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Discourse around game design critique has popped up again. As one of the very few folks working in this space, let me share some thoughts. A thread.
1/18
1/18
First, understand there’s a big difference between review and critique. Reviews are for consumers, critique is for creators. And, of course, for fans who take make-believe way too seriously. Fans like me. 2/18
I moved the Indie Game Reading Club to a blog a couple years ago but I’d been working for a decade. And I mean work: playing, reading, writing, arguing, developing a voice and a point of view. Experience matters in critique, less so in reviews. 3/18 http://indiegamereadingclub.com
When I moved to a Patreon-supported model ( http://patreon.com/igrc ) I did not expect enough support to make a difference. I’m on the cusp: $244/mo but I want to bring in more paid writers with their own perspectives. But more critique? That’s harder. 4/18
To do game critique well, I keep these things in mind:
5/18
5/18
I meet the game where it’s at. I don't boost games I 
and slag games I 
. That’s not critique, it's points-scoring. It's not useful to creators and it’s not interesting to serious fans. I read a game’s text generously with its intended experience and audience in mind. 6/18
and slag games I . That’s not critique, it's points-scoring. It's not useful to creators and it’s not interesting to serious fans. I read a game’s text generously with its intended experience and audience in mind. 6/18
I only critique from actual play experience. This is time and resource intensive. Not all players are well suited to helping explore and evaluate the experience! In fact most are not, and make their pleasure or displeasure the most important thing. I can’t blame them. 7/18
I am as honest as I can be about my play experience. Honesty does not mean cruelty, and it doesn’t mean fawning praise. Honesty requires introspection and knowledge of my own limitations and tastes. 8/18
I make no effort to be neutral, because neutrality is bullshit. Nobody’s neutral. Rather, I make my biases understood within my work. Hopefully. I don’t always succeed. 9/18
So who am I, anyway? Why does this fuckin’ guy get to say what’s good and bad? Well, that’s not what critique is. But more importantly? I’m nobody. No degree, no white papers, no badge from the Serious Gamers Authority. All I have is my work, which I hope speaks for itself. 10/18
Back to the review/critique divide. One problem I run into, more frequently now, is that creators need marketing outlets. So they send me half-finished games, typically as creators are ramping up their Kickstarter campaigns. 11/18
Creators hope I can suss out their game and talk about it a bit in time for the Kickstarter. But that’s not how critique works. As much as I want to lend everyone my audience, I literally cannot talk about a half-finished game in a GDoc. 12/18
I’m not naïve, though. I know critique serves a marketing purpose. But it has to serve that purpose in your game’s long tail. I review and critique complete games in their final form, because I feel the form is vital to the overall critique. 13/18
Not all games I look at get a critique. Sometimes they just get a review, which is something I’m experimenting with in a more structured way. Still don’t see doing previews, though: My name is attached to my work, and my work is all I’ve got. 14/18 https://www.indiegamereadingclub.com/indie-game-reading-club/mini-reviews-for-july-2020-shinobigami-hit-the-streets-after-the-war/
Another critique fact: Not all designers really want it. Sometimes they need moral support, and I’m happy to hand that out. It’s free, I love talking to designers, and I’m effusive in my support. But if you want to improve your craft, you need honest, considered critique. 15/18
To critique a game, I need to play it at least once and ideally more than that. That involves reading (which may be anywhere from an hour to many hours), running (2-4 hours, possibly many dozens), reviewing my notes, and the actual writing and editing process. 16/18
At a bare minimum, that’s 4 or so hours to critique a single title. That doesn’t take into account the 4 decades of experience backing me up.
As with every other skilled specialist, you’re not paying for my 4 hours, you’re paying for my 4 decades. 17/18
As with every other skilled specialist, you’re not paying for my 4 hours, you’re paying for my 4 decades. 17/18
Bottom line: You want to see more meaningful critique? Take it seriously and pay for it.
Consider supporting the Indie Game Reading Club ( http://patreon.com/igrc ). At $250/mo I start bringing in more writers, some of whom I can teach how to write useful critique. 18/18
Consider supporting the Indie Game Reading Club ( http://patreon.com/igrc ). At $250/mo I start bringing in more writers, some of whom I can teach how to write useful critique. 18/18
