The Art of Minigame Design: Lessons from Vinny Roca's Slot Waste

Roca begins each minigame design with a clear intention. He explains, "I had key objects that I knew I wanted to be involved. Things that would create would push the meaning of the work further, like certain object comparisons." This approach ensures that even the most minor interaction contributes to the artistic vision.

One of Roca's key strategies is grounding his minigames in familiar physical concepts. He states, "In each of the minigames, there's a physical relationship between things that's, uh, often times intelligible outside of the game world." 

By simulating recognizable interactions, Roca creates an immediate connection with players, even those unfamiliar with traditional video games.

Roca emphasizes the importance of building trust with the player, especially in an art context. He structures his minigames to start simply, gradually introducing complexity. "I tried to do the first minigame of Slot Waste is where it was just pushing, but it was a little bit too much," Roca explains. He decided to shorten the initial sequence so players can jump right in and go deeper later in the sequences.

Perhaps the most crucial lesson from Roca's process is the value of playtesting. He stresses, "There's definitely this aspect, if you're going to make games, and especially if you're going to make them in an art context, is building this kind of playtest intuition."

Roca shares an example from "Slot Waste" where players consistently misinterpreted a mechanic: "Originally it was this crossbow that you would turn and then you would pin the wings with this crossbow." Roca found that people kept trying to shoot at the bird directly, as the object seemed to indicate that was what they were to do. He changed the device to make it clearer that you should pin the bird instead.

While playtesting is vital, Roca also advocates preserving moments of ambiguity or difficulty when they serve the artistic purpose. He notes, "In art games, you can [increase difficulty] at key moments, but often after you've established some level of trust with the player."

The condensed nature of minigames offers unique advantages. Roca uses this format to create stark contrasts between different interactions. He explains, "I was thinking about that minigame's relationship to the first minigame, where you have this gesture of play where you're moving this joystick back and forth, catching things. It's very playful, but then that same gesture quickly becomes laborious. It becomes just about grinding and doing the same thing repeatedly."

Vinny Roca's approach to minigame design in Slot Waste offers valuable insights for artists exploring game-based media. He says, "It's always about taking real physical things and slowly changing how they relate to each other. It's like kind of my working idea about like, what, like, what is the core of a game?"

By focusing on clear concepts, familiar physics, progressive complexity, and thoughtful playtesting, creators can craft compelling interactive experiences that engage players while conveying deeper artistic messages. Whether you're a seasoned game developer or an artist taking your first steps into interactivity, the lessons from Roca's work can help guide your creative journey in the expanding world of game-based arts.