Category: Updates

Taking a Break For Ludem Dare

Hey, sorry for the late notify, but I’m taking a break this week for a semiannual game jam. I do still make games ;P. Maybe I’ll post about it here at a later date. I just didn’t have the time this weekend, which is a shame because I really wanted to talk about another of my favorite games of all time, which just got a remake announced recently. So look forward to that, before the end of October. Thank you all readers and perusers for your patience, and I appreciate each and every one of you.

Site Update and Going Forward

Hello! It’s been nearly a year now since I started Parry Everything and I’ve had such a blast putting down my thoughts on paper about game design and all its many many intricacies.

I didn’t really expect this blog to gain much traction either, so I’ve been blown away by people being actually interested in what I have to say, so thank you to each of you who reads my posts and articles!

I initially created this blog just to get my thoughts on game design out there, after a particularly inspiring time at the digital Game Developers’ Conference in 2021. With GDC 2022 now come and gone, and my life getting busier than ever, I’ve decided to move from a weekly format to posting monthly articles, plus leaving myself free to post some more informal stuff between articles if something catches my interest.

My intention is that this schedule will help me produce more finely polished and substantive pieces. Don’t worry, I’ve got something very exciting (and Kingdom Hearts combat design related! :>) planned for April. I hope you’ll find it as fascinating as I do. Ah, and I’ve also finally added a search bar for ease of navigation. I’ve produced a ton of writing on game design in the past year and I’m really proud of it, so check it out if you’ve got the time.

Happy Thanksgiving, and Thanks!

Heya, I’m taking off this week for American Thanksgiving. It’s been quite rewarding writing this blog the last few months. This was initially just a personal project to get my thoughts and musings on game design in writing, something to regularly flex that muscle.

For all those who’ve visited you have my heartfelt and sincere thanks! If any of you’ve gotten anything out of my writings all the better. I hope to keep doing this for a quite a while, at least. If you’re seeing loved ones, I hope you have a nice and relaxing time. Have a good one and stay safe out there.

Game Design, Combat, and Parrying Everything

Hi there, I’m Ian J Travis and I’ve decided to start a game design blog, with a particular focus on combat design. Since I was child games have always been my medium of choice for art, entertainment, and exploring my personal self-expression. All of my favorite stories and music comes from video games, but what makes this medium special to me is that ludic aspect, the gameplay itself. Good game design can tell story and make a kind of music all on its own. When game design really sings, the play itself becomes the experience – it works in harmony with all the other art and technology that goes into videos games as the linchpin, to create a cohesive experience.

The goal of this site is to put my own ideas about game design and combat design out into the blogosphere, and maybe grow as a designer along the way. I want to make systems of interaction that are so instantly inviting that the players who engage with them want to get absolute best out of the experience. I’ll be looking at games I’ve played to try and discover what they do right, what they do wrong, and how it all fits into a greater game design context. I’ll be breaking down individual player actions, entire boss fights, and broader concepts – the works. I’ve wanted to formally put down my thoughts on game design like this for a long time. I hope you have some fun reading and learning with me.