Adventures in Games Analysis – Original Art (Circa 2013)

May 14th, 2023

Hi everyone,

I’m pleased to say that I will be releasing Adventures in Games Analysis: Volume I in the coming months. Those of you who have been following my work for some time will remember ‘Adventures’ as the bookazine project I started back in 2013. Initially, this compilation of long-form articles was going to be published in 2014 before it was put on ice and subsequently overhauled. I completed the final manuscript in early 2019 and got things rolling again on the publishing side earlier this year.

‘Adventures’ includes some of my best games writing and I can’t wait to finally release it into the wild. For now, though, I wanted to share two things with you all. The first is simply the book’s blurb—a teaser, if you will. The second is a series of artwork that was created for the original zine back in 2013 but not used in the final title. Among the pieces is the awesome glitch art cover which is a Daniel Purvis creation. Please enjoy.

Adventures in Games Analysis: Volume I is a compilation of written articles diving deep into the complex and interconnected art form that is video games. By spotlighting specific examples of game design, author Daniel Johnson (Speed Boost: The Hidden Secrets Behind Arcade Racing Design and Game Design Companion: A Critical Analysis of Wario Land 4) deconstructs the creative challenges behind some of gaming’s most popular franchises.

This first volume explores topics such as designing a 3D action game with NES style controls in Metroid: Other M, sequencing and layering gameplay challenges in Uncharted 2’s famous ‘train level,’ and balancing slow-motion FPS Steel Diver: Sub Wars around Nintendo’s limited online infrastructure. The insightful analysis enables readers to better appreciate the individual titles as well as the artistic qualities that video games have to offer.

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