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MLV WritesMonica Valentinelli: Author, Game Designer and Consultant

Posts Tagged ‘game design’


Posted on August 2, 2010 - by Monica Valentinelli

Hack/Slash Card Game and my Role as a Developer


Hi everyone,
I am excited to announce that I am one of the developers of a card game based on the horror comic HACK/SLASH by Tim Seeley!
Produced by Eden Studios, the game was designed by Matt Papa and the development team includes M. Alexander Jurkat, James Lowder, who is also the current editor for the HACK/SLASH [...]

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Posted on March 14, 2010 - by Monica Valentinelli

Family Games 100: Essay List Announced


Hey folks, FAMILY GAMES: THE 100 BEST just left the printer and I’m pleased to share with you the full list of authors, games and essays. The game that I talked about was GLOOM, which is one of my favorite card games. How many of these games have you played or can recognize?
Foreword by Mike [...]

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Posted on September 11, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

How Genre Affects Game Design


Like pulp? How about horror? Superheroes? Awesome. I bet that many of you who are reading my blog have had great ideas for stories or games based on a popular genre. With fiction, you probably already write using techniques to affect the pacing, mood and feel of your story to induce that air of mystery [...]

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Posted on April 25, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

The Difference between Game Design and Writing Games is…


Okay, so now that we’ve spent a whole week talking about writing game-related fiction, I’d like to round out this week o’ gaming by talking about the fundamental differences between game design and writing games. This is an often hotly-contested topic in many gaming companies, but really comes down to a very, simply idea and [...]

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Posted on April 15, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

Here’s What I’m Writing and Working On, How About You?


There are some exciting things in the pipe for me; I can’t say anything about my day job, but I’d like to share with you some of the creative and non-creative projects I’m working on to enhance my knowledge and continue writing.

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Posted on February 27, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

Game Design for Girls: Scholarship and Day Camp


I belong to several writing and networking groups all around the web, and sometimes there are events posted that are just “that cool.” This summer event is so in touch and up-to-date with our current culture, it’s definitely worth checking out and is perfect for young women interested in this multi-million dollar industry.

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Posted on January 24, 2008 - by Monica Valentinelli

System vs. Setting in Game Design


One of the biggest arguments I’ve heard over the past, few years is, “Does system matter more than setting?”
The answer is, “Both do.”
Here’s why:
Game mechanics, for any platform (PC, video, tabletop or card game) handles the pacing of the game, attributing to its mood or what I call “game aura.” If you’re creating a [...]

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Posted on July 25, 2007 - by Monica Valentinelli

About Me: On Game Design


One of the ways that I’ve expanded my portfolio over the past couple years is to write games. I get quite a few questions regarding my game writing experiences, one of which is, “What does it mean when you say you write games?”
Writing games, whether you are writing video games or tabletop role-playing games, has [...]

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