Chris Avellone: Why “Selfish” Players Make Better Games
▼ Summary
– Chris Avellone believes a key to his success is designing games that center the player’s experience, making it all about them.
– He learned this principle early, noting that serving the player’s “essential egotism” is a fundamental law of game design.
– Avellone’s foundational creative experience came from playing Dungeons & Dragons as a child, which shaped his imagination.
– He initially preferred being a player but became the game master because no one else in his friend group wanted the role.
– Over time, he discovered he greatly enjoyed collaboratively crafting an interactive story with the players.
Chris Avellone believes the secret to great game design lies in a simple, often misunderstood principle: players are inherently selfish. The legendary designer behind titles like Planescape: Torment and Fallout 2 argues that the most successful games are those that craft an experience entirely centered on the person holding the controller. This focus on player-centric storytelling isn’t just a modern trend; it’s a foundational lesson Avellone learned decades ago, not from computers, but from the classic world of tabletop roleplaying.
Avellone’s journey began with Dungeons & Dragons at age nine. That early exposure was a creative revelation. He describes it as “make believe with rules,” a framework that imposed challenges on the imagination where success wasn’t guaranteed, making the experience more engaging. Interestingly, he notes he wasn’t focused on overhauling the game’s systems. Instead, he used them as a solid foundation upon which to build compelling content and narratives. This approach would later become a hallmark of his digital work.
Initially, Avellone had no ambition to be the one running the game. He preferred the role of a participant, enjoying the story from within. However, when it became clear that none of his friends wanted to take on the considerable workload of being the Game Master, he reluctantly stepped up. This unexpected shift proved to be a pivotal moment. Over time, he discovered a deep passion for collaboratively shaping an interactive story with his players, a skill that directly translated to his future career in video game development. The core takeaway from those tabletop sessions was the importance of making the player’s choices and character the absolute focal point of the adventure.
(Source: Ars Technica)