Ashen Stars Chat: Genre Emulation

Special guests Keith Carberry of Run Button and Friends at the Table and Phil Kollar of Polygon join us to discuss a somewhat reversed method of design, genre emulation. Genres, created as an ends to categorize media, can also be a powerful tool to give your game the feel it needs; the key lies in breaking your favorite genre down into the criteria that define it, then analyzing just what it is about those individual criteria you like so much. We present our favorite examples and test the theory out on two game sure to be the next big thing: Where's Waldo & Kevin RPG and Noir Swimmingly. This episode expands upon topics first discussed in our episodes on Designing from Influences, Show Wrestling & Mechanics, and Feats 101. We also discussed Law's Out (with which we put together a harrowing tale) and Monsterhearts (with which we surely will soon). Six Feats Under Presents: Ashen Stars GUMSHOE System