Super Mario Bros. 3

You Say Jump, I Say How High? Operationalising the Game Feel of Jumping

This paper investigates the mechanics of jumping in 2D platformers, arguing that "game feel" can be measured and modeled empirically rather than described through designer intuition or player self-report.

From Euclidean Space to Albertian Gaze: Traditions of Visual Representation in Games Beyond the Surface

This paper argues that the visual analysis of video games has been dominated by perspective, the mathematical "simulation of the gaze" descended from Alberti, and that this emphasis obscures the wider repertoire of representational traditions games actually draw on.

Schematically Disruptive Game Design

Peter Howell's DiGRA 2011 paper introduces "Schematically Disruptive Game Design," a framework for games that intentionally defy players' learned gameplay expectations instead of conforming to them.

• Howell's DiGRA 2011 paper proposes 'Schematically Disruptive Game Design,' a framework for games that deliberately defy players' learned gameplay expectations rather than conforming to them.
• The central open question is whether deliberately disorienting designs can remain commercially viable and engaging, positioned against industry trends toward hand-holding and accessibility, with Prince of Persia's guidance systems cited as criticized design.
• The paper argues schematically disruptive design should sustain constant cognitive effort rather than aim for pure flow, while warning that disruption must be carefully calibrated since players abandon games that become either frustrating or boring.