A Textbook Introduction to Game Design
Anyone with a passing familiarity with what I write can probably tell I like video games, but did you know I’m also curious about how games are made? Yes it’s true! All aspects of game development interest me, but none as much as game design. Crafting gameplay experiences that evoke strong emotion and leave lasting impressions always seemed a little magical and nebulous, so I decided it was high time to educate myself. At the recommendation of a friend and mentor in June of 2021 I started reading through Jesse Schell’s the Art of Game Design to get a little more insight into the world of design. A little under a year later and I’m through the book. To give a little taste I’d like to share with you a collection of my social media posts about The Art of Game Design. I made one post per chapter and highlighted an aspect of that chapter I found interesting, or spoke to me personally.
Chapter 1
The most important skill of a game designer is listening. This is my favorite takeaway from the first chapter of The Art of Game Design, something I feel is also important in my primary role.
Note, my primary role is as an Escalation Engineer for Microsoft Support. I sometimes call myself a professional listener
Chapter 2
Game designers care about creating experiences. Not exact replicas, but the essence of experience. To capture the essence designers must be introspective, and curious about human nature and psychology. My key takeaways from The Art of Game Design chapter 2.
Chapter 3
I somehow neglected to post on Chapter 3 in my initial reading, maybe the excitement to get to the next chapter got the better of me. For now I’ll share my thoughts looking back on chapter 3.
Venue is important to a game. Both the real-world place in which someone may play a game (living room, subway, sports arena), and the kind of venue in which the game world is placed. The former seems focused on ensuring you understand your market, the latter is more about understanding your game’s themes.
Chapter 4
All games I love create their own internal value. Today I learned the word for this, endogenous (thanks Art of Game Design Ch. 4). Spiritfarer, for example, creates a sense of attachment between player and spirit by establishing regular routines, and preferences.
Chapter 5
Ch. 5 of The Art of Game Design shares how story should reinforce mechanics, and mechanics should enhance story. I’d take this a step further: every design element should in some way be informed by a theme which unifies mechanics, story, and aesthetics. Nier is a great example.
Chapter 6
I guess when I mentioned the importance of themeing in video games I was on to something. Ch 6 of The Art of Game Design is all about themes. I certainly agree strong unifying themed make for more resonant experienced. Psychonauts is one of my favorite examples.
Chapter 7
Immersing yourself can help the brainstorming process flow more smoothly according to chapter 7 of The Art of Game Design. There’s definitely truth here, I like to immersive myself in the world’s of the games I’m playing and it brings an extra level of engagement.
Chapter 8
Ch. 8 The Art of Game Design was meaty so I’ve two highlights to share: 1) Risk mitigation in game design and using iterations to tackle risks. I had never really thought about risk in terms of game design. What if something isn’t as fun, or isn’t used, as expected, for example.
Ch. 8 The Art of Game Design highlight 2) The game as a toy and a medium. Rather than creating a specific experience, a game can provide a setting and set of rules in which players can create experiences. GTA was the books example, for me Minecraft comes to mind.
Chapter 9
“All play activities center around childhood, since childhood is centered around play.” My favorite quote from Ch. 9 of The Art of Game Design. It resonates strongly with me, games put me into an open and curious mindset akin to how I approached everything as a child.
Much the same as chapter 3 I forgot to post on chapter 10, which is odd because it touches on one of my favorites aspects of game design. I’ll give you my thoughts now
Chapter 10
How human psychology is explored through the lens of games is one of my favorite parts of game design. Chapter 10 is all about that, specifically it about flow state. I’m most interested in perception of reality influence flow state more than any idea of an objective reality. By understanding how humans perceive the world game designers to provide a well-paced experience.
Chapter 11
Adding extrinsic motivation to something that already has intrinsic value pushes it towards the external undermining internal motivations: my favorite takeaway from Ch. 11 of The Art of Game Design. Reminds me of the struggles converting pay 2 play games to free 2 play models.
Chapter 12
Games are about achieving goals. Goals must be easily stated and understood. My favorite tidbit from Ch.12 of The Art of Game Design. The most dense chapter so far, it mostly covers game mechanics as a concept. There is a lot of good content, but there can be only one highlight!
Chapter 13
Balancing risk vs. reward was my favorite topic of The Art of Game Design Ch.13. Specifically the notion that presenting players with both low-risk low-reward and high-risk high-reward options creates opportunities for a greater feeling of agency and meaningful choice.
Chapter 14
According to Ch. 14 of The Art of Game Design most people wouldn’t consider a traditional puzzle a game as a puzzle can only be completed once. I’m not sure I’d agree, as there are many video games which have minimal replay value that are still fun.
Chapter 15
Yes I do agree Ch. 15 of The Art of Game Design less is more with interface. Whether it be graphical elements or gameplay modes I find simpler designs more appealing. Untitled Goose Game has virtually no HUD as it’s not needed, letting you focus more on your fowl antics.
Chapter 16
Interest curves, mapping interesting moments on a linear graph, seem a useful tool which illustrates an otherwise intuitive feeling. I can see how they could come in handy, even if it demystifies a bit of the magic in crafting experience. Thanks Ch. 16 of The Art of Game Design!
Note: In my original post I misquoted this as being from Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Story and gameplay, a combo that can create an intoxicating elixir, or an odorous brew. Ch. 17 of the Art of Game Design was all about story. I enjoy environmental storytelling. Bloodborne springs to mind. Yarnham tells its story visually as you explore the doomed city.
Chapter 18
Ch. 18 of The Art of Game Design posits that well designed games contains characters who’s goals drive the player to an overall objective. Characters colluding with designers, like some cabal of entertainment and fun. An example of indirect control I hadn’t thought of before.
Chapter 19
Ch. 19 of the Art of Game Design discussed transmedia worlds, allowing fans entry via different media. Think how Halo has tie-in novels, or how Final Fantasy has its touring orchestral series; giving people extra opportunity to engage, and exposing fans of the media to a new world.
Chapter 20
To make your main character idealised, or a blank slate? A question posed in Ch. 20 of the Art of Game Design. It’s tricky, idealized characters will engage some players, but alienate others. Blank slates allow for maximum imprinting, but may end up as undeveloped and dull.
Chapter 21
I didn’t expect a book about game design to be discussing architecture, but now I want to read The Timeless Way of Building by Christopher Alexander. Thanks Ch. 21 of The Art of Game Design.
Chapter 22
Brownboxing, a play on greyboxing, is a technique for prototyping VR experiences using cardboard and paper. It sounds crafty and fun, I may have to try this. TIL in Ch. 22 of The Art of Game Design.
Chapter 23
Aesthetics are critical to the experience of any game, I agree Ch. 23 of The Art of Game Design. I do feel the focus was a bit too much on visuals. Audio is mentioned in passing. Haptics aren’t discussed at all. I feel aesthetics are more holistic and need to be more inclusive.
Chapter 24
Socializing and playing games go hand in hand, a truth Ch. 24 of The Art of Game Design shares. I tend to think my single player time can be a-social, but what about spectating?
Watching play is a social component of a single player experience. Let’s Plays are a great example.
Chapter 25
Ch. 25 of The Art of Game Design discussed community. One thing I never considered is how critical conflict is to communities, especially gaming communities. Conflicts don’t have to be traditional player vs. Player competition, but also overcoming shared obstacles.
Chapter 26
What’s the most important aspect of teamwork? Ch. 26 of The Art of Game Design says its love. Love for the game, the audience, or some aspect of the project. At first I thought passion more appropriate, but love has an aspect passion does not, and I almost forgot; patience.
Chapter 27
Design documents can be tricky. The Art of Game Design Ch. 27 says docs have two purposes: remembering, and communication. I agree, as the execution of an idea can change over time, the document must be flexible. It’s not there to tell you what to do, but help you remember ideas.
Chapter 28
I hadn’t thought about involved and important playtesting a game can be, but Ch. 28 of The Art of Game Design set me straight. Playtesting should happen early and often, it’s more than just sessions and surveys, and it takes critical thought from designers in its construction.
Chapter 29
The Hype Cycle, something I was aware of but hadn’t seen charted until reading Ch. 29 of The Art of Game Design. It is striking to see how this cycle continues to rule in the gaming industry. Typically this is related to graphics, or methods of play, but lately it’s been NFTs…
Chapter 30
Games aren’t made in vacuums, games have clients. It’s important to get to know and understand your client. Great tips from Ch 30 of The Art of Game Design. But what do you do when you have thousands of client? How does crowd funding fit in?
Chapter 31
Getting a foot in the door is hard when selling a new idea. Ch 31 of The Art of Game Design advises knowing an insider who can vouch for you. In my own career dev experience this person is called a Sponsor. Cultivate your relationships, you’ll never know who can be your sponsor.
Chapter 32
Aspiring game designers tend not to be concerned with getting rich, but a game still needs to turn a profit. Ch 32 of the Art of Game Design helped me realize that barriers to entry can be opportunities, because they force us to focus on what a game does best.
Chapter 33
Do games change people? I certainly think so, and Ch 33 of The Art of Game Design seems to agree with me. In my experience games have helped me reflect, find calm, and exposed me to new ideas and ways of thinking. Some games even made me healthier. Play can be transformative.
Chapter 34
Can games help people, and should they try? I certainly think so, and Ch 34 of The Art of Game Design agrees. Video games have a reputation for throwaway fun, but behind their flashy facade can be a deep yearning to make players reflect. One series that springs to mind is Nier.
Chapter 35
Why are you doing this? It’s a great question. Ask why to find your secret passion; the final lesson from The Art of Game Design in Ch 35. A good read, I’ll take these lessons learned into my next game project. Hopefully you learned something too following along.
Game Design Beyond Games
The Art of Game Design is chalk full of gold nuggets both for people who are completely new to the idea of design, those who know a bit and a curious to learn more (me), and I’d wager to say even for seasoned industry veterans. To say I learned a bit would be an understatement, and to say the lessons are only applicable to game design would be false. A system of lenses is used to help remember key components of design, and questions designers can ask themselves. Many of these lenses can be applied not only to designing entertainment experiences beyond video games, some even feel like they’re useful in everyday life. I hope the little sampling I’ve provided has inspired you to give The Art of Game Design a read, and take some new lessons that can help you build better games, and see life through a new set of lenses.
References
Schell, J. (2020). The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group.