Most devs are familiar with the experience of being entranced by a game; that feeling of total focus where the whole world melts away.

At GDC 2017, indie game designer Robin Arnott (SoundSelf) dug into the value of these trance states, and offered fellow devs insight into how to induce such experiences by studying the many causes and types of trance.

He went on to explore how trance states brought on by games can deepen a player's relationship with themselves and with others, encouraging fellow game makers to look outside of the industry (specifically, at practices of mindfulness and meditation) for inspiration.

It was a fascinating one-of-a-kind talk, one that's well worth watching right now for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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