[B]People often ask about how to get into game design, and the short answer, if you ask just about anyone, is 'Make a game.'[/B] But for many people, that's easier said than done. Where do you start? You could do worse than checking out [URL=http://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/1113]Glorious Trainwrecks'[/URL] Knytting Circles.

Kind of an offshoot of GT's [URL=http://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/44]Klik of the Month Klub[/URL], the Knytting Circle is a game jam where people congregate on IRC for laughs and camaraderie and making games. The mission: you have two hours to build your own Knytt story (or as much of one as you care to).

For the uninitiated, [URL=http://nifflas.ni2.se/?page=Knytt+Stories]Knytt Stories[/URL] are the progeny of Swedish game programmer [URL=http://nifflas.ni2.se/]Nicklas Nygren[/URL], aka 'Nifflas.' The 'stories' are a series of very short 2D platformers starring a character called [URL=http://nifflas.ni2.se/?page=Knytt]Knytt[/URL] ("the creature" in Swedish), who is inspired by a famous Swedish children's book. Knytt was abducted by an alien who promptly crashed onto a nearby planet, and now Knytt must find his way home. That's the sum total of the mythology, but it's a surprisingly fertile one. The simplicity of the games gives them their curious and cute charm, as they're built from simple pixel art, basic interactions and striking ambient music. As Nifflas himself describes them: "Each level is its own little adventure...they're about exploration, atmosphere and infinite cuteness." The simplicity of Knytt stories also makes them an easy target for making your own game, especially since Nifflas makes the [URL=http://nifflas.ni2.se/?page=Knytt+Stories]Knytt "story editor"[/URL] available for free and encourages people to create their own entries.

[URL=http://www.gameculture.com/2010/03/29/glorious-trainwrecks-hosts-first-quotknytting-circlequot]read more[/URL]

[url=http://www.gameculture.com/2010/03/29/glorious-trainwrecks-hosts-first-quotknytting-circlequot]More...[/url]