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AI NPC chat is like VR: probably cool but certainly niche AI NPC chat is like VR: probably cool but certainly niche.

The “who hasn’t dreamt of having a real conversation with an NPC” discourse should remind us of the famed “who hasn’t dreamt of living inside their game” discussions we’ve had about VR in the 2010s. It’s a technologist's dream, but not something anyone will use.

Mar 25, 2024

1 Min Read

A complex array of red platforming segments is playing on a screen amongst some foliage. A bird sits on the screen

Creating a prequel story to a historical figure's works in The Forest Cathedral Creating a prequel story to a historical figure's works in The Forest Cathedral

Mar 25, 2024

1 Min Read

Speaker Glaire Anderson at the GDC podium

Assassin's Creed Mirage's consulting historian explains why authenticity is so crucial for games Assassin's Creed Mirage's consulting historian explains why authenticity is so crucial for games

byAlessandro Fillari

Mar 22, 2024

1 Min Read

Princess Peach in sword-fighting garb

6 iconic character design moments in the history of Princess Peach 6 iconic character design moments in the history of Princess Peach

Mar 22, 2024

1 Min Read

A talking flower from Super Mario Bros. Wonder

The talking flowers in Super Mario Bros. Wonder became Nintendo's very own Mr Motivator The talking flowers in Super Mario Bros. Wonder became Nintendo's very own Mr Motivator

Mar 22, 2024

1 Min Read

Several ingredients on a table while a pot boils

How Venba uses food to explore connections and disconnections with culture for immigrants How Venba uses food to explore connections and disconnections with culture for immigrants

Mar 22, 2024

1 Min Read

A pair of fingers and long arms stretch across the screen to tap a button. Different people stand at the end of a depiction of a heartbeat

Using medical stories and heart conditions to create musical challenges in Rhythm Doctor

Using medical stories and heart conditions to create musical challenges in Rhythm Doctor

A small creature stands near a glowing orb, a tentacled alien being reaching out from the wall to grasp at the orb

The challenges of laying worlds upon worlds in puzzle game COCOON

The challenges of laying worlds upon worlds in puzzle game COCOON

Baldur's Gate 3 team accepting the game of the year award at the Game Developers Choice Awards.

Last night's Game Developers Choice Awards showed a community burning to speak out

Last night's Game Developers Choice Awards showed a community burning with pain

byBryant Francis

Meat being run through a grinder pours onto a plate.

Tying music and food aesthetics together for an 'oddly satisfying' experience with Nour: Play With Your Food

Tying music and food aesthetics together for an 'oddly satisfying' experience with Nour: Play With Your Food

A young girl glides over the water using a small parachute made of leaves

How Tchia captures the feeling and myths of New Caledonia with its environment and play

How Tchia captures the feeling and myths of New Caledonia with its environment and play

Senior programming director Doug Sheehan at GDC podium

How Spider-Man 2's traversal physics sling a faster superhero fantasy

How Spider-Man 2's traversal physics sling a faster superhero fantasy

byAlessandro Fillari

Mario rides a wiggling inchworm pipe

How the Japanese idea of 'Mottainai' shaped Super Mario Bros. Wonder

How the Japanese idea of 'Mottainai' shaped Super Mario Bros. Wonder

A clutch of buildings on top of each other on an island

The complexities and delights of building up into the sky in Pile Up!

The complexities and delights of building up into the sky in Pile Up!

Characters from the family in Venba

Venba wins Grand Prize at the 2024 Independent Games Festival Awards

Venba wins Grand Prize at the 2024 Independent Games Festival Awards

byBeth Elderkin

Heroes stand victorious in Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 sweeps Game Developers Choice Awards 2024

Baldur's Gate 3 sweeps Game Developers Choice Awards 2024

the Unreal Engine and Unity logos

Why (and how) you should leave Unity and Unreal to make your own engine

Why (and how) you should leave Unity and Unreal to make your own engine

byMichael Higham

A green figure has its hand raised in front of an open door, as if welcoming people inside.

Xbox rolls out new framework to help devs design better for inclusivity

Xbox rolls out new framework to help devs design better for inclusivity

byBryant Francis

The key to future employment in games dev is diversifying your skill set

The key to future employment in games dev is diversifying your skill set

Developer and professor Christopher Totten at the GDC podium

Avoiding the 'compliment sandwich:' Techniques for mentoring others in the art of level design

Avoiding the 'compliment sandwich:' Techniques for mentoring others in the art of level design

90s pixel art creepy mansion of Alone in the Dark

Shining a flashlight on Alone in the Dark, on the eve of its reinvention

Shining a flashlight on Alone in the Dark, on the eve of its reinvention

A huge armor-clad skeleton clad from Baldur's Gate 3.

Building Baldur's Gate 3's memorable characters was all about forming trust in performance capture

Building Baldur's Gate 3's memorable characters was all about forming trust in performance capture

byAlessandro Fillari

A person walks across a narrow rope as a parade of machines walks by below

Hand crafting a dystopian world out of cardboard in Phonopolis

Hand crafting a dystopian world out of cardboard in Phonopolis

A jester and a person poorly dressed as a dragon are having a sword fight on a stage

Capturing the spontaneity and creativity of improvisational theater with Once Upon a Jester

Capturing the spontaneity and creativity of improvisational theater with Once Upon a Jester

A shootout in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Hidden choices, small ripples: How CDPR merged cinematics and interactivity in Cyberpunk 2077

Hidden choices, small ripples: How CDPR merged cinematics and interactivity in Cyberpunk 2077

NEO NPC character Bloom and their welcome message

How do Ubisoft's AI-driven NPCs handle dynamic player interactions?

How do Ubisoft's AI-driven NPCs handle dynamic player interactions?

byMichael Higham

A pair of young women look out over a sunswept valley

Weaving the vibrant fantasy world (and horrifying nighttime land) of Little Goody Two Shoes

Weaving the vibrant fantasy world (and horrifying nighttime land) of Little Goody Two Shoes

A terrifying creature descends in Saturnalia

The enduring horror of monster encounters in Saturnalia

The enduring horror of monster encounters in Saturnalia

Three topless male-presenting people stand together, hands on shoulders. Images of scissors surround them.

Exploring broken identities with a steamy post-pandemic vacation in Mediterranea Inferno

Exploring broken identities with a steamy post-pandemic vacation in Mediterranea Inferno

Several warriors getting ready to fight some skeletal enemies

How a theme of 'a road trip from hell' would shape Darkest Dungeon II

How a theme of 'a road trip from hell' would shape Darkest Dungeon II

Several symbols from a visual language and the word "Kevin"

Exploring human understanding through deciphering Kevin(1997-2077)'s invented language

Exploring human understanding through deciphering Kevin(1997-2077)'s invented language

A massive enemy starship covered in guns bears down on the player's small ship

How Cobalt Core makes movement as exciting as fighting in its roguelike deckbuilder combat

How Cobalt Core makes movement as exciting as fighting in its roguelike deckbuilder combat

Tchia screenshot featuring a beach sunset and a character climbing a tree

Road to the IGF 2024 with Joel Couture: Game Developer Podcast ep. 41

Road to the IGF 2024 with Joel Couture: Game Developer Podcast ep. 41

byDanielle Riendeau

The skeletal Cryptmaster looks at a wooden treasure chest. The word SNIFF is written above the chest

How dungeon crawler Cryptmaster responds to anything you type into its word-based systems

How dungeon crawler Cryptmaster responds to anything you type into its word-based systems

How to build a narrative in a PvP game: without a narrative designer on the team

How to build a narrative in a PvP game: without a narrative designer on the team

bySofya Solomonova

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