Reading issue 3 has me thinking about two possible ways of playing journaling games - as a version of yourself and as someone completely different. What attracts people to play in either style and what can you learn about yourself from each strategy?
Now one could argue that we always play a version of ourselves even when we are trying not to. Is there any reason to try to play someone else if it just leads us back to ourselves?
You read Inscapes? I wrote on page thirty-nine about how/when playing as someone other than my approximate self is also immersive:
"I had been thinking that playing every game as my approximate self, like I wrote in The Ink That Bleeds, was needed for immersion, but I was wrong. I learned playing Untitled Moth Game that what’s actually needed is for a game to be part of the happenings and narratives of my inscape. So playing as my approximate self does that, but also, playing as the moth/princess contending with the same awful otherworld of my Dandelion Puff play was equally as consuming and immersive.
And then later I played Everything That Happens Before You Die In the Wilderness, and The Ferryman, and After the Accident, all as Lindsley within my inscape, and they were all super immersive for me too."
Ah! I have a copy and keep waiting for a quiet moment to sit with a nice cup of tea and absorb each word. The Ink that Bleeds was so introspective, I don't want to skim through Inscapes. But this perfect moment will probably never exist and I should just force myself to plop down and read it one afternoon.
I love this. I've been holding off getting into journaling games despite buying several (and TITB) over the last few years. But this made me want to break through the barrier. Your journaling makes me think of Italo Calvino. It's amazing.
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Reading issue 3 has me thinking about two possible ways of playing journaling games - as a version of yourself and as someone completely different. What attracts people to play in either style and what can you learn about yourself from each strategy?
Now one could argue that we always play a version of ourselves even when we are trying not to. Is there any reason to try to play someone else if it just leads us back to ourselves?
You read Inscapes? I wrote on page thirty-nine about how/when playing as someone other than my approximate self is also immersive:
"I had been thinking that playing every game as my approximate self, like I wrote in The Ink That Bleeds, was needed for immersion, but I was wrong. I learned playing Untitled Moth Game that what’s actually needed is for a game to be part of the happenings and narratives of my inscape. So playing as my approximate self does that, but also, playing as the moth/princess contending with the same awful otherworld of my Dandelion Puff play was equally as consuming and immersive.
And then later I played Everything That Happens Before You Die In the Wilderness, and The Ferryman, and After the Accident, all as Lindsley within my inscape, and they were all super immersive for me too."
Ah! I have a copy and keep waiting for a quiet moment to sit with a nice cup of tea and absorb each word. The Ink that Bleeds was so introspective, I don't want to skim through Inscapes. But this perfect moment will probably never exist and I should just force myself to plop down and read it one afternoon.
Love reading these musings every time. I deeply enjoy getting to read about thought processes and meanderings about game making.
Super cool idea, full of interesting thoughts. Nice one Paul!
Also, for the puzzle, I'm guessing one can go diagonal, as well as orthagonal?
Thank you :)
And yes, you can go diagonal, and the path can cross itself.
I love this. I've been holding off getting into journaling games despite buying several (and TITB) over the last few years. But this made me want to break through the barrier. Your journaling makes me think of Italo Calvino. It's amazing.
I love this 💖 it’s like a friendly newspaper page about game design and inside thoughts