book

Practical Game Design - Second Edition

Name: Practical Game Design - Second Edition
ISBN: 9781803245157

by Adam Kramarzewski, Ennio De Nucci

August 2023

Beginner

446 pages

13h 19m

English

Packt Publishing

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Practical Game Design
ContributorsAbout the authorsAbout the reviewers
Preface
Who this book is forWhat this book coversTo get the most out of this bookDisclaimerGet in touchShare Your ThoughtsDownload a free PDF copy of this book
Chapter 1: Introducing the Game Production Process
Game design rolesSpecialization and T-shapingDevelopment teamsResponsibilities of a game designerSoftware development modelsWaterfallAgileProduction schedule and milestonesGreenlight gates and vertical sliceA traditional milestone structureValidation funnel in-game developmentThe role of a games publisherSummary
Chapter 2: Preparing a Game Concept
What is a game concept?Structure of a game concept documentThe hook or elevator pitchDescriptionKey feature setPlatformAudienceGenreBusiness modelKnowing your competitionUnderstanding the ideation processComing up with ideasTwisting familiar mechanicsCreativity through constraintsFinding the funDefining fantasyThe mood, or how the game looks and feelsSummary
Chapter 3: Scoping a Game Project
The evolution of game structureCommon game structuresLinearStructured nonlinearOpen nonlinearEndless and sandboxNotes on structureGame contentContent burnScoping practicesContent lifespanGame flowPlanning design workEstimation techniquesPriorities and dependenciesSummary
Chapter 4: Creating Design Documentation
The purpose of a GDDCharacteristics of a good GDDIt is modularIt starts with goals and requirementsIt is the result of a discussionIt is clear, brief, and conciseIt is multimediaIt leaves space for creativity and debateIt comes in different formats and sizesIt is online, shareable, and accessibleTools for writing a GDDWord processorsWikisPresentationsNote organizersDigital whiteboardsMind mapsSpreadsheetsIllustration toolsGenerative AI toolsWriting techniquesUse of styleLayering detailsStart with a high-level designMotion versus actionWrite incrementally by draftingPrioritizeUse of keywordsTable of contentsBullet pointsImages with captionsDiagramsVariablesRedundancyHyperlinksElegance in game designKeep it short and simple (KISS)The less-is-more principleSummary
Chapter 5: Understanding Game Mechanics
What is a game mechanic?Examples of game mechanicsGame mechanics interact with each other to develop dynamicsMechanics and dynamics are part of a featureApproaching mechanic designRules and game mechanicsMechanics and dynamics produce feedbackFinding the right referenceDeconstructing your referencesAdditive and subtractive designPutting it all back togetherSummary
Chapter 6: Designing Systems and Features
Developing an idea into an experienceInnovating with designSolving gameplay problems with designBuilding a game feature starting from the playersGame loopsGame’s model and player’s mental loopsInteractive loopsDesigner’s loopsProgression systemsProgression systems provide pace to the gameProgression systems provide varietyGames as systems of conflictOpponentsObstaclesDilemmasQuality over quantityMore choices, not best choicesCombat systemsHow to design a combat systemCombat depthTeaching game featuresHow to design a tutorialTutorials in free-to-play gamesSummary
Chapter 7: Making Prototypes
What is a prototype?Why a prototype?Prototyping techniquesPaper prototypingDigital prototypingA step-by-step guide to prototypingStep 1 – ask the right questionsStep 2 – select the framework and toolsStep 3 – create the rulesStep 4 – implement and create the prototypeStep 5 – the first playtestStep 6 – iterateStep 7 – move onPrototyping exerciseThe hands-on game designerA paper prototype case studyQuestioning a combat systemAddressing the problemFrom paper to digitalAbstraction versus realityMoving onSummary
Chapter 8: Designing Compelling Stories for Games
NarrativeDo all games have a narrative?Why are stories good for games?Traditional narrative modelsThe three-act storyMonomythDesigning narratives for video gamesLinear narrativeModular narrativeEnvironmental storytellingSummary

Chapter 9: The Fundamentals of Level Design
What is level design?The level-design processThe premiseThe sketchGrayboxingArt implementationFinal polishLevel design and storytellingLevel-design practicesFunctional level design and realismEvolving game featuresPacing from day oneLock and keyGeometry and gameplayEffects of lightingVision as a mechanicLevel design in multiplayer action gamesSummary
Chapter 10: Creating Characters
Do all games need characters?The birth of a video game characterPlayable characters, NPCs, and enemiesThe function of charactersCharacter statistics, attributes, and abilitiesA step-by-step character designAcquire deep knowledge of the gameWrite down the design pillarsWrite a high conceptDefine and balance the statsPrototype and iterateFinal implementationEnemiesTypes of villainsTypes of enemiesEnemy behaviors and statsEnemies exist to entertain a playerDiversitySummary
Chapter 11: Balancing Your Content and Systems
Gameplay balancingGameplay balancing methods and tipsMBT balancingLayered ModifiersGame difficultyStatic difficulty settingsAutomatic difficulty adjustmentPacingMental and sensory stimulationHow to approach pacingSummary
Chapter 12: Building a Great User Interface and User Experience
Understanding UXPlayer inputCamera systemsFeedbackDesigning UIsListing and prioritizing informationUI mockupsUI tips and tricksSummary
Chapter 13: Making Your Games Accessible
Increasing accessibilityReducing cognitive loadLimiting the complexity of interactionMaintaining visual clarityMaking audio optionalRestricting negative consequencesBuilding on common knowledgeTeaching game systemsIn-game teaching techniquesTeaching outside gameplayBest practicesLocalizationPlaytestingWhat to playtest?Playtesting formatsSourcing candidatesRunning playtesting sessionsSummary
Chapter 14: Mastering Games as a Service
Terms of engagementBasic statsMarketing and analyticsEconomy and balancingLive operationsStaffingEfficient live opsManaging the content treadmillLive-game balancingTools and setupContent management system (CMS)Customer relationship management (CRM)DashboardsTest environmentsLive ops toolsAsset streamingEventsEvent classificationEvent componentsEvent rewardsCommunity and customer supportSupporting playersOfficial Discord servers, Reddit communities, and social media accountsGathering feedbackNewslettersLocalized customer supportLive streamingIntroduction to season passesDesigning a season passProgression mechanicsAccessing previous passesPremium rewards and perksSeason pass tipsSummary
Chapter 15: Understanding Monetization Techniques
Basics of F2P monetizationVectors of monetizationTimeDifficultyPlayable contentNon-playable contentIn-game advertisementsEstablishing a game economyAdjusting the monetization strategyBalancing player progressionGachaWeight-based loot tablesPackaging and openingMaintaining consistencyKompu gachaBox gachaBundles and targetingAdjusting your offering based on individual player spendingPurchase rationalizationEvaluate your audience!Players have limited budgetsUsing season passes for monetizationTips for creating a high-performing season passWhy do some games fail to monetize?Poor goal settingContent is not desirablePoor balancing (too easy or too hard)Monetization works but is inherently low performingMonetization tips and tricksEarn an opportunity to spendPlayer spending should build up your community, not divide itDisappointments and regrets cost dearly!Think of technical performance holisticallyScarcity influences valueFocus on daily retentionOptimize your newsletters and notificationsThe network effect can make and break your gamePut yourself in the consumer’s shoesMaintain tight control over your rewardsBeware of stockpiling resourcesStart strong and hook players onto the long-term premisePreview content to spark a desireSummary
Chapter 16: The Final 10%
Putting the pieces togetherFeature creepUser experience improvementPolishingHow to polishQuality assuranceGame designers and QATips for closing a game projectSummary
Index
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Content preview from Practical Game Design - Second Edition

6 Designing Systems and Features

Now that we have a clear understanding of game mechanics, it’s time to learn how to combine them into systems and features. We have studied the ingredients and we are now ready to mix and match them to create all kinds of recipes!

Sometimes, the terms System and Feature are used interchangeably, and again, giving formal definitions is something that we would like to avoid in this book. From a practical point of view, and looking at the ways we have seen these terms used over more than a decade in game design, we can say the following:

A System is a set of interconnected mechanics that interact with each other to create complex gameplay dynamics
A feature is a broad term used to describe an aspect of the game ...

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Practical Game Design - Second Edition

by Adam Kramarzewski, Ennio De Nucci

6

Designing Systems and Features

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.