reinebold.com

I'm the one who doesn't roll Katamaris

My name is Jay Reinebold and I think games should be fun.

This blog is going to focus on game development, specifically independent game development.  I’m going to write about what’s going on in the world of games from the perspective of a player but also as a developer.  My posts will track the development of my games and I will offer advice to other developers out there who might be going through the same kind of problems.  I will be touching on both the theory of game design and the technical side of game programming.

Currently I have completed and posted several games on this site:

The Tavern:  a game (built as a Java applet) where you sell beer to angry dwarves.

Adrift:  a game where you control the wind to guide a wayward sailboat.

Mr. Frog vs. OSIRIS, LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD:  a multiplayer game that pits a small frog against an all-powerful deity.

I enjoy programming mainly in C++ and Python.  I am learning Objective-C and C# and plan on using them to build games soon.

So you can get an idea of my tastes, my favorite games are Team Fortress 2, Knytt, Landstalker, Shining Force, Asheron’s Call, and Castle Crashers.  You can usually find me online on Steam, TIGSource, or Penny Arcade.

In addition to game development, I enjoy creative writing, mostly in the humor and fantasy genres.  My favorite books are A Confederacy of Dunces, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Phantom Tollbooth, and The Once and Future King.  As I get stories/novels published, I’ll be sure and talk about them here.

I’m also interested in the idea that games can help solve the education problem.  Games facilitate interactive learning and have the potential to revolutionize how we teach.  As for my own education, I attended Georgia Tech for my undergraduate degree and am attending the University of Southern California for my Master’s in Computer Science.