In the early 2020s, web3 technologies (including blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs) began to intersect with games.

Reactions among gamers and journalists have been mixed: fuelling both pessimism about scams and exploitation, and optimism around fairer creator economies and the longevity of service-based games.

With several lane-pushing games now dipping into these technologies, it seems appropriate to share some thoughts on how the genre may be influenced, and offer transparency about how these games will be presented here on Lane-Pushing Games.

As we reach the end of the first half of 2021, I've been reading some fantastic news from various studios who are developing lane-pushing games.

I suspect that much of this news doesn't circulate nearly as widely as it should, so with this post I'd like to place a spotlight on some of the amazing work that has been going on in the genre, and how generously players and companies have been investing in smaller studios.

I have seven titles listed here in roughly chronological order — but I'm sure I'm missing a few so please get in touch if you have something to add!

Let's begin...

I am delighted to share that I've been published in this year's Esports Yearbook: a collection of academic-oriented writings that offer contemporary critical analysis of the esports industry. The article I've included is How DotA is Getting Deeper, which reflects on how game design evolves to contribute to rich gameplay (and spectator) experiences.

Do grab the pdf and check out some of the other articles as well; it seems there's always more to learn about esports!

Last month, my twitter feed announced that MOBA.directory was soon to close down. This is bad news for everybody, because it's one of the best resources out there for anyone doing hero design or research in the genre. It's also a site that I aspired to have my own heroes appear on some day.

I got in contact with its developer Harry Billington, who put an enormous amount of effort into building MOBA.directory and leading the documentation of over 800 heroes across 12 games over the past few years.

He has generously agreed to allow Lane-Pushing Games to take over and integrate this

August 2018 Edit: A full and live-updated list can now be viewed from the homepage!

I'm going to integrate upcoming lane-pushing games into the site search in July, so we can browse them all with rich tagging like the rest.

For now, it's almost sinful that we don't have some sort of list. So lets use this post to resolve that:

Upcoming lane-pushing games 2018 (alphabetical):

• Arkana (standalone sequel to Arkana)
• Circuits and Shields (modernised design)
• Heroes of Newerth PBT (revitalised classic HoN)
• King's Vessel (inspiration from angel arena)
• Project Phoenix Rising (3D

It's been a long time coming. The new site is finally ready!

As well as all the reviews, design articles, and interviews you're used to, Lane-Pushing Games now has a full index of lane-pushing games, richly tagged and searchable! This includes those which haven't been reviewed yet.

Use it to check what's coming out next, search for games with similar features, or explore some new titles! I hope this will be a resource you find useful - please share it!

I will also be moving some of my design articles for Rise of Winterchill (the lane-pushing game I'm working on) to this site. I'd

Hi folks, This project's still kicking! We should have some new content on its way in the coming weeks. In the meantime...

Material, Time, Quality was one of the most interesting articles on the site for me to write. It was an experimental topic, and I wasn't fully satisfied with how I was interpreting 'Quality' in lane-pushing games. I've now updated that article with my more recent interpretation that sees 'Quality' relative to the 'board state'.

It reads more smoothly now, and with the third piece finally in place, the framework is complete as a tool for assessing decisions and trade

During the summer I had the pleasure of being interviewed by esports journalist and writer Josh Calixto as part of a feature piece about the 'geography' of commercial mobas: addressing the question of how the ubiquitous "three lanes" layout evolved, and why it's been so enduring.

We also covered the evolution of various other map features, and mused about possibilities and constraints on where map designs might be headed next.

If you like the sound of that, check it the full article out over on Killscreen.

Hi folks, I am acutely aware that I haven't been able to update lpg in a while (due to the demands of another project). Rest assured that my work here won't be left unfinished; I will get back to writing articles as soon as time permits.

It's been a while since the last update; just writing to say there'll be a new post up later this month.