Agenda

Wanderstop exists both within and without Cozy Game genre conventions. It contains beautiful landscapes, funny characters and an easy tea making simulation. It does not make the player feel productive or at ease. Lead designer Steve Margolin talks through the design process balancing narrative and mechanics and navigating the tension between expectation and reality. They share anecdotes from development and breakdown the many mechanics that make the player feel uncomfortable. Discomfort is an often maligned design goal, going against general best practice of "finding the fun." In this talk, Steve advocates for the value of discomfort and its place in the designer's toolkit.

Takeaway

Using lessons learned from the design process of Wanderstop, attendees will come away from this talk with a greater understanding of discomfort as a design goal, when and how to effectively use it and what benefits it can have on a project.

Intended Audience

Game designers of all disciplines and experience will benefit from this talk exploring a divisive gameplay goal. Additionally, anyone interested in learning how to navigate audience expectations and genre conventions will find insight. Playing Wanderstop is not required to benefit from the talk.