Game design is often viewed as a blend of creativity and technical expertise, but at its heart, it’s about delivering an engaging and unforgettable experience. The process of designing games involves deep thinking about mechanics, experiences, goals, and player guidance. This post will explore some core ideas of game design and how they form the foundation of creating impactful and enjoyable games.
1. Start Simple: Identifying the Core Mechanic
When designing a game, the most crucial step is identifying the core mechanic. This mechanic acts as the game’s foundation—it’s the action that players will repeat throughout the game. For example, in Super Mario Bros, the core mechanic is jumping. Mario’s ability to jump allows players to defeat enemies, hit blocks, and avoid obstacles. This simplicity keeps the gameplay intuitive yet engaging.
Core mechanics don’t need to be complex to offer depth. In fact, having a focused core mechanic allows designers to iterate and expand on it, introducing new challenges or elements while keeping the player grounded in the game’s fundamental action. This focus prevents overwhelm in both design and gameplay, allowing the game to grow naturally around a simple idea.
2. Crafting the Experience: What Should Players Feel?
Beyond mechanics, the heart of game design lies in crafting an experience. What emotions or sensations do you want players to have? Are you aiming for thrill, fear, or a sense of exploration? The experiences you aim to provide should influence every design decision, from the mechanics to the level design. For instance, Skyrim encourages exploration and adventure through its vast open world, while games like Civilization challenge players with strategic thinking.
Every system you add to the game should enhance the experience. Whether you’re creating a horror game that instills fear or a co-op game that fosters teamwork, knowing the player experience you want to create helps focus the game’s design and development.
3. Setting Goals: Engaging Players with Short- and Long-Term Objectives
Games thrive on goals. Without objectives, there’s no sense of progression, and players may quickly lose interest. Goals can be short-term, such as completing a quest, or long-term, like defeating a final boss. The balance of these goals keeps players engaged, as short-term wins create momentum toward the ultimate end.
A perfect example is Angry Birds, where the short-term goal is to finish a level and earn stars, while the long-term goal is unlocking more levels with enough stars. Short-term accomplishments fuel the desire to keep playing, while the long-term goals provide a meaningful endgame.
4. Systemic Gameplay: Letting Systems Interact
Linear games guide players down a specific path, while emergent games allow systems to interact in unpredictable ways. Systemic gameplay is a hallmark of many modern games like Breath of the Wild and Minecraft, where players can solve problems or approach challenges using different mechanics that interact dynamically.
For example, in Breath of the Wild, fire interacts with various systems—lighting grass on fire, burning enemies, or even being extinguished by rain. This emergent gameplay creates a sense of freedom and experimentation that makes the experience deeply personal for each player.
5. The Core Game Loop: Keeping Players Engaged
A core game loop is what keeps players coming back. It’s the series of actions that players will repeat throughout the game. A strong game loop involves a cycle of action, reward, and progression. In an RPG like Stardew Valley, for example, players plant crops, harvest them, sell the produce for profit, and invest in better seeds. This cycle of progress is simple but addictive, as it provides constant feedback and rewards.
The best games often have multiple loops interacting with each other, such as combat, crafting, and exploration. This layered approach allows players to switch between activities, keeping gameplay fresh and engaging over time.
6. Guiding the Player: Subtlety in Design
Guiding players through levels or the world is a vital part of game design. However, this doesn’t always mean overt directions like arrows pointing the way. Subtle guidance through lighting, colors, and environmental design can make the experience more immersive.
For instance, in Mirror’s Edge, the color red is used to indicate interactable objects, subtly guiding players without breaking immersion. Meanwhile, in Skyrim, towering landmarks like mountains or cities draw players’ attention to key locations without the need for a blatant objective marker.
7. Game Feel: The Tactile Joy of Play
Finally, “game feel” is an essential yet often overlooked aspect of design. Game feel refers to how responsive and satisfying the game is to play, from movement to combat. Great game feel is achieved through responsive controls, audiovisual feedback, and polish.
Take Super Smash Bros., where every hit feels impactful due to the sound effects, screen shake, and visual effects like particle splashes. These details create a tactile experience that players feel through their actions, making each movement and attack satisfying and rewarding.
Conclusion
Game design is a multifaceted process that balances mechanics, experience, goals, and feedback. By focusing on the core mechanic, crafting a desired experience, setting meaningful goals, encouraging systemic interactions, and perfecting game feel, designers can create games that not only entertain but also leave a lasting impression on players. Whether you’re crafting an indie hit or the next AAA title, these principles will help you create games that resonate with your audience.