Video games are input/output systems, but unlike other forms of software, video games aren’t coded for efficiency. Rather, they want players to interact in a variety of ways to create a variety of outputs to maintain a feedback loop that aims to entertain rather than aims to solve a single, rote need. So, inputs, both the physical mechanisms and the button actions, are an incredibly important aspect of video games. Join us as we spend some time discussing video game controls.

The games we mentioned are:

• Typing of the Dead
• Bucking Bruno
• Mario Teaches Typing
• Overcooked 2
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The game-making lessons we learned are:

• Button combos don’t have to be complicated if the designers leverage “domains of knowledge” (also mentioned: Caleb’s video, “Button Combinations Should Be Complicated! Why Aren't They? (Video Game Controls)”
• “input recycling”... “input pairing”...? Almost every virtual action in the game shares a physical input with another virtual action (Overcooked 2)
• Introducing more complex controls over time (Animal Crossing New Horizons)

The mentioners of the aforementioned mentionables are:

• Charlotte Trible (@ctrble)  - co-founder of Flyover Indies and game developer
• Gage Bradley (@DrumGadget_433) - member of Flyover Indies, musician, and game developer
• Caleb J Ross (@calebjross.com / https://calebjross.com) - member of Flyover Indies and game developer

If you have any comments to make on this or any Flyover Indies Podcast episode, feel free to Tweet us @Flyoverindies or email us at [email protected]. We might just read your tweets or emails in a future episode.

Play some of our games here: https://itch.io/games/tag-flyover-indies

Credits

Intro and outro music by Nash (https://www.nashhigh.com)

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