Jordan Magnuson

Awesome, yes, it woud be fun to catch up! I think last time we chatted was at a Cambridge game jam in... maybe 2010? Haha.

21.11.2025 09:42 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Game design is simple, actually So, let’s just walk through the whole thing, end to end. Here’s a twelve-step program for understanding game design. One: Fun There are a lot of things people call “fun.” But most of them are not useful for getting better at making games, which is usually why people read articles like this. The fun of a bit of confetti exploding in front of you, and the fun of excruciating pain and risk to life and limb as you free climb a cliff are just not usefully paired together.

Game design is simple, actually. Except when it isn't. Here are the 12 things you need to know.

03.11.2025 19:00 — 👍 371    🔁 100    💬 3    📌 19

Friendly Reminder: If you're planning to apply to the Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant, you have until 23:59 PST TODAY to get your application in ⏰‼️

grants.draknek.org

28.09.2025 08:00 — 👍 18    🔁 9    💬 0    📌 0

Straw Dogs is a thoughtful and thought-provoking microgame poem.

Check out this one and all the showcase games at gamepoems.org/showcase

27.09.2025 07:56 — 👍 3    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

Subscribe to Game Poems Magazine Game Poems is an online literary magazine dedicated to exploring the artistic and poetic potential of short-form videogames. Click to read Game Poems Magazine, a Substack publication with hundreds of ...

Spend some time browsing through the games this weekend. Many take less than 5 minutes to play through.

Meanwhile, issue #1 of Game Poems Magazine will be coming out later this fall. Add your email at gamepoems.substack.com/subscribe to be notified.

26.09.2025 15:52 — 👍 4    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

This is an open community event designed to highlight and celebrate the amazing breadth of work submitted to the first issue of Game Poems magazine. Includes many outstanding games that simply didn't fit into the first issue due to tight curatorial constraints--not for lack of artistic merrit.

26.09.2025 15:52 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Submissions to Game Poems Community Showcase #1

Are you a fan of expressive short-form videogames? Check out the first Game Poems Community Showcase at gamepoems.org/showcase

Please play, share, and leave comments!

26.09.2025 15:52 — 👍 9    🔁 5    💬 1    📌 2

In case you're near Winchester on October 5!

19.09.2025 12:51 — 👍 2    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

Oh no! What were the main issue(s)?

19.09.2025 12:50 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Game Poems Magazine Game Poems is an online literary magazine dedicated to exploring the artistic and poetic potential of short-form videogames. The videogame poem is a concept that challenges traditional boundaries betw...

This looks awesome! Tag me when you release it! (Or send it to the next issue of Game Poems magazine! gamepoems.org )

22.06.2025 12:38 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Pantaloon; a home for misfits

Hark, some news 📢

Pantaloon is broadening its mission of platforming bold & bizarre games by moving into the world of original publishing, as we seek to become a home for misfits.

Gonna thread some COOL BITS & PIECES

Shares hugely appreciated 🙏

#indiedev | #indiegames | #gamedev

06.03.2025 16:21 — 👍 36    🔁 13    💬 1    📌 2

The Downcrawl rulebook and Downcrawl Deck, with cover art showing weird wanderers overlooking a stalactite city suspended over lava.

The Downcrawl Deck cards, which have color-coded combinatorial prompts making it easy to generate two-part table results.

A page spread from the Downcrawl rulebook, showing the start of the chapter on Journeys.

After a long journey (appropriate), 🚨 Downcrawl 2E #TTRPG & the Downcrawl Decks are now live for sale in print & digital!! 🚨

* Build a weird, wondrous underworld, alone or together
* Journey System for dangerous travels
* Optional rules for solo or GM-less play

www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/5...

02.04.2025 16:45 — 👍 23    🔁 10    💬 2    📌 0

On point. I mean kart. Who really needs a dryer anyway? Nintendo should go in with Samsung to offer washer/karting bundles instead.

02.04.2025 20:08 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Thanks for the encouraging comment, Jonah! Always wonderful to hear stories like that!

26.03.2025 14:02 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Game Poems Magazine Game Poems is an online literary magazine dedicated to exploring the artistic and poetic potential of short-form videogames. The videogame poem is a concept that challenges traditional boundaries betw...

Do you make weird, artsy, short-form videogames? Or know someone who does? Check out this new zine project I've been working on (intended to kind of bridge poetry/academia/art world/indie games) - and consider submitting a game for the first issue! www.gamepoems.org

25.03.2025 15:24 — 👍 121    🔁 56    💬 3    📌 0