You guys — I just read a PC Gamer feature with Harry Krueger (the director at Housemarque who made Returnal) that should be required reading for anyone interested in how games are actually designed. This isn't another corporate presser; it's one of those honest dev conversations where someone genuinely shares what makes them tick, and his story is infectious. He led the team through 12+ years at Housemarque — making everything from their first commercial title Upgraded Shooter all the way to Returnal and then BombRush (which is an incredible arena shooter that popped up on Steam recently). And here's why this matters: he built those games around a single rule that I can never get over. He said, "I try to play as a completionist — leave no stone unturned and no enemy unkilled" before designing anything. What does that mean in practice? It means every level is playable through multiple times with different paths, there are zero dead ends for players who go off the beaten path, and he plays games until they're 100% finished BEFORE laying down a single design document so that the game actually feels fair to play. That alone should make every Housemarque title on your list worth another playthrough — their levels always feel deliberate because they were built by someone who refused to build anything un-completable.
And get this — his entire design philosophy was forged in arcade nostalgia, which is exactly what gives those games that timeless feel. He lists Galaga (the game that directly inspired Returnal's fast scoring loop), Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and even the 1986 Resident Evil as core influences. He played Deus Ex multiple times to understand how narrative branching works before he wrote a single line of dialogue for his team. Those aren't just nostalgic name drops; they are foundational design philosophies that you can see in every frame of Returnal — clear goals, tight feedback loops, and no ambiguity about what the player is supposed to do next. Plus, BombRush was built by an even smaller version of the Housemarque team than earlier titles, proving he knows how to build hit games with tiny teams without sacrificing vision or quality. If you appreciate thoughtful game design, Harry's story is one of those "look at this craftsman" moments worth celebrating on these forums.
Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/i-try-to-play-as-a-completionist-and-leave-no-stone-unturned-and-no-enemy-unkilled-returnal-director-harry-krueger-talks-deus-ex-resident-evil-and-the-arcade-classic-that-inspired-housemarques-best-games/
And get this — his entire design philosophy was forged in arcade nostalgia, which is exactly what gives those games that timeless feel. He lists Galaga (the game that directly inspired Returnal's fast scoring loop), Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, and even the 1986 Resident Evil as core influences. He played Deus Ex multiple times to understand how narrative branching works before he wrote a single line of dialogue for his team. Those aren't just nostalgic name drops; they are foundational design philosophies that you can see in every frame of Returnal — clear goals, tight feedback loops, and no ambiguity about what the player is supposed to do next. Plus, BombRush was built by an even smaller version of the Housemarque team than earlier titles, proving he knows how to build hit games with tiny teams without sacrificing vision or quality. If you appreciate thoughtful game design, Harry's story is one of those "look at this craftsman" moments worth celebrating on these forums.
Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/i-try-to-play-as-a-completionist-and-leave-no-stone-unturned-and-no-enemy-unkilled-returnal-director-harry-krueger-talks-deus-ex-resident-evil-and-the-arcade-classic-that-inspired-housemarques-best-games/