William Pugh, known for his innovative contributions to the gaming industry, reflects on his journey through the world of PC gaming, beginning with his childhood experiences playing shareware titles on Mac. His earliest memory of PC gaming, however, is rooted in the chaotic fun of Worms 4: Mayhem, where he first encountered the thrill of online multiplayer. “I remember playing that for the first time with random matchmaking,” he recalls, “and you’re face-to-face with a complete stranger … I remember that being a kind of door opening for me.”
This door led Pugh to the vibrant landscapes of Team Fortress 2, which introduced him to the Source engine mapping community. It was here that he met fellow modder Davey Wreden, with whom he co-created The Stanley Parable, a clever commentary on player agency that has since become a cult classic.
Currently, Pugh is channeling his creativity into his next major project with Crows Crows Crows, while also serving as producer for the upcoming PS5 exclusive, Hunter’s Moon, a historical folk horror game. Yet, amidst these endeavors, he took a moment to share insights from his Steam library.
What game are you currently playing?
“I’m playing a lot of Deadlock. It’s my third job. I’m a recovering Dota 2 addict. I’m mostly off now,” Pugh admits. He expresses a certain dissatisfaction with Overwatch, despite having invested hundreds of hours into it. “But Deadlock is like Dota, but with a load of the pointless crap that’s just accumulated in the MOBA genre taken out. Mana? Bye-bye. Creep stacking? Bye-bye. Big Walk, obviously. Damn! What a game! House House, they’re too good.”
Pugh’s thoughts drift to the announcement of Big Walk, which he initially viewed with skepticism. “I saw the Big Walk announce trailer something like two years ago at some games event, then Peak came out a suspicious amount of time later,” he reflects. “My first thought was, ‘Man, this is fucking Big Walk at home, but shipped a year faster.’ But fuck! What a game! That’s got to be game of the year for real. It’s really special.”
What is the highest number of hours you have in any given game, according to Steam?
Pugh’s most played game is Dota 2, racking up an impressive 1,603 hours. “It’s like a drug,” he states, though he admits, “Did you have a good time playing Dota 2? The answer is ‘no.’ It’s a game fuelled by hate and a desire to conquer.” He describes his tumultuous relationship with the game, filled with frustration over teammates and their decisions. “It’s a bit crazy now. I spent 1,600 hours of my life and I’m not actually any good at it. Goddamn, what a horrible game.”
What game will you never, ever uninstall?
For Pugh, the answer is clear: “TF2. I’m just a Valve fanboy.”
What’s a piece of non-gaming software installed on your PC that you simply couldn’t live without?
His choice is Blender, which he praises for its open-source nature. “10 out of 10 for Blender. We need a Blender for literally everything,” he states passionately. Pugh expresses a desire to move away from proprietary software, advocating for community-driven tools that empower creators. “If you want to make changes to it, you can. It’s a community-led, grassroots approach. Photoshop’s losing the war, like all the other 3D software packages are losing the war to Blender.”
How tidy is your desktop screen?
Pugh’s desktop reflects his creative chaos: “Not. I’ve never been a tidy guy, so my desktop is never tidy … I’m a big ‘New Folder 3’ kind of guy.” He humorously admits to having kept everything he’s ever had on a PC since 2005 on physical hard drives, joking about the potential for it to be used against him one day. “There’s a purity to art you make when you’re a teenager,” he muses, reminiscing about the early days of his creative journey.
William Pugh, co-designer of The Stanley Parable, has over 1,600 hours in Dota 2: ‘It’s not a game made of love. It’s a game fuelled by hate and a desire to conquer’
William Pugh, known for his innovative contributions to the gaming industry, reflects on his journey through the world of PC gaming, beginning with his childhood experiences playing shareware titles on Mac. His earliest memory of PC gaming, however, is rooted in the chaotic fun of Worms 4: Mayhem, where he first encountered the thrill of online multiplayer. “I remember playing that for the first time with random matchmaking,” he recalls, “and you’re face-to-face with a complete stranger … I remember that being a kind of door opening for me.”
This door led Pugh to the vibrant landscapes of Team Fortress 2, which introduced him to the Source engine mapping community. It was here that he met fellow modder Davey Wreden, with whom he co-created The Stanley Parable, a clever commentary on player agency that has since become a cult classic.
Currently, Pugh is channeling his creativity into his next major project with Crows Crows Crows, while also serving as producer for the upcoming PS5 exclusive, Hunter’s Moon, a historical folk horror game. Yet, amidst these endeavors, he took a moment to share insights from his Steam library.
What game are you currently playing?
“I’m playing a lot of Deadlock. It’s my third job. I’m a recovering Dota 2 addict. I’m mostly off now,” Pugh admits. He expresses a certain dissatisfaction with Overwatch, despite having invested hundreds of hours into it. “But Deadlock is like Dota, but with a load of the pointless crap that’s just accumulated in the MOBA genre taken out. Mana? Bye-bye. Creep stacking? Bye-bye. Big Walk, obviously. Damn! What a game! House House, they’re too good.”
Pugh’s thoughts drift to the announcement of Big Walk, which he initially viewed with skepticism. “I saw the Big Walk announce trailer something like two years ago at some games event, then Peak came out a suspicious amount of time later,” he reflects. “My first thought was, ‘Man, this is fucking Big Walk at home, but shipped a year faster.’ But fuck! What a game! That’s got to be game of the year for real. It’s really special.”
What is the highest number of hours you have in any given game, according to Steam?
Pugh’s most played game is Dota 2, racking up an impressive 1,603 hours. “It’s like a drug,” he states, though he admits, “Did you have a good time playing Dota 2? The answer is ‘no.’ It’s a game fuelled by hate and a desire to conquer.” He describes his tumultuous relationship with the game, filled with frustration over teammates and their decisions. “It’s a bit crazy now. I spent 1,600 hours of my life and I’m not actually any good at it. Goddamn, what a horrible game.”
What game will you never, ever uninstall?
For Pugh, the answer is clear: “TF2. I’m just a Valve fanboy.”
What’s a piece of non-gaming software installed on your PC that you simply couldn’t live without?
His choice is Blender, which he praises for its open-source nature. “10 out of 10 for Blender. We need a Blender for literally everything,” he states passionately. Pugh expresses a desire to move away from proprietary software, advocating for community-driven tools that empower creators. “If you want to make changes to it, you can. It’s a community-led, grassroots approach. Photoshop’s losing the war, like all the other 3D software packages are losing the war to Blender.”
How tidy is your desktop screen?
Pugh’s desktop reflects his creative chaos: “Not. I’ve never been a tidy guy, so my desktop is never tidy … I’m a big ‘New Folder 3’ kind of guy.” He humorously admits to having kept everything he’s ever had on a PC since 2005 on physical hard drives, joking about the potential for it to be used against him one day. “There’s a purity to art you make when you’re a teenager,” he muses, reminiscing about the early days of his creative journey.