Releasing 2019's "Baba is You" after more than a decade of making puzzle games was a milestone for this week's guest, but it was also just the beginning of his design journey. Arvi "Hempuli" Teikari talks to your nice hosts about the balance between giving players freedom and constraining their expression, the pacing and sequencing of individual puzzles, what happens when a "cool" design annoys players, and more.
Arvi's cats make a spirited apperance in the back half of the episode. Here they are basking in the Finnish sun.
Puzzle Systems
You nice hosts previously discussed what happens to players who become developers in: