There are a few ways to learn about good game development. One is to frequently read up on game development articles and opinions. Another method involves just practicing and refining your work through, well, actual game development. Both of these concepts, however, are enhanced gloriously when married with the concept of simply playing other people's games. When you come across something that you love, taking the time to study it from a game development perspective can yield untold rewards and glory.

It's for this reason that I really, really like Crawl. Not only is it quite possibly my favourite Roguelike in existence, but it also includes an in-game "design philosophy" text outlining a few of the game's key development goals, offering justification for each. This is a staggeringly nice touch for people interested in development themselves, and makes it quite easy to appreciate the game on a deeper, more fancypants level.

No, not THOSE fancy pants

If you know about Crawl but haven't yet looked at its design philosophy, read on for a study of its goals and methods. For those who haven't yet played Crawl at all, do yourself a favour and download it now so that you can while away the rest of your existence within the confines of its fiendish and treacherous dungeon walls. Then come back here and figure out how the devs got you so hooked.