Schell Games

[{"content":{"text":" Schell Games' commitment to education is something we live every day; in the products we create, the work environment in the office and the ways we share that knowledge with others. Each month, we'll be dissecting a different Lens from The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by our CEO Jesse Schell and applying it to a noteworthy title. It's our hope that you use these as you develop your game or are looking to critically analyze what makes someone else's game successful. Happy creating! "},"id":"e3f7518a-1a28-4b84-9ea6-a6678d48671e","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"location":"kirby","image":["file:\/\/1M1BcGoIaBJ0uizE"],"src":"","alt":"","caption":"","link":"","ratio":"","crop":"false"},"id":"47882822-8575-4948-bbe6-22a4ab701142","isHidden":false,"type":"imageBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"The Lens of Love","customid":""},"id":"d02448c1-22cf-4637-b68b-6f4bab27a93b","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" How This Works: Use this Lens (full text below as well) and picture your game at the same time. See how you answer each question and how difficult it is to arrive at these conclusions. Repeat and refine until complete - how much different does your potential game look than when you started? Full Text: If the creators of a game do not love it, the game will surely fail. To use this lens, ask yourself these questions: "},"id":"414b0f1f-7bba-445c-bcd8-5c7b2ea39ff9","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"text":" Do I love my project? If not, how can I change that? Does everyone on the team love the project? If not, how can that be changed? "},"id":"eaf0c0d6-23de-4076-b369-f59be0ad8123","isHidden":false,"type":"listBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"Example - Boyfriend Dungeon ","customid":""},"id":"b62be7b5-c065-4e09-9a6a-6c4ef5a60985","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" Kitfox Games is one of our favorite studios out there to follow, most recently making headlines as the publisher of must-haves games like Caves of Qud and Dwarf Fortress. But today's example goes back to their 2021 title Boyfriend Dungeon , which they developed and published. After the success of Hades , many devs tried to replicate the rogue-like to various degrees, but this unassuming, Kickstarter-backed game is my favorite of the bunch. Yes, you'll conquer increasingly difficult dungeons and get stronger every run, but the main concern is your relationship with the weapon you wield. That's right, each dagger, glaive and scythe you equip all transform into gorgeous (and available) heartthrobs. The soundtrack is a constant on our video game playlists, the character designs are memorable and the dating sim aspect is outlandishly fun, but above all this game follows The Lens of Love. it's clear from interviews with the game's creative director , Tanya X., that love went into every aspect of the game design process. This game grapples with complex topics about using each other as tools, and characters represent a wide variety of sexual identities while leaving the player character free to identify however they choose. But the tone remains light even through the more difficult moments, and Boyfriend Dungeon somehow threads the needle to keep players engaged in the combat and story without feeling alienated or represented. It's a secret sauce that's exceptionally rare in the dating sim genre, and it all goes back to the love put into the game from inception to shipping it. We'll keep our eyes on the upcoming Date Everything! release this Valentine's Day (2025) to see how this compares... "},"id":"4f713232-1af0-45c2-af09-aaf12a3a8c0c","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"location":"web","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uu9BXqm3eKI","video":[],"poster":[],"caption":"","autoplay":"false","muted":"true","loop":"false","controls":"true","preload":"auto"},"id":"ecf5e796-dc25-432d-ae46-5d26cbfc4b78","isHidden":false,"type":"videoBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"The Art of Game Design","customid":""},"id":"79bf1ee9-91ad-4140-8fb0-6de1d6abc2b9","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" This is just one quick example of all of the knowledge and expertise contained within The Art of Game Design . Learn more about the book, the 110+ Lenses that come with it and more about CEO Jesse Schell on The Art of Game Design website. "},"id":"bd2ca617-db6f-4f91-b3f4-06f7083eae23","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"link":"https:\/\/schellgames.com\/art-of-game-design","text":"Read More","class":"","id":""},"id":"1f9c813c-9676-485a-8ed9-36a760ee65e3","isHidden":false,"type":"buttonBlock"},{"content":{"location":"kirby","image":["file:\/\/m7An3wx1WUpIHudN"],"src":"","alt":"","caption":"","link":"","ratio":"","crop":"false"},"id":"8b329391-3d01-475c-b862-f26f00f25460","isHidden":false,"type":"imageBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"View More Lenses","customid":""},"id":"763e06e7-1d72-4595-beef-0a4224a86313","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" All Lenses can also be accessed digitally for no cost. Use the Deck of Lenses for inspiration when developing an experience, playtesting, brainstorming, and anything in between. 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The Lens of Love | Feb. 2025 Lens of the Month

February 3, 2025 · insights

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