhythm.
And the emotion.
And you end up somewhere different.
Then you started.
Tex Barnes 