Interviewing Daniel Benmergui, sole developer of Today I Die, was ill-fated from the word go. I caught him leaving the expo hall on the last day, and when I got in touch by email, I caught him leaving for Europe. However, he has some fascinating thoughts on his game’s novel approach to exploration, how to teach players a new mechanic, and monetizing a free game without being crass. So just think how easy it is to click that link and read! We really do live in the future.

span.gametitle {text-align:center;font-size:x-small;font-style:italic;} 2010 IGF Main Competition and Student Nominees Aaaaa! A Slow Year Closure Cogs Enviro-Bear 2000 Heroes of Newerth Joe Danger Limbo Miegakure Monaco Owlboy Rocketbirds Shank Shatter Star Guard Super Meat Boy Today I Die Trauma Tuning Vessel Boryokudan Rue Continuity Devils Tuning Fork Dreamside Maroon Igneous Paper Cakes Puddle Puzzle Bloom Spectre [...]

Ulitsa Dimitrova has something in common with World of Warcraft because you lose when you stop playing. On reflection, it has that in common with life as well. Developer Lea Schönfelder helped explain why she adopted this unusual mechanic, what it has to do with a dead Russian child, and how it all ties into storytelling.

Spectre is a curious exercise in storytelling. It’s somewhere between a choose-your-own-adventure book and a platformer, which is a fascinating blend to play. Lead engineer Asher Vollmer walked me through fitting all the narrative pieces together, the weave of player agency and storytelling, and the story web. Read on for his thoughts

The title for this interview is misleading because we already covered Puzzle Bloom with designer Jess Rahbek for our PAX 10 2009 interview series. So I merely touched on the relevant game for this IGF nomination and spent the rest of the interview catching up with Jess’s exploits since last we met. So the scope of today’s text covers the role of Unity in Jess’s development career, public prototyping as a AAA development strategy, and Jess’s pet iPhone project. It’s all cool stuff, so hit the link and start reading.

Puddle is one of those physic sim/puzzle games where you manipulate the level to indirectly control an object trapped inside. It’s akin to those old wooden labyrinth games, but replace the bearing with a pool of liquid. Graphic Designer Pierre Lemasson helped answer my questions about the game’s origins, why everything is cast in silhouette, and new features in the offing. The answers are hidden behind that link above the excerpt.

Paper Cakes is unique at the IGF because it’s a novel game that would have worked just as well on paper as it does on a computer. In fact, if the game is ever published outside the freeware universe, I think a paper-bound walkthrough is called for with dotted “fold here” lines to explain each level. I didn’t pester developer Machiel van Hooren about that specific idea, but I did ask him about the paper prototyping process, simulating a sheet of paper on a tablet, and the game’s future. Read on for his answers.

Dreamside Maroon was one of the quietest games at the IGF. It’s unusual to find a peaceful game in the Expo din of networking and violent sound effects. Programmer Justin Whitney was available to talk about player motivation in his quiet game, the role of feedback in a sandbox, and some unexpected interpretations .

It might be tacky to draw comparisons, but The Devil’s Tuning Fork will remind you of last year’s The Unfinished Swan. Of course, if you recall my gushing about blindness in exploration, the complement will come into view. Producer Matt Lazar helpfully answered my questions about how blindness impacts exploration and fear and the unseen. Read on for his thoughts.

Continuity mixes two game concepts you’d never expect and does it with panache. Between its novelty and polish, it’s no wonder that the game took home the prize for Best Student Game at the IGF. Developer Stefan MIkaelsson was manning the booth when I stopped by, and he walked me through the game’s foundations, its inspiration, and the team’s upcoming projects.