Game analysis from people "outside" the industry

I don't intend to be mean by excluding those I am going to mention from any particular community. Some of them have gone on to work on amazing games since I discovered them (shoutout to Mathewmatosis's Logic bombs). I also don't want to come across as implying that more typical game devs and journalists are necessarily biased by their professional environments. Everyone's voices matter a lot!

In the vein of "outsider artists", I believe there exists "outsider journalists". This is an overly complicated way to reccomend my favorite game reviewers, but hear me out.

There is a certain kind of youtuber I absolutely adore: video-essayists that make x-hour long breakdowns of niche topics (i.e. games) they love and care for. It is there where I often find the most beautiful insights about the medium and the impact some systems and mechanics can have.

One example is.....

Something I've come to appreciate is that instead of relying on terms like "game feel" or "core loops' and don't seek to be objective in their analysis, but are extremely good at relating different aspects of their personal lives to their experiences within games. Isn't that why we make art in the first place? To allow others to form those deep connections. AAAAA REDACCION EXTRAÑA

In conclusion, if you want to learn about game design on the internet then yeah, nothing could beat good ol' GDC talks or blogs of industry veterans like Derek Yu. But there is SO much more to learn from other sources. Hell, it is often said truthfully that the best way to grow as game designers is to learn lots of things outside of games.

In conclusion to the conclusion, take a good look outside.

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