wade@darktreemedia.com
Here you can find my archive of writings, as well as games I've either reviewed, broke down, or in some way analyzed.

Level Design: A Machine For Pigs March 14, 2014

A short review focusing on the level design of The Chinese Room's loose sequel to the original Amnesia game.

Tasty Game Design Document Jan 4, 2012

This is the game design document for Tasty: The Search for the Mending Blend that I wrote for our Skyscraper Games team.

Usability Report: Torchlight Apr 21, 2011

In April of 2011 before Torchlight 2 was announced at E3, I compiled a usibility report with a goal in mind to determine if the current level of tuning difficulty is inline with the broad casual target market.

Heuristic: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Apr 7, 2011

I performed 5 heuristic tests on:
  • user control and freedom
  • aesthetic and minimalist design
  • user match between system and the real world
  • flexibility and efficiency of use
  • consistency and standards.
I give recommendations if any are required as per each test result.

Why We Play Games Sep 22, 2010

A psychological breakdown and history of why we feel the need to play games and how they are in turn are healthy for us.