Click to play “Exit Stage Left”

Max also stated, “This game, despite being a downloadable, was too large a zip file to be uploaded wholesale. Instead, you will have to download it yourself. I apologize for the inconvenience. This game was made as a group of five. While all members gave their approval for their work to be shared, none of them actually remembered to provide any reference back to them. I have the composer’s portfolio site from other sources though. His name is Devin Chin, at www.devinchin.com. He also has a youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@devinchincomposer. Remember that this game was not fully completed.”

Max Cheskin

Biography: At the start of the pandemic, I began taking part in Game Jams. These are informal, generally online events where upwards of hundreds of strangers organize themselves into small teams (3-5 is best) and work together to create small video games under tight deadlines, generally a week. I have participated in 9 jams, and made 6 games to some degree of completion. The first of these, Darkened, “won” first place out of 51 entries by community vote. Due to how simple and small these games are, they have been made free for anyone to enjoy as they see fit. To reiterate, please note that I did not draw, compose, or otherwise create assets for these games. That credit goes to others. My sole credit is the concepts, design, and code of the games.

Artist Statement: Video game development is an inherently collaborative practice. It involves digital art, music composition, narrative storytelling, and of course, programming. Coordinating with other specialists is paramount. All of my submissions to this journal contain links to other people. More than the problem-solving aspect, beyond the artistic expression, greater than the satisfaction of a job well-done, is the fun of discovering leagues of new people to work with. Even though my work so far simply amounts to just learning and practice, the people I have found have been as enjoyable an aspect of the medium as my own journey of growth.

Social Media: maxcheskin.neocities.org and @HeartBox1 on Discord

Published in Volume 144, Storyteller!