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@coriander tbh if i released a game i spend years on and saw a bunch of criticism saying only surface-level things about it i would be frustrated even if people generally loved it
@aescling I mean, I think it's one thing to say "Yeah it's disappointing people didn't seem to pick up on the metaphors I was trying to construct with this narrative" and it's another thing to say "This 10/10 review made me depressed," y'know?
@aescling @coriander honestly if your goal is to communicate messages to people you should pick a different medium than participatory performance art
i’m not saying games can’t contain messages, or that it’s bad to think about the messages in games
but if you don’t want people throwing the whole narrative in the rubbish bin for their any% speedrun, or if it hurts your feelings when players routinely play the game the “wrong way” because they really like the animation for this one mechanic and hate all the others, or (importantly) if it bothers you when people play your game without really thinking on the bus ride to work or school instead of in devoted hourslong sessions dedicated entirely to understanding your vision as an artist, maybe you’re in the wrong business
@coriander (i've never played braid)