As someone who honestly doesn’t have a lot of interest in video games in general, and next to no experience playing video games, this has been quite a challenge for me.
Also, I think game design is a very personal thing for me because it can be a beautiful way to express oneself when other methods fail–as we learned from the Beginner’s Guide. I like that CODA seems to be using game design as a way to process feelings about life. I decided to make a game about the first thing that came to my mind and that was my first day of school worries and one for me is how I’m going to get people to call me by my pronouns. I think it has taken me so long to do the DevLog, at least in part, because I don’t want to discuss this concern of mine because I know some people don’t care and that is really hurtful. My hope was to simulate what it is like for me when introductions on the first day of class don’t include asking what everyone’s pronouns are, and I feel it was pretty successful. IDK. I liked how when Mike played the game and read the first message out loud he backed the player out of the room and fell into the abyss below. I felt that was successful because of the message it conveyed: on some level I feel like I’m falling into an abyss when I realize that I have to stand up for myself or else get ignored.