Erik Wolpaw, co-writer of Portal and Portal 2 adores Burnout Paradise and has 1,500 hours in Slay the Spire: ‘This is the perfect level of strategy’
Erik Wolpaw, the acclaimed co-writer of Portal and Portal 2, has shared insights into his gaming history and current gaming preferences. Wolpaw’s journey into games began in high school when he encountered text adventure games on a TRS-80 computer, specifically mentioning Scott Adams’ haunted mansion adventure, which sparked a lifelong passion for gaming.
Before becoming a writer at Valve, Wolpaw worked as a games journalist, contributing to major publications including GameSpot. He also co-founded Old Man Murray, a legendary games website created alongside fellow developer Chet Faliszek. Both Wolpaw and Faliszek joined Valve in 2004, where they would contribute their writing talents to several notable titles.
At Valve, Wolpaw wrote for Half-Life 2’s episodes and Team Fortress 2, but is perhaps best known for his work on the critically acclaimed Portal series. His witty and inventive writing helped define the Portal franchise, with Portal 2 becoming particularly celebrated for its humor and narrative. The games Wolpaw contributed to have become iconic in the industry, setting standards for game writing and narrative design.
In his personal gaming life, Wolpaw is an avid player who has invested significant time in contemporary titles. He has logged over 1,500 hours in Slay the Spire, praising the roguelike deck-building game as achieving the perfect level of strategic gameplay. He also expresses admiration for Burnout Paradise, the racing game known for its open-world design and physics-based destruction mechanics.