At Kongregate we have the privilege of working with a wide variety of game developers, many of whom are enthusiastic to open up their game pitches with an x-statement. X-statements attempt to summarize a game succinctly using two subjects, often referencing other video games, mechanics, art styles, or popular media. Very often they look like this: “My game is Crossy Road meets Mad Max.” “What if Towerfall had Dark Souls-style sword combat?” “I’m working on a game that is Cooking Mama meets Elite Beat Agents.” Developers view x-statements as a thesis to a game pitch. Well-crafted x-statements can evoke both a sense of gameplay and market positioning, transporting a reader to really understand where your game is going. Likewise, a poorly crafted x-statement can be damaging, setting the wrong tone and ultimately damaging the concept or creating confusion around what is being created. As a publisher, x-statements give us a glimpse into the mind of game developers. An x-statement says a lot about how game developers think they should be marketing a game to their audience. It shows succinct