Video games are mathematical entities. Nothing can occur in them that can’t be accounted for in their programming. The magic of the medium lies where a game is able to hide this fact, to provide an experience that feels unique to every player even if no actual magic is being worked. Perhaps no game has felt more magical than “Scribblenauts,” a marvel of programming in which it seemed anything could happen. The Examiner’s 2009 game of the year gave you a character standing on a 2-D plane — nothing new — and mundane tasks, like cutting down a tree. Only thing is, you don’t have an ax. What to do? Simple: Open up your notebook, write (or type) “ax,” and one pops into existence for your character to use. Anything tree-felling item you could think of could be used to solve the level, and the game rewarded you for creative solutions, from a flamethrower to a wrecking ball.
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