Off The BooksThe kids are playing with some Pokemon cards, having no idea how the game works. They’re making their own games to play with them, and learning to *create* fun.
This is better than most game design classes they could take.
Yora@OffTheBooks I truly think that the #gamedev discourse should more emphasize creating toys than designing experiences.
Minecraft is perhaps the purest form of a digital toy. Subnautica has a simple story, but that exist primarily to give hints to players to where they can find new toys and challenges.
Many #ImSim games give you a lot of gadgets, but still want you to play out a pre-written story. I think there's still huge spaces of game structure and gameplay to explore.
The best thing about designing your game as a toy instead of a story, is that you can have the full experience playing with it yourself.