Michael will be joining Ricky Haggett as he asks game designers questions. Going by the name Smestorp, Michael developed well known title Vertex Dispenser, and more recently Glitch Tank. Next to Eliss, it’s one of the best things I’ve played on an iPad: Local multiplayer, a distinct sense of having some control whilst lacking much more, and a high probability of things going mental. It’s like Robo Rally, but more accessible and compulsive. I was sold on it the instant I had about a dozen tanks on screen, my opponent just one, and I still lost: Because the more you have, the harder it can be to keep track of what’s about to happen.

Pen and paper prototyping is a highly relevant skill to videogame design, practised by companies such as Denki. Rather than getting caught up in hardware or artwork, simple physical prototypes allow you to really focus on the rules of the system. Who better to talk to about it than a veteran RPG, board and card game designer? James Wallis is best known for the storytelling card-game Once Upon a Time, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. He’s worked with Sony, Hasbro, Channel 4, the BBC, Sky and Games Workshop, and used to lecture in game design at the University of Westminster.