Notes on Jonathan Blow's Reddit Ask Me Anything
by MrPhil
blog
Jonathan Blow did an Ask Me Anything on Reddit Friday: I am Jonathan Blow, game development person; ask me stuff.
I was specifically interesting in advice type tidbits, here are my notes.
Who Is Jonathan Blow? Game designer and programmer for the games Braidand The Witness; Partner in angle investor Indie Fund; And creator of programming JAI.
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Blow) [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Blow) [Homepage](http://number-none.com/blow/) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCuoqzrsHlwv1YyPKLuMDUQ)
What advise do you have for aspiring game designers?
- #1 advice for the creative process, do "***Deep Work"*** as explained in this lecture: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0m0jIzJfiQ&index=3&list=PL_c7zXuU-zzfg3nxNmQp8IYpR_TO0UNj3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0m0jIzJfiQ&index=3&list=PL_c7zXuU-zzfg3nxNmQp8IYpR_TO0UNj3)
- Ideas aren't worth much, it is execution that matter.
- Learn to program, because then you can create your vision. (see above)
- Take on ambitious projects
- Design is an interactive process, try stuff, keep what works, throw out what doesn't.
- **"*In fiction writing, there is this concept that you want every sentence to do more than one thing: you want to describe the setting and set the mood and introduce the character. You want to say what happened and show how a character feels about it and foreshadow a later consequence.*"**
- Video's that go in depth about the puzzle creation process (some is universal to game design):
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGSeLSmOALU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGSeLSmOALU)
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul_ZfzfHRek](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul_ZfzfHRek)
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LDJt9zS8ko](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LDJt9zS8ko)
- Do not listen to the Internet: ***"The internet is an extremely distorted lens. It is basically useless for understanding how your game is really reaching people."***
- How did you keep at it for so long without giving up? ***"There are low points, as with anything, but you just know what what you are working on is good, and you keep going. 7 years is not that long. If you watch a movie like [Jiro Dreams of Sushi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-aGPniFvS0) you'll see someone who is very serious and for whom 7 years is no big deal."***
- How much time do you put into the craft of making games? ***"Most of them."***
What games to you recommend?
- Up coming games Jon is looking forward to:
- STEPHEN'S SAUSAGE ROLL: [http://www.stephenssausageroll.com/](http://www.stephenssausageroll.com/)
- Miegakure: [http://miegakure.com/](http://miegakure.com/)
- Ernesto: [http://ernesto-rpg.tumblr.com/](http://ernesto-rpg.tumblr.com/)
- Favorite hidden gems of under-appreciated games:
- Heroes of Sokoban:
- [http://www.puzzlescript.net/play.html?p=6860122](http://www.puzzlescript.net/play.html?p=6860122)
- [http://www.puzzlescript.net/play.html?p=6910207](http://www.puzzlescript.net/play.html?p=6910207)
- [http://www.puzzlescript.net/play.html?p=7072276](http://www.puzzlescript.net/play.html?p=7072276)
- Starseed Pilgrim [http://www.starseedpilgrim.com/](http://www.starseedpilgrim.com/)
- Snakebird [http://store.steampowered.com/app/357300/](http://store.steampowered.com/app/357300/)
- TIS-100 [http://www.zachtronics.com/tis-100/](http://www.zachtronics.com/tis-100/)
- The Gostak [http://iplayif.com/?story=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ifarchive.org%2Fif-archive%2Fgames%2Fzcode%2Fgostak.z5](http://iplayif.com/?story=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ifarchive.org%2Fif-archive%2Fgames%2Fzcode%2Fgostak.z5)
- Aunt Flora's Mansion [http://auntiepixelante.com/mansion/](http://auntiepixelante.com/mansion/)
- Corrypt [http://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/12/corrypt.html](http://mightyvision.blogspot.com/2012/12/corrypt.html)
- Game Title [http://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/2258](http://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/2258)
- Game Title: Lost Levels [https://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/2268](https://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/2268)
- Promesst [http://silverspaceship.com/promesst/](http://silverspaceship.com/promesst/)
- Promesst 2 [http://silverspaceship.com/promesst2/](http://silverspaceship.com/promesst2/)