The hottest Video Games Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Culture Topics

Video Game Thoughts Bonus Bag #3

The Bottom Feeder • 484 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Video Games Indie games Game design
  1. Steam Next Fest is a good opportunity for indie game developers to showcase their demos, despite the overcrowded market.
  2. Indie game developers often struggle to come up with completely new game ideas, leading to a trend of mixing and matching existing genres.
  3. The video game industry is facing challenges such as burnout, harsh recession period, and layoffs, impacting both developers and players.

Salamander Software's Franklin's Tomb

Computer Ads from the Past • 384 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Software Video Games
  1. Salamander Software was a collective run by friends from Sussex University, known for their Dragon charbusters like Night Flight and Franklin's Tomb.
  2. Their game Franklin's Tomb, part of the Dan Diamond trilogy, was a text adventure involving mummies, mazes, and a white rabbit. It had a split screen, save game feature, and clues for upcoming adventures.
  3. Reviewers praised Franklin's Tomb for its quality, engaging gameplay, and the need for exploration and puzzle-solving. The game utilized the full memory of the computers it was available on.

A Game About Bad Dates Is Also About Parents and Children Trying (And Failing) to Understand Each Other

Crossplay • 294 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🎨 Art & Illustration Video Games Parenting Immigration Personal experiences
  1. Game 'Thirsty Suitors' explores parents and children connecting through gaming.
  2. The game reflects the creator's personal experiences with parenting his own kids and caring for his parents.
  3. As a game developer, juggling parenting and work life balance is a challenge.
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Zoomers, Video Games, and The New Culture (Video)

Trantor Publishing • 79 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Video Games
  1. The creator is introducing audio productions for essays, targeting those who prefer video formats, expanding on the essay content, methodologies, and the topic.
  2. The creator has launched a YouTube channel for posting videos of essays and audio productions, diving deeper into topics like 'The Domes of Calrathia'.
  3. The creator teases upcoming content including five chapters of Gigaheroes and a new exclusive short story for paying subscribers, thanking readers for their support.

Ghost Lap

The Commonplace • 1042 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
⚔ Fiction Short Story Memories Loss Grief Video Games
  1. The protagonist reflects on his father's life and premature death, feeling the weight of unfulfilled potential.
  2. Returning to his childhood home after facing job loss and relationship troubles, the protagonist grapples with feelings of failure and uncertainty about the future.
  3. Finding an old PlayStation console sparks memories of bonding with his father through a video game, eventually leading to a poignant realization about letting go of past victories.

Crossplay Mailbag: "Is Nintendo's Awful Online Setup Actually Great For Kids?"

Crossplay • 746 implied HN points • 02 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Gaming Online Services Parenting Video Games
  1. Kids may easily switch between different games and videos, affecting their level of commitment to a particular game
  2. Parents appreciate the strict controls of Nintendo's online setup for kids playing multiplayer games
  3. Introducing games to children can be influenced by personal values and the desire to guide the child's exposure in a positive way

Spoken Egyptian in Age of Mythology

Maximum Effort, Minimum Reward • 574 implied HN points • 09 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Video Games Languages Ancient Civilizations
  1. Age of Mythology is a fun real-time strategy game with rich mythology and fantastical elements
  2. The game features unit sounds in ancient languages like Greek and Norse, allowing players to translate some of the words
  3. Deciphering the Egyptian unit sounds in the game is challenging due to limited knowledge of how Ancient Egyptian language sounded

Motorola's 6809 : The Best 8-Bit?

The Chip Letter • 17 HN points • 03 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Operating Systems Video Games Memory management
  1. Motorola's 6809 microprocessor series evolved to become a major player in the 8-bit era, competing with the likes of Intel and Zilog.
  2. The architecture of the 6809 was designed with 'source code' compatibility with the 6800, allowing programs written in 6800 assembly language to run, but with changes in machine code.
  3. Despite its advancements, the 6809 faced limitations due to the rise of more advanced processors like the 68000, leading to it being seen as an evolutionary rather than revolutionary design.

College Football Players Get $600, Amazon Snags An Exclusive Playoff Game for $150 Million, And Apple Takes Its Next Step In Sports

Huddle Up • 20 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🎾 Sports Business Technology Video Games Finance App
  1. EA Sports is paying college football players $600 to use their name, image, and likeness in the new video game, sparking debate over the adequacy of the compensation compared to NFL players.
  2. Amazon secured rights to stream an exclusive NFL playoff game by paying a hefty $150 million, highlighting the competitive landscape for sports broadcasting among tech giants.
  3. Apple is making strides in the sports industry with its new Sports app, underlining the company's expansion into the realm of sports entertainment beyond its traditional tech offerings.

2023 annual review of "A Good Interface"!

A Good Interface • 39 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🪑 Design User Interface Video Games Newsletter Game design
  1. The writer quit their job, sold belongings, and traveled to create a game and explore, turning this journey into newsletter content.
  2. In 2023, the writer focused on sharing insights on UI/UX design for video games, posting consistently on Substack.
  3. For 2024, the writer plans to continue sharing design insights and personal project updates while aiming for reader interaction and feedback.

It’s a Media Roundup!

Ironic Sans • 248 implied HN points • 09 May 23
🎭️ Culture Books Movies TV shows Audio Video Games
  1. David shares his recent media consumption including books, movies, TV shows, and video games.
  2. He enjoyed 'Red Team Blues: A Martin Hench Novel' for its unique protagonist and storyline.
  3. David also explores the disappointments and surprises in other media such as 'The Three-Body Problem' and 'Tetris', offering alternative suggestions and insights.

The Zombies Within

Don't Save Anything • 196 implied HN points • 31 Mar 23
🎭️ Culture Free will Video Games
  1. The post is about alpha males, free will, and The Last of Us.
  2. The author, Neil Shea, shared a new list of reading, watching, and listening suggestions in the post.
  3. To keep reading the full post, a 7-day free trial is available for new subscribers.

#2 - How to make a good text field

A Good Interface • 79 implied HN points • 10 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Design User Interface Video Games Accessibility
  1. A good text field is displayed at the right time - only show it when needed, use alternatives like toggle switches or choice lists when possible.
  2. A good text field has clear label - make labels short, precise, and avoid overusing technical language.
  3. A good text field gives visual feedback - ensure visual cues like hover, active, focus states are properly incorporated to guide users.

Ex-Riot developers are making “Breath of the Wild with friends”

Updater, Shannon Liao's gaming newsletter • 117 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Video Games Venture Capital Game Development Animation
  1. Former Riot developers are creating an open-world game similar to 'Breath of the Wild' with a focus on playing with friends
  2. The game studio secured $55 million in funding and aims to create a world characterized by optimism and worth fighting for
  3. The developers emphasize creating a rich player experience and aspire to build a media universe around the game, including an animated TV show

#6 - What's the right size?

A Good Interface • 39 implied HN points • 06 Oct 23
🕹 Technology UI Design Video Games User Experience
  1. Size your buttons correctly: Follow guidelines like 10mm x 10mm for mobile games and 44px / 48px for non-touch screens for optimal user interaction.
  2. Text matters too: Ensure text size is at least 16px for readability and paragraphs have 50-75 characters per line. Line spacing should be at least 1.5 times the font size.
  3. Provide user options: Let players customize their experience, like font size, to cater to diverse preferences and enhance accessibility.

How I got to cover video games for The New York Times

Updater, Shannon Liao's gaming newsletter • 78 implied HN points • 09 Jun 23
🎭️ Culture Video Games Journalism Career
  1. The author had a rollercoaster experience with a job offer from The New York Times.
  2. The author shared personal reflections on attending her high school reunion and her classmates' admiration for her journalism work.
  3. The author plans to give readers a behind-the-scenes look at how she got to cover video games for The New York Times.

#10 - UI/UX tips about password design in video games

A Good Interface • 19 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
🕹 Technology UI/UX Design Video Games
  1. Give users the ability to view what they type in password fields by including an 'eye' icon.
  2. Inform users if the 'Caps Lock' or 'Num Lock' key is enabled to help prevent errors and save time.
  3. Display the required conditions for creating a password to remind users and consider limiting the number of conditions to make passwords easier to remember.

What Have I Been Reading This Year?

Barbarian Grunge • 44 implied HN points • 17 Aug 23
📚 Literature Graphic novels Video Games Novels Short Stories
  1. The author read and studied various types of content over the past year including graphic novels, video games, screenplays, novels, nonfiction, TV & film, short stories, poems, and for fun
  2. The author found inspiration from the works they read, learning from different genres and styles to enhance their writing
  3. Many of the works the author read were by well-known writers such as Frank Miller, Alan Moore, Stephen King, and Warren Ellis, among others

GenAI will change how games are played

Let's talk games & AI. • 4 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Video Games Cloud Computing Hardware Algorithms
  1. In about 7.5 years, there is potential for playing any game experience whenever you want.
  2. The speed of GenAI model advancements will likely lead to faster response times for gaming.
  3. Over the next few years, GenAI will revolutionize how games are created and played through user-generated content, dynamic gaming experiences, and cloud gaming solutions.

Understanding the Great Video Game Recession. Or Not.

The Bottom Feeder • 2 HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Video Games Industry Trends
  1. The video game industry is experiencing layoffs and closures, signaling a potential recession.
  2. The industry is oversaturated with games and facing tough competition from various platforms and streaming services.
  3. Economic downturns, like in any industry, are part of a natural business cycle that includes periods of growth, over-investment, and eventual correction.

Star Trek: Resurgence

Have You Played? • 39 implied HN points • 06 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Video Games Graphics Storytelling Dialogue
  1. Star Trek: Resurgence is a dialogue-driven adventure game focusing on preventing an interplanetary war.
  2. The game mimics the style of Star Trek: The Next Generation with dialogue choices that affect crew opinions.
  3. The inclusion of unnecessary minigames like stealth and tricorder scanning detract from the core storytelling experience.

#5 - Best practices for modals in video games

A Good Interface • 19 implied HN points • 20 Sep 23
🕹 Technology UI Design Gameplay Video Games
  1. Modal windows are design elements in video games used to highlight important information while keeping the current context for the player.
  2. Modal windows should be displayed sparingly and for specific reasons like conveying essential information, blocking progress until required input, and collecting new settings.
  3. Best practices for modal windows in video games include initiating them through user actions, providing an emergency exit, having a clear title, and including a call to action with appropriate sizing.

#11 - What's behind the interface of Lethal Company

A Good Interface • 2 HN points • 28 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Gaming UI/UX Design Video Games Art Indie games
  1. The user interface of Lethal Company is successful because it matches the game's genre and atmosphere with carefully chosen colors, shapes, and ornaments.
  2. A key aspect of the UI design is displaying the right amount of information, ensuring the player remains immersed without feeling overwhelmed.
  3. To make the UI easily understandable, leveraging common icons, patterns, and familiar elements is crucial. It helps simplify the learning curve for players.

Radicalized by the Game Genie

Cybernetic Forests • 19 implied HN points • 18 Sep 22
🎨 Art & Illustration AI Art Video Games Creative Expression
  1. The Game Genie introduced the idea that the invisible codes of software and society are changeable, inspiring a period of art crimes and hacking into perceived norms.
  2. AI art creation tools like DALLE2 can be viewed as game engines for art, setting rules within which artists create, illustrating the importance of navigating the boundaries between tools and personal expression.
  3. Artists have historically used tools like machinima and hacking to subvert and repurpose gaming structures for storytelling, highlighting the potential for AI art to evolve beyond prompt responses.

Months Late Game Review ... Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The Good Things.

The Bottom Feeder • 2 HN points • 30 Aug 23
🎭️ Culture Gaming Review Entertainment Technology Video Games
  1. Video game criticism is rushed, but thoughtful analysis takes time to assess what works and what doesn't.
  2. Zelda games are unique in their niche popularity, combining puzzle elements with combat, and creating an open-ended exploration experience.
  3. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom introduces fascinating game design elements like weapon durability and a physics engine that enhances gameplay.

Seriously shady stuff

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 0 implied HN points • 01 Sep 15
🕹 Technology Startups Video Games Tech Updates Internet culture
  1. Silicon Valley may be in a bubble, with highly valued startups and underlying human drama to ponder
  2. Jason Scott is singlehandedly preserving thousands of computer manuals, but his plans for them remain mysterious
  3. A subgenre of video games mocking Millennials by exploring modern love and sex exists, representing a form of condescension