Fundamentals of Strategy Game Design

Game Features

Strategy games can either be turn-based or played in real time. Pure strategy games (those that contain only conflict challenges, with no economic or physical challenges) tend to be turn-based rather than operating in real time. In a turn-based game, players may mull over their moves, considering the benefits of one choice over another. In board games, this can result in frustrating “analysis paralysis” in which one player spends a large amount of time considering each move while the others have to wait. In single-player computer games, this doesn’t matter—the computer doesn’t mind waiting. Multiplayer turn-based computer games are often designed so that all the players choose their next move simultaneously, and the machine computes ...