Advanced Game Design

Table of Contents

1. Cover Page
2. Title Page
3. Copyright Page
4. Contents at a Glance
5. Contents
6. Acknowledgments
7. About the Author
8. Introduction
   1. A Combined Approach to Game Design
   2. Where This Book Came From
   3. What This Book Is and Isn’t About
   4. Goals of This Book
   5. How to Read This Book
   6. Summary
9. Part I Foundations
   1. 1 Foundations of Systems
      1. Ways of Seeing and Thinking
      2. A Quick History of Systems Thinking
      3. Systems as the Process of the World
      4. Summary
   2. 2 Defining Systems
      1. What We Mean by Systems
      2. A Brief Definition
      3. Defining Parts
      4. Loops
      5. Wholes
      6. Summary
   3. 3 Foundations of Games and Game Design
      1. What’s a Game?
      2. Game Frameworks
      3. Summing Up Game Definitions
      4. A Systemic Model of Games
      5. The Evolution of Game Design
      6. Summary
   4. 4 Interactivity and Fun
      1. The Player’s Part of the Game as a System
      2. A Systemic Approach to Interactivity
      3. Mental Models, Arousal, and Engagement
      4. Interactive Loops
      5. Recognizing, Defining, and Creating “Fun”
      6. Summary
10. Part II Principles
    1. 5 Working as a Systemic Game Designer
       1. How Do You Even Start?
       2. Designing Systemic Games
       3. Analyzing Games from a Systems View
       4. Prototyping and Playtesting
       5. Summary
    2. 6 Designing the Whole Experience
       1. What’s the Big Idea?
       2. The Concept Document
       3. Designing the Game+Player System
       4. Questions to Consider About Your Design Vision
       5. Summary
    3. 7 Creating Game Loops
       1. More Than the Sum of the Parts
       2. A Brief Review of Loops
       3. The Four Principal Loops
       4. Three Kinds of Gameplay Loops
       5. Defining a System’s Loops—And Goals
       6. Tools for Designing Game Systems
       7. Documenting Your System Designs
       8. Questions to Consider About Your Game Loops
       9. Summary
    4. 8 Defining Game Parts
       1. Getting Down to Parts
       2. Defining Parts
       3. Specifying Behaviors for Parts
       4. Creating Looping Systems
       5. Don’t Get Lost in the Weeds or the Clouds
       6. Documenting Your Detailed Design
       7. Questions to Consider About Your Detailed Design
       8. Summary
11. Part III Practice
    1. 9 Game Balance Methods
       1. Finding Balance in Your Game
       2. Overview of Methods and Tools
       3. Using Probability in Game Balancing
       4. Transitive and Intransitive Systems
       5. Summary
    2. 10 Game Balance Practice
       1. Putting Methods into Practice
       2. Creating Progression and Power Curves
       3. Balancing Parts, Progression, and Systems
       4. Analytical Balance
       5. Summary
    3. 11 Working as a Team
       1. Teamwork
       2. What Successful Teams Do
       3. Team Roles
       4. Summary
    4. 12 Making Your Game Real
       1. Getting Started
       2. Making the Pitch
       3. Building the Game
       4. Designing, Building, and Testing
       5. Finding the Fun Fast
       6. Effective Game Prototyping
       7. Effective Playtesting
       8. Phases of Production
       9. Finishing Your Game
       10. Summary
12. Bibliography
13. Index