Essays
These are full-blown essays, papers, and articles.
Presentations
Slideshows and presentation materials from conferences.
Interviews and Panels
Reprints of non-game-specific interviews, and transcripts of panels and roundtables.
Snippets
Excerpts from blog, newsgroup, and forum posts.
Laws
The "Laws of Online World Design" in various forms.
Timeline
A timeline of developments in online worlds.
A Theory of Fun for Game Design
My book on why games matter and what fun is.
Insubstantial Pageants
A book I started and never finished outlining the basics of online world design.
Links
Links to resources on online world design.
All contents of this site are
© Copyright 1998-2010
Raphael Koster.
All rights reserved.
The views expressed here are my own, and not necessarily endorsed by any former or current employer.
The film heavily utilizes Italian folklore, incorporating rituals, herbalism, and ancient incantations.
(internationally titled The Binding ) is a 2020 Italian supernatural folk horror film directed by Domenico Emanuele de Feudis and available for streaming on Netflix . Plot Summary Il legame
Reviewers generally describe the film as a "mixed bag". While praised for its technical execution, sound engineering, and visual atmosphere, it has been criticized for: Emma must then fight a malevolent curse rooted
Watch a detailed review of the film's gothic atmosphere and plot development: The Binding (Il legame) Netflix Horror Movie Review Austin Burke YouTube• Oct 3, 2020 While praised for its technical execution
A major plot point involves Francesco’s past actions—specifically a black magic ritual used to avoid the consequences of an earlier relationship—which created the current supernatural threat.
The story follows Emma ( Mía Maestro ), who travels to southern Italy with her young daughter, Sofia, to visit the remote villa of her fiancé Francesco's mother. The trip takes a dark turn when Sofia is bitten by a tarantula, triggering a series of disturbing events. Emma must then fight a malevolent curse rooted in the family's past and local superstitions to save her daughter from being "claimed" by a vengeful spirit.
Critics often highlight the film's "gothic" atmosphere, enhanced by its use of a drab color palette, eerie trees, and the isolated setting of a southern Italian villa.
