Who Disturbs My Slumber?

Howdy, gang! It's been a long time, but I do believe it's time to shake this dusty old blog out of dormancy and start posting some thoughts here again.

I still can't promise that I'll be adhering to any kind of strict update schedule, sorry to say. I'm like a bird that just refuses to be caged, y'know? But with any luck the entries should start appearing a bit more frequently. If nothing else, future intervals ought to be shorter than the two and a half year drought that preceded this post.

As for what I've been up to in the interim since we last spoke, here is a quick list of highlights:

• I moved into a new role as a Game Designer at Tag Games (still based in Dundee, Scotland)
• I made a couple of web games: one inspired by the mechanics of haiku, and another based on the theme of "minimalism" for Ludum Dare 26
• I contributed a full chapter about ethical choice systems in games as part of the collection Designing Games for Ethics: Models, Techniques, and Frameworks
• I released a few commercial games, including a social theme park sim and a couple of hotel management titles for iOS and Android
• I wrote an article for Gamasutra about game development sabotage
• I served as a judge (and will also be acting as a team mentor this year) for Dare to be Digital
• I also judged the entries from the Dundee site of the most recent Global Game Jam
• I supplied a modicum of initial guidance for the newly formed IGDA Scotland chapter, though the real prep work was done by others - most notably the indefatigable Hazel McKendrick
• I had a great time speaking to an enthusiastic group of students at Northmuir Primary School about making games, discussing skills that can lead to a future career in game development
• I wrote the longest piece of fiction I've ever produced, which I hope to start posting on this site in serialized format beginning in the near future
• I recently took part in a "hack weekend" sponsored by the Scottish NHS as part of Project Ginsberg, an initiative to create games and apps with the goal of helping people cope with common mental health problems

The NHS hack was my first ever experience as an actual game jam participant (this was prior to doing Ludum Dare), as opposed to just being the jerk who comes in at the end to pass judgment on everyone else while they're too tired to fight back. I had a lot of fun, and worked on a couple of prototypes along with Steve McIntyre and my usual partner in crime, Erin Michno. We will hopefully be continuing to refine these "mental health game" projects in some capacity, so I'll be sure to keep you informed of any new developments.

Whew! I think you're all caught up now. More substantive posts will be arriving imminently, so stay tuned.