What Mad Men Can Teach Us About Game Design

00:00 Intro 02:37 Inside and environmental storytelling 04:18 Elden Ring and player autonomy 06:25 Outer Wilds and the joys of genuine discovery 08:03 Return to Obra Dinn and the true detective experience 09:03 Shenmue and the pursuit of realism at all costs 10:46 Final Thoughts The best games are the ones that trust the player. Modern game design often feels terrified of curiosity. Objective markers, yellow paint, puzzle hints, oppressive minimaps, constant narration... everything designed to keep players moving in the “right” direction. But some games take the opposite approach. They trust you to observe, experiment, get lost, and figure things out for yourself. This is a video about the quiet confidence of developers willing to let players think for themselves. https://buymeacoffee.com/adamsipione