Feature: 'One Button Games'

Long-time game designer Berbank Green discusses game design mechanics when 'one button is the limitation on interaction' in this latest in-depth feature story, using Flash-based interactive examples to flesh out some surprisingly extendable, innovative gameplay ideas using limited controls. The introduction to the piece explains: "This article is an exploration of interaction. It is likely to appeal most to designers with a particular interest in the low-level mechanics of basic actions. It does not intend to set out facts and figures, rather its intent is to pose questions, provide suggestions, and present possibilities. The focus is on the abstract, where exploitation of interaction is not considered or considered only in moderation where necessary. A glossary is included in the appendix. In this article, one button is the limitation on interaction. Using this limitation, the reader can then draw their own conclusions about how these ideas may be exploited on multi-button interaction systems." You can now read the full Gamasutra feature on the subject (no registration required, please feel free to link to the article from external websites).