Maps: Salvation or Sin?

With a Terrible Fate

Maps are profoundly practical. They help players find orientation in extensive game worlds, indicate points of interaction, and track progress. Yet by the same token, they complicate a player's relationship to the world of a game's fiction. This week, we discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of those complications.

Later: Stefan kicks off his Yakuza: Like a Dragon diary; we discuss the order in which we unlock the final trophies of a game; and Dan recaps his visit to last week's Classic Game Fest in Austin.

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• Main Story
  • 00:05:53 Maps: Salvation or Sin?
    • Related listening and reading:
      • "Why 'Immersion' is a Dirty Word in Gaming Discourse" (Dan Hughes & Aaron Suduiko)
      • "The Aesthetics of User Interfaces" (Aaron Suduiko)
      • "Beacon Received: The Satisfaction of Discovery in the Metroid Series" (Laila Carter)
• Side Quests
  • 00:44:10 Yakuza: Like a Dragon Diary
  • 00:48:25 The Art of Unlocking Platinum Trophies
    • "The Language of Trophies in Final Fantasy VII Remake" (Aaron Suduiko)
  • 00:59:37 Classic Game Fest Austin
    • Ukiyo-e Heroes

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