PlayKigai
International, Indie, Game Dev.
Cognitive Maps in Game Design
Cognitive Maps in Game Design Understanding Spaces and Navigation Levels, maps, and open worlds. How do humans make sense of these spaces? How can designers create environments that are both navigable and memorable? This article summarizes Nicolas Oueijan’s excellent GDC talk, “Stop Getting Lost: Make Cognitive Maps, Not Levels.” Cognitive Maps A cognitive map is a mental representation of a space, reconstructed from perceptions, which may not align perfectly with reality. The map is not the...
Japanese vs. Western Game Design: Insights and Philosophy
Welcome to 2025! From DiG’s desk—and garden, since I often write these walking outside. 2024 was a year of growth and momentum, laying the foundation for what’s ahead. We built strong teams and fast-tracked our shift to true indie development. Now, as we dive into 2025, the excitement is undeniable. We want to ship three tiny games in 2025—a challenge, but one we’re ready to tackle. I’ve never heard of anyone doing what we are. I’ll take that as a greenlight! This newsletter drops on January...
Building the Machine
PK people from the early days, before we went public, might see this piece and remember reading it back in April 2024. But not you. You might be a dev on our indie projects, and this is new, shiny!It'll all make sense. Read on if you're interested in game design and psychology. Yes, we've officially kicked off indie! 3 tiny projects for 2025. Excited to share more about each one and their interplay. Let us cook. Building the Machine You've heard AC and I talk about "building the machine" a...
International, Indie, Game Dev.