Top Tenants of Game Design
It can be hard to design a game without some guidance. That is principles and rules to follow, and established designers to emulate. I scoured the internet, played tens of hours of games, day-dreamed, and came up with a list of the top tenants of game design.
Friese’s Landlord
Penthouse B – Richard Garfield: With his Magic: The Gathering money, Richard sprung for the penthouse suite. At the time he didn’t realize that this is a New York City pre-war, so he’s stuck slogging up five flights of steps every Sunday with his groceries. Stairs aside, Richard has earned his penthouse views by creating one of the greatest games of all time – Magic: The Gathering, and a slew of other beloved games like RoboRally, King of Tokyo, and Bunny Kingdom.
4A – Jamey Stegmaier: Management doesn’t allow pets, but they made an exception for Jamey and his cats. With mid-western hospitality he’s always eager to lend that cup of sugar and help new tenants move, although some of his neighbors are a little tired of the myriad of “tips and tricks to city living” that he plasters over the communal message board.
5B – CMON Games & The Ghost of the Dude Who Invented GO: Here’s the thing – whoever invented GO made one of the greatest games of all time, with nothing but rocks and a grid. And now, the only thing keeping them from passing over is the popularity of CMON’s big box miniature games. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a moral judgement. I love CMON and their minis as much as the next gamer, and at the end of the day one ghost kept in limbo is just a single ghost. It’s not like we’re all Haley Joel Osments over here with the time to worry about ghosts.
5C – The Gang from Shut Up & Sit Down: They don’t actually design games (well, they helped design one), and no one is quite sure who guarantor-ed their lease. The British expats have a bit of a reputation as partiers, although it’s impossible to imagine how Tom, Ava, Quins, and Matt squeeze into the 400 sqft studio, let alone the myriad of guests who buzz the wrong numbered apartments at ungodly hours.
The interdimensional portal in the boiler room – Nikki Valens: If you thought things were a bit spooky with a ghost in 5B, well I don’t even have words for what is going on with Nikki Valens. The tenants like to pretend that the howling from the basement is just the furnace, but we know better. Where do you think Nikki got her inspiration for Arkham Horror, and Mansions of Madness if not for blood rites performed in that undefined space that connects all of NYC’s underground?
2D – Uwe & Reiner: Full of efficiency and productivity, we aren’t quite sure why Uwe & Reiner are holed up in this nightmarish multifamily we’ve dreamed up. We can say that they always pay their rent on time, have an appropriately hydrated weeping fig, and no sign of a dirty dish ever having graced their countertops.
Happy April Fools! Who are your favorite tenants?
