About Tim Hutchings:
Tim Hutchings is a unique voice in the world of game design, known for his innovative approach that blends his rich background in fine arts with interactive storytelling. Hutchings' journey from the world of high art to game design is marked by his acclaimed creation, 'Thousand Year Old Vampire,' a solo-RPG game that exemplifies his talent for crafting deeply emotional and immersive experiences. As a professor of game design, Hutchings imparts both practical and theoretical wisdom, guiding his students through the exploration of games in innovative and thought-provoking ways. It was a joy to have him on the show to discuss the art and philosophy of game design.
Ah-ha! Justin’s Takeaways
Explore Emotional Depth in Game Design. Game design has so much untapped emotional richness beyond what many realize. Tim uses his artistic background to infuse games with emotions like wistfulness, sadness, and anger. Finding ways to play with these nontraditional emotions in game design is a fascinating challenge that could push the craft forward.
Context Determines Artistic Expression. Tim left the art world behind because it always craved novelty and only built off the most sophisticated versions of what came before. This serves as a reminder that the context for your work is a choice, impacting what you can communicate.
Choose Your Audience Thoughtfully. In game design, there's often pressure to impress the expert game critic or Boardgamegeek enthusiast. But it's important to remember that games, like art, are for everyone. You have the freedom to choose your audience, whether it be families, farmers, or fortunetellers, and create games that resonate with and serve the people you care about.
There was a lot of great content in this episode regarding art, philosophy, and game design, and I would love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to start a discussion in the comments below!
Show Notes:
Art Background and Transition to Game Design (00:58:91):
"I've kind of realized, looking back, that there are relationships between art and the gestalt (the idea of getting something all at once) and taste-making."
Tim Hutchings discusses his journey from his time in art school and his exhibitions in New York City to his shift toward game design. This part of the conversation delves into how his background in fine arts and high art theory influenced his approach to game design. The discussion starts with Tim’s background and delves into taste-making—what it is and why it happens.
Games as Art (18:31.91):
“How can I, as an artist, make a world that crosses in a productive way.”
The conversation continues to explore how games function as unique communication channels, offering interactive and immersive experiences. This led to Hutchings' exploration of game mechanics and narratives that push beyond conventional boundaries, creating a unique blend of art and interactive storytelling. He discusses filling a space with a massive Warhammer-style wargaming table that filled two rooms in a museum.
Thousand-Year-Old Vampire (32:49.22):
“I was trying to make a two-person game. Where you're playing it alone, but the character you play has other ideas. The character you play doesn't want to do what you want to do, and that's a potent thing to do if you're alone.”
Thousand-Year-Old Vampire is a mechanically simple, solo roleplaying game that is beautifully designed. The game itself explores the futility of memory and is a masterclass in games designed to elicit particularly specific emotional experiences. In this segment, we delve into Tim's creative process for developing this unique game and explore the aspects of the human experience it encapsulates, along with his other game creations.
Impact of Teaching Game Design (49:25.76):
“When you teach something, you learn it.”
Here, Tim shares insights from his experience teaching game design, emphasizing how the act of teaching deepens one's own understanding of the subject. The discussion covers the vocabulary of game design and how teaching has influenced Hutchings’ approach to creating games. He discusses the challenges game design students face and delves into game theory. The segment also touches on the blending of various disciplines within games, reflecting Hutchings' diverse background.
Pitching Unique Game Ideas (58:26.22):
“The more you develop the game, the harder it is to adjust the play.”
This part of the conversation showcases Hutchings' creative process, where he pitches unique and unconventional game ideas. It highlights his willingness to explore and experiment with different game mechanics and themes, often challenging traditional notions of what games can be. The pitches give us a look into Tim’s unique approach to game design, blending elements of art, interaction, and storytelling in myriad ways.
Links:
Tim Hutching’s Games:
https://thousandyearoldvampire.com/
Tim Hutchings — Thousand-Year-Old Vampire, Blending Fine Arts with Game Design, Crafting Emotional RPG Experiences, and Teaching Design Through Philosophy (#56)