This week Jon and Dirk are joined by Derek Yu, designer of Spelunky. He shares his design approach, the importance of challenge and permadeath. Derek also describes what it’s like to be a designer/artist hybrid, as opposed to the designer/programmers that this show has tended to focus on more in the past. He also touches on his unique development cycle where he oscillates between PC freeware and professional, for-purchase titles.
There are a few small spoilers, so beware, should you have any interest in exploring the game’s nuances for yourself!
Although I haven’t talked much about it here, I haven’t been shy about my love for Spelunky on the podcast. In fact, one of my next articles will be dedicated to the game, which is a very interesting example because it tends to break many of the “rules” I’ve outlined here on my site.
– Jon
Jon Shafer on Design 