An independent publication examining AI-assisted games through hands-on play, human creative judgment, and thoughtful criticism.
I founded Intent & Play to explore where human vision meets AI-assisted game development, giving players a reasoned assessment of the work rather than a verdict based on its tools alone.
The publication brings together my background in games journalism and my interests in AI, narrative craft, and deliberate design. Its focus is the relationship between what creators intend, what they make, and what players actually experience.
Intent & Play is an editorial publication—not a game studio or a showcase for my own games.
Reviews examine narrative and writing, design and agency, direction and identity, and execution and access. Scores express a judgment of the experience—not a measurement of human authorship or an ethical certification.
Production claims are examined separately from the finished game. The methodology distinguishes observations made during play, developer-reported accounts, materials examined, and questions that remain unestablished.
AI assistance does not excuse weak writing or poor design. Using AI also does not, by itself, establish a lack of imagination or care. The work and the evidence come first.
Games may be discovered independently or submitted by creators and the community. Submissions do not guarantee coverage, and financial support does not purchase a review or influence its conclusions.
Visit the publication to read its founding position, public methodology, editorial commitments, and creator-submission guidance.