rae marizAn early early gameplay prototype of Lalo o ke Kai for #ScreenshotSaturday. It’s an adaption of the Boiling Sea chapter in Weird Fishes, where the seal-mermaid character is inspired to compose her songs by the choreography in seemingly random underwater interactions
I read the Csikszentmihalyi psychology of Flow book that’s often cited in #gamedev/game design discussions (that flow is found in the sweetspot between boredom and frustration) and honestly? The book felt written by someone who had never experienced flow a day in his life (Sorry, Mihaly. RIP)
I have an easy time “getting into the flow” and this game is a way to test some of my theories—there's a relationship between rhythm and randomness, and sensory elements help inspire a “locked in” feeling
The recent “discussions” around genAI have made it clear that there’s a misunderstanding re: the creative process and what makes work worth doing. The game is designed to give someone a taste of “what it feels like” to be in a creative flow.
If you think making a “creative flow simulator” is a lofty ambition for what currently looks like an arcade-style endless runner game HELLO! WE HAVEN’T MET! These creative experimentations are what I do. In all kinds of media. For fun and not-profit.
Like I said, still early stages for this and other game projects, but if you want to check out the work that inspired the work, Weird Fishes published by @StelliformPress is available here:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/weird-fishes-rae-mariz/1896356e41fc0b68
Excerpt from Weird Fishes (Stelliform Press, 2022). Boiling Sea chapter, page 24.
