Good game design happens when you view your game from as many perspectives as possible. Written by one of the worlds top game designers, The Art of Game Design presents 100+ sets of questions, or different lenses, for viewing a games design, encompassing diverse fields such as psychology, architecture, music, visual design, film, software engineering, theme park design, mathematics, puzzle design, and anthropology. This Second Edition of a Game Developer Front Line Award winner: * Describes the deepest and most fundamental principles of game design * Demonstrates how tactics used in board, card, and athletic games also work in top-quality video games * Contains valuable insight from Jesse Schell, the former chair of the International Game Developers Association and award-winning designer of Disney online games The Art of Game Design, Second Edition gives readers useful perspectives on how to make better game designs faster. It provides practical instruction on creating world-class games that will be played again and again.
Table of Lenses Acknowledgments Hello In the Beginning, There Is the Designer Magic Words What Skills Does a Game Designer Need? The Most Important Skill The Five Kinds of Listening The Secret of the Gifted Other Reading to Consider The Designer Creates an Experience The Game Is Not the Experience Is This Unique to Games? Three Practical Approaches to Chasing Rainbows Psychology Anthropology Design Introspection: Powers, Perils, and Practice Peril #1: Introspection Can Lead to False Conclusions about Reality Peril #2: What Is True of My Experiences May Not Be True for Others Dissect Your Feelings Defeating Heisenberg Analyze Memories Two Passes Sneak Glances Observe Silently Essential Experience All Thats Real Is What You Feel The Experience Takes Place in a Venue The Shifting Sands of Platform Private Venues The Hearth The Workbench The Reading Nook Public Venues The Theater The Arena The Museum Half Private/Half Public Venues The Gaming Table The Playground Anywhere Venues Mixed and Matched Other Reading to Consider The Experience Rises Out of a Game A Rant about Definitions So What Is a Game? No, Seriously, What Is a Game? Problem Solving 101 The Fruits of Our Labor Other Reading to Consider The Game Consists of Elements What Are Little Games Made Of? The Four Basic Elements Skin and Skeleton The Elements Support a Theme Mere Games Unifying Themes Resonance Back to Reality Other Reading to Consider The Game Begins with an Idea Inspiration State the Problem How to Sleep Your Silent Partner Subconscious Tip #1: Pay Attention Subconscious Tip #2: Record Your Ideas Subconscious Tip #3: Manage Its Appetites (Judiciously) Subconscious Tip #4: Sleep Subconscious Tip #5: Dont Push Too Hard A Personal Relationship Sixteen Nitty-Gritty Brainstorming Tips Brainstorm Tip #1: The Write Answer Brainstorm Tip #2: Write or Type? Brainstorm Tip #3: Sketch Brainstorm Tip #4: Toys Brainstorm Tip #5: Change Your Perspective Brainstorm Tip #6: Immerse Yourself Brainstorm Tip #7: Crack Jokes Brainstorm Tip #8: Spare No Expense Brainstorm Tip #9: The Writing on the Wall Brainstorm Tip #10: The Space Remembers Brainstorm Tip #11: Write Everything Brainstorm Tip #12: Number Your Lists Brainstorm Tip #13: Destroy Your Assumptions Brainstorm Tip #14: Mix and Match Categories Brainstorm Tip #15: Talk to Yourself Brainstorm Tip #16: Find a Partner Look At All These Ideas! Now What? Other Reading to Consider The Game Improves through Iteration Choosing an Idea The Eight Filters The Rule of the Loop A Short History of Software Engineering Danger-Waterfall-Keep Back Barry Boehm Loves You The Agile Manifesto Risk Assessment and Prototyping Example: Prisoners of Bubbleville Prisoners of Bubbleville: Design Brief Ten Tips for Productive Prototyping Prototyping Tip #1: Answer a Question Prototyping Tip #2: Forget Quality Prototyping Tip #3: Dont Get Attached Prototyping Tip #4: Prioritize Your Prototypes Prototyping Tip #5: Parallelize Prototypes Productively Prototyping Tip #6: It Doesnt Have to Be Digital Tetris: A Paper Prototype Halo: A Paper Prototype Prototyping Tip #7: It Doesnt Have to Be Interactive Prototyping Tip #8: Pick a "Fast Loop" Game Engine Prototyping Tip #9: Build the Toy First Prototyping Tip #10: Seize Opportunities for More Loops Closing the Loop Loop 1: "New Racing" Game Loop 2: "Racing Subs" Game Loop 3: "Flying Dinos" Game How Much Is Enough? Your Secret Fuel Other Reading to Consider The Game Is Made for a Player Einsteins Violin Project Yourself Demographics The Medium Is the Misogynist? Five Things Males Like to See in Games Five Things Females Like to See in Games Psychographics LeBlancs Taxonomy of Game Pleasures Bartles Taxonomy of Player Types More Pleasure: MORE! Other Reading to Consider The Experience Is in the Players Mind Modeling Focus Empathy Imagination Other Reading to Consider The Players Mind Is Driven by the Players Motivation Needs... And More Needs Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation Wanna vs. Hafta Novelty Judgment Other Reading to Consider Some Elements Are Game Mechanics Mechanic 1: Space Nested Spaces Zero Dimensions Mechanic 2: Time Discrete and Continuous Time Clocks and Races Controlling Time Mechanic 3: Objects, Attributes, and States Secrets Mechanic 4: Actions Emergent Gameplay Mechanic 5: Rules Parletts Rule Analysis Modes Enforcer Cheatability The Most Important Rule Wrapping Up Rules Mechanic 6: Skill Real vs. Virtual Skills Enumerating Skills Mechanic 7: Chance Invention of Probability Ten Rules of Probability Every Game Designer Should Know Rule #1: Fractions Are Decimals Are Percents Rule #2: Zero to One-and Thats It! Rule #3: "Looked For" Divided By "Possible Outcomes" Equals Probability Rule #4: Enumerate! Rule #5: In Certain Cases, OR Means Add Rule #6: In Certain Cases, AND Means Multiply Rule #7: One Minus "Does" = "Doesnt" Rule #8: The Sum of Multiple Linear Random Selections is NOT a Linear Random Selection! Rule #9: Roll the Dice Rule #10: Geeks Love Showing Off (Gombauds Law) Expected Value Consider Values Carefully Human Element Skill and Chance Get Tangled Other Reading to Consider Game Mechanics Must Be in Balance The Twelve Most Common Types of Game Balance Balance Type #1: Fairness Symmetrical Games Asymmetrical Games Biplane Battle Rock, Paper, Scissors Balance Type #2: Challenge vs. Success Balance Type #3: Meaningful Choices Triangularity Balancing Type #4: Skill vs. Chance Balancing Type #5: Head vs. Hands Balance Type #6: Competition vs. Cooperation Balance Type #7: Short vs. Long Balance Type #8: Rewards Balance Type #9: Punishment Balance Type #10: Freedom vs. Controlled Experience Balance Type #11: Simple vs. Complex Natural vs. Artificial Balancing Elegance Character Balance Type #12: Detail vs. Imagination Game Balancing Methodologies Balancing Game Economies Dynamic Game Balancing The Big Picture Other Reading to Consider Game Mechanics Support Puzzles The Puzzle of Puzzles Arent Puzzles Dead? Good Puzzles Puzzle Principle #1: Make the Goal Easily Understood Puzzle Principle #2: Make It Easy to Get Started Puzzle Principle #3: Give a Sense of Progress Puzzle Principle #4: Give a Sense of Solvability Puzzle Principle #5: Increase Difficulty Gradually Puzzle Principle #6: Parallelism Lets the Player Rest Puzzle Principle #7: Pyramid Structure Extends Interest Puzzle Principle #8: Hints Extend Interest Puzzle Principle #9: Give the Answer! Puzzle Principle #10: Perceptual Shifts Are a Double-Edged Sword A Final Piece Other Reading to Consider Players Play Games through an Interface Between Yin and Yang Breaking It Down The Loop of Interaction Juiciness Primality Channels of Information Step 1: List and Prioritize Information Step 2: List Channels Step 3: Map Information to Channels Step 4: Review Use of Dimensions Modes Mode Tip #1: Use as Few Modes as Possible Mode Tip #2: Avoid Overlapping Modes Mode Tip #3: Make Different Modes Look as Different as Possible Other Interface Tips Interface Tip #1: Steal Interface Tip #2: Customize Interface Tip #3: Design around Your Physical Interface Interface Tip #4: Theme Your Interface Interface Tip #5: Sound Maps to Touch Interface Tip #6: Balance Options and Simplicity with Layers Interface Tip #7: Use Metaphors Interface Tip #8: If It Looks Different, It Should Act Different Interface Tip #9: Test, Test, Test! Interface Tip #10: Break the Rules to Help Your Player Other Reading to Consider Experiences Can Be Judged by Their Interest Curves My First Lens Interest Curves Patterns inside Patterns What Comprises Interest? Factor 1: Inherent Interest Factor 2: Poetry of Presentation Factor 3: Projection Interest Factor Examples Putting It All Together Other Reading to Consider One Kind of Experience Is the Story Story/Game Duality Myth of Passive Entertainment The Dream The Reality Real-World Method 1: The String of Pearls Real-World Method 2: The Story Machine The Problems Problem #1: Good Stories Have Unity Problem #2: The Combinatorial Explosion Problem #3: Multiple Endings Disappoint Problem #4: Not Enough Verbs Problem #5: Time Travel Makes Tragedy Obsolete The Dream Reborn Story Tips for Game Designers Story Tip #1: Goals, Obstacles, and Conflicts Story Tip #2: Make It Real Story Tip #3: Provide Simplicity and Transcendence Story Tip #4: Consider the Heros Journey Voglers Synopsis of the Heros Journey Story Tip #5: Put Your Story to Work! Story Tip #6: Keep Your Story World Consistent Story Tip #7: Make Your Story World Accessible Story Tip #8: Use Cliches Judiciously Story Tip #9: Sometimes a Map Brings a Story to Life Other Reading to Consider Story and Game Structures Can Be Artfully Merged with Indirect Control The Feeling of Freedom Indirect Control Method #1: Constraints Indirect Control Method #2: Goals Indirect Control Method #3: Interface Indirect Control Method #4: Visual Design Indirect Control Method #5: Characters Indirect Control Method #6: Music Collusion Other Reading to Consider Stories and Games Take Place in Worlds Transmedia Worlds The Power of Pokemon Properties of Transmedia Worlds Transmedia Worlds Are Powerful Transmedia Worlds Are Long Lived Transmedia Worlds Evolve over Time What Successful Transmedia Worlds Have in Common Worlds Contain Characters The Nature of Game Characters Novel Characters Movie Characters Game Characters Avatars The Ideal Form The Blank Slate Creating Compelling Game Characters Character Tip #1: List Character Functions Character Tip #2: Define and Use Character Traits Character Tip #3: Use the Interpersonal Circumplex Character Tip #4: Make a Character Web Archie Veronica Betty Reggie Jughead Character Tip #5: Use Status Character Tip #6: Use the Power of the Voice Character Tip #7: Use the Power of the Face Character Tip #8: Powerful Stories Transform Characters Character Tip #9: Let Your Characters Surprise Us Character Tip #10: Avoid the Uncanny Valley Other Reading to Consider Worlds Contain Spaces The Purpose of Architecture Organizing Your Game Space A Word about Landmarks Christopher Alexander Is a Genius Alexanders Fifteen Properties of Living Structures Real vs. Virtual Architecture Know How Big Third-Person Distortion Level Design Other Reading to Consider The Look and Feel of a World Is Defined by Its Aesthetics Monet Refuses the Operation The Value of Aesthetics Learning to See How to Let Aesthetics Guide Your Design How Much Is Enough? Use Audio Balancing Art and Technology Other Reading to Consider Some Games Are Played with Other Players We Are Not Alone Why We Play with Others Other Reading to Consider Other Players Sometimes Form Communities More than Just Other Players Ten Tips for Strong Communities Community Tip #1: Foster Friendships Community Tip #2: Put Conflict at the Heart Community Tip #3: Use Architecture to Shape your Community Community Tip #4: Create Community Property Community Tip #5: Let Players Express Themselves Community Tip #6: Support Three Levels Community Tip #7: Force Players to Depend on Each Other Community Tip #8: Manage Your Community Community Tip #9: Obligation to Others Is Powerful Community Tip #10: Create Community Events The Challenge of Griefing The Future of Game Communities Other Reading to Consider The Designer Usually Works with a Team The Secret of Successful Teamwork If You Cant Love the Game, Love the Audience Designing Together Team Communication Other Reading to Consider The Team Sometimes Communicates through Documents The Myth of the Game Design Document The Purpose of Documents Memory Communication Types of Game Documents Design Engineering Art Production Writing Players So, Where Do I Start? Other Reading to Consider Good Games Are Created through Playtesting Playtesting My Terrible Secret Playtest Question the First: Why? Playtest Question the Second: Who? Playtest Question the Third: Where? Playtest Question the Fourth: What? The First What: Things You Know You Are Looking For The Second What: Things You Dont Know You Are Looking For Playtest Question the Fifth: How? Should You Even Be There? What Do You Tell Them Up Front? Where Do You Look? What Other Data Should You Collect During Play? Will I Disturb the Players Midgame? What Data Will I Collect after the Play Session? Surveys Interviews Other Reading to Consider The Team Builds a Game with Technology Technology, At Last Foundational vs. Decorational Mickeys First Cartoon Abalone Sonic the Hedgehog Myst Journey Ragdoll Physics The Touch Revolution The Hype Cycle The Innovators Dilemma The Law of Divergence The Singularity Look into Your Crystal Ball Other Reading to Consider Your Game Will Probably Have a Client Who Cares What the Client Thinks? Coping with Bad Suggestions Not That Rock The Three Layers of Desire Firenze, 1498 Other Reading to Consider The Designer Gives the Client a Pitch Why Me? A Negotiation of Power The Hierarchy of Ideas Twelve Tips for a Successful Pitch Pitch Tip #1: Get in the Door Pitch Tip #2: Show You Are Serious Pitch Tip #3: Be Organized Pitch Tip #4: Be Passionate!!!!! Pitch Tip #5: Assume Their Point of View Pitch Tip #6: Design the Pitch Pitch Tip #7: Know All the Details Pitch Tip #8: Exude Confidence Pitch Tip #9: Be Flexible Pitch Tip #10: Rehearse Pitch Tip #11: Get Them to Own It Pitch Tip #12: Follow Up Hey, What about Kickstarter? Other Reading to Consider The Designer and Client Want the Game to Make a Profit Love and Money Know Your Business Model Retail Direct Download Free to Play Know Your Competition Know Your Audience Learn the Language General Game Business Terms Free to Play Business Terms Know the Top Sellers The Importance of Barriers Other Reading to Consider Games Transform Their Players How Do Games Change Us? Can Games Be Good For You? Emotional Maintenance Connecting Exercise Education Giving the Brain What It Wants Facts Problem Solving Systems of Relationships New Insights Curiosity Creating Teachable Moments Transformational Games Transformational Tip #1: Define Your Transformation Transformational Tip #2: Find Great Subject Matter Experts Transformational Tip #3: What Does the Instructor Need? Transformational Tip #4: Dont Do Too Much Transformational Tip #5: Assess Transformation Appropriately Transformational Tip #6: Choose the Right Venue Transformational Tip #7: Accept the Realities of the Market Can Games Be Bad For You? Violence Addiction Experiences Other Reading to Consider Designers Have Certain Responsibilities The Danger of Obscurity Being Accountable Your Hidden Agenda The Secret Hidden in Plain Sight The Ring Other Reading to Consider Each Designer Has a Purpose The Deepest Theming Goodbye Endnotes Bibliography Index