Essays
These are full-blown essays, papers, and articles.
Presentations
Slideshows and presentation materials from conferences.
Interviews and Panels
Reprints of non-game-specific interviews, and transcripts of panels and roundtables.
Snippets
Excerpts from blog, newsgroup, and forum posts.
Laws
The "Laws of Online World Design" in various forms.
Timeline
A timeline of developments in online worlds.
A Theory of Fun for Game Design
My book on why games matter and what fun is.
Insubstantial Pageants
A book I started and never finished outlining the basics of online world design.
Links
Links to resources on online world design.
All contents of this site are
© Copyright 1998-2010
Raphael Koster.
All rights reserved.
The views expressed here are my own, and not necessarily endorsed by any former or current employer.
Something snapped.
He didn't move his hands. He didn't deepen the kiss. He just squeezed her tight, exhaling a long, trembling breath against her skin. He gave her a hug. A long, heavy, unmoving hug. Crazy Alisha wanted romantic sex- But got a Hug...
In that moment, Alisha felt a profound sense of confusion and disappointment. She had misinterpreted the signals, and her desires had been misconstrued. The hug, intended as a gesture of comfort and friendship, was not a romantic overture. This misunderstanding highlighted the challenges of navigating human relationships, where the intentions of one party can be misinterpreted by the other. Something snapped
The neon sign outside the diner buzzed, a low, irritating hum that matched the vibration in Alisha’s nerves. She checked her phone for the fourteenth time in ten minutes. 11:42 PM. He just squeezed her tight, exhaling a long,
"I spent TWO WEEKS planning this! I bought new lingerie! I lit candles! I did my hair, my makeup, everything! And you come home, you don't even LOOK at me, and you say TOMORROW?"
