Susan Arendt said:
Limbo's Puzzle Creator Is Your Enemy
One of the nicest things you could to do Jeppe Carlsen, who helped design Limbo's puzzles, is tell him you want to slap him in the face.
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And, like
Portal, the game does this in a relatively short game experience that doesn't overstay its welcome.
Limbo is a masterclass in making something simple and engaging.
I might inquire about the claim that he had "no design experience." In this case, I'd wager they mean
videogame design experience. I'd love to know more about his experience with other types of games, and whether he has ever designed/adapted/tweaked tabletop, board games, or any other game format. I think we can sometimes underestimate the impact this type of experience can have on the "gaming mind."
And, in many cases, I think that's a good thing when it comes to finding fresh perspectives! If someone is too used to working exclusively with videogames, it's possible that they can become limited by the medium. They may start to think from a technical standpoint, and pre-reject ideas based on whether or not this-or-that technology is available (or worse, based on what sold/didn't sell previously).
I think we can forget sometimes that videogames
are games, akin to board games, card games, pen-and-paper RPGs, and freeze tag. Games have rules, goals, obstacles, an "interface" (even if that just means "a deck of cards" or "two legs"), but most importantly
players. The technical demands of videogame design can sometimes result in games that seem far too focused on the interface and the behind-the-scenes rules. In the end, that sometimes can be like thinking a card game can be improved by having a fancier design on the deck.
What I think of as "player metacognition" (the ability to think about how players think) is probably the most valuable skill a game designer in
any medium can have, and that can be built in any realm.
Limbo put it to very good use, and I'm glad to see them enjoying success and spotlight for it.
