Principles of Game Design

John Laird University of Michigan Last changed 9/8/05 [drawn in part from Doug Church]

What is a Game?
How are games different than toys?
Games have rules and goals to be achieved.

Some computer games are really toys

SIMS, Simcity, Nintendogs,

Games can have story, but

Interactive, demands participation

Computer Games
Completely new form of entertainment Completely new worlds to play in Allow players to take on a new persona

 Representing physical objects real or imaginary

Terrain Buildings (exterior and interior walls, floors, ) Game objects (furniture, balls, fluids, weapons, vehicles, ) Animate objects (player, opponents, animals, )

Game Technology: Computational Worlds

Providing dynamics to world

Physics Behavior: AI

Supporting interaction
Graphics Audio: dynamic sound, music, and speech Input devices: speech? Networking

Engineering: Traditional vs. Game

Traditional engineering: High precision Realism Game engineering: High speed Low memory No spiking in resources Scalability O(n) expected Believability Control Low cost development True for graphics, physics, AI, audio, etc. Cheat if dont get caught.

Game Design
Create an experience for the player
Player should have fun, not the designer, programmer or computer

Many different kinds of experiences

Some games are based on a story (dramatic arc, etc). Put the player in his dreams, where he/she is the hero (Sid Meier) Some are puzzles without stories are personification

The player is in some environment

Abstract or representational

The environment has rules of interaction The rules and some criteria for success define a game All managed by the computer

What Makes for Good Gameplay?

1. Pursuing and achieving goals (challenges) 2. Interactivity 3. Feedback about position relative to goals 4. Interesting choices required to achieve goals 5. Consistency and fairness 6. Avoid repetition

Play testing to ensure that you get it right

This is what is behind Fun (which Reality)

Pursuing and Achieving Goals

Always something to achieve Always achieving something Not too easy or too hard Often at least three levels of goals with rewards
Long-term goal [complete game]
I can conquer the world.

Medium-term goal [10-30 minutes]

I can take over a city.

Short-term goal [seconds to minute]

I can win a battle.

What are levels of goals from different game genres?

Common Goals in Computer Games

Eliminate other players
Action games

Score points
Sports games

Get somewhere first Solve puzzles Gain territory

Strategy games Racing games Adventure games

Improve abilities Develop social relationships

Massively multiplayer games Role-playing games

Play god
Simulations

Game Interactivity
Players decisions determine success/outcome
At least the player thinks their actions do Avoid decisions that arent related to success of some goal

Player is not just a passive observer

Can be fun, but is different kind of entertainment Always ask: What is the player going to do?

User interface should not get in the way of interactivity

Simple, consistent

Feedback
Feedback at all levels so players
Know where they are Know where they are relative to other players
high score list

Know where they are relative to goal

Dead and dont even know it

Know what they need to achieve Know what is important in the world Can use knowledge to make choices

Game should not be about

how to get information out of the interface how to randomly explore the world (unless that is fun) how to recall what just happened

Gameplay Variety
Must develop & execute strategies/tactics to achieve goals
Applies across all levels of goals

Interesting decisions to achieve goals

Different strategies/tactics Tradeoffs between strategies/tactics: game balance Avoid tedious goals/decisions: micromanagement
Let computer do those Ask if you take out the tedious activity, what decisions are left?

New decisions enabled as game progresses

Few, simple decisions at first, and then more and more Decisions have impact on how game turns out

Gameplay Consistency and Fairness

There is consistency in the actions and associated outcomes for trying to achieve goals
Must be a reason for failure (or success) Not arbitrary: Players know what to expect and can plan
A pinball game uses pinball physics all the time

Dont solve problems by unique, unlikely actions Dont break suspension of disbelief
Kill self but dead body falls over wall, hits lever to open door

No dead man walking

Fairness
Player thinks they have a fair chance game balance

Can still be plot twists, but must be explainable

Avoid Repetition
Allow user to skip parts already seen
Skip cut scenes Good save system

User must to same thing over and over again

Endless waiting to heal Lining up at spawn points waiting for an item to respawn

Game Design is Hard to Show

A 20 second look doesnt tell you much about a game design Download demos need to play to get it

Gameplay/Game Design Sins

Poor production
Break the suspension of reality Bad writing, bad voice acting, long load times, saving,

Linear plot/gameplay
Players actions dont affect how the plot progresses

Micromanagement
Player is forced to perform meaningless tasks AI should take care of all the obvious choices

Repetition
Player must do same action over and over again Player must sit through same cut scenes every time they play Have to replay 90% of level to fight boss

Doesnt track users learning curve

Should start easy and get harder as game progresses

Poor game balance

Same strategy always works Trial and error is not fun gameplay

Gameplay/Game Design Sins

Not enough variety
Same graphics, objects, monsters, level design, sounds...

Awkward user interface

Must do lots of mousing to do simple task

Limited feedback
Player is confused about goals Player is confused about current progress to goals: no map

Inconsistency in story
There are not compelling and consistent goals for the player

Dead and you dont even know it

Design Principles (Shigeru Miyamoto)

Start with a simple concept
running, climbing, jumping

Design around the computers limitations

Character wears dungarees so easier to see arms move Wears a hat because dont have to have hair Has mustache because couldnt draw nose and mouth

Minimize the players confusion

What to do should be clear without consulting a manual

The importance of play testing Incorporate a smooth learning curve Accommodate all skill levels

Sid Meier Game Design

Player should have fun, not designer, programmer, or computer Begin your game with a great first few minutes Great game-play is a stream of interesting decisions that the player must resolve The inverted pyramid of decision making (have few decisions to deal with first, and then let them multiply until the player is totally engrossed Put the player in his dreams, where he or she is the hero

Nokia Series 40 Game Study: Top 10 Usability Recommendations

1. Provide a Clear Menu Structure Use only one main menu, accessible with the left soft key. Keep the menu short. In general, use the left soft key for OK, select, and menu; use the right soft key for cancel and back. 2. Simplicity Is Key If two solutions are equally valid, use the simpler. Make sure each entity in the game is unique, and not easily confused with any other. Provide different game modes only if they are truly different and valuable. 3. Provide Help When Needed Keep help text short. If feasible, scroll text one screen at a time, not one line at a time. Display short text on the screen to explain new items, characters, and situations in the game. Provide a setting to disable in-game help. Provide a graphic representation of which keys are used for which functions. Do not expect players to read help text or force them to do so.

Recommendations 4-7
4. Be Relentlessly Consistent Use the mother tongue of the user. Be consistent with the phone's UI, with game industry conventions, and within the game itself. Use the left soft key for OK, select, and menu; use the right soft key for cancel and back. 5. Don't Waste the User's Time Allow her to skip the introduction. Do not require re-entry of data. Provide shortcuts and reasonable default values. 6. Use Natural Controls Use the 2, 4, 6, and 8 keys for horizontal and vertical movement as well as the arrow keys; use the 1, 3, 7, and 9 keys for diagonal movement, if enabled. Use the 5 key as the action button. Design the game so that it does not lure the user into pressing two keys at once, since many mobile devices (and all Series 40 devices) do not support simultaneous keypresses. 7. Enable Save and Pause Provide a simple save-game feature. Have the game auto-save when the user presses the red phone button - use the destroyApp() method to do this. Provide a pause mode (left soft key, which goes to the game menu); this can be done using the hideNotify() method. If the user quits the game from the pause mode, have the game auto-save.

Recommendations 8-10
8. Conform to Real-World Expectations For example, when jumping or throwing objects, the flight path should be predictable. There must be no invisible barriers that the player cannot pass or holes that he cannot reach. Do not end the game arbitrarily. Implement a realistic physics model if relevant (for example, racing games). 9. Go Easy on the Sound Provide sound for feedback, but ensure that the game is playable with the sound off, and provide an easy way to turn sound off within the game. No annoying sounds: not too loud, not too high-pitched. Avoid background music, if possible. 10. Implement a High Scores List Tell the user what score he reached before asking for a name; provide the previously entered name as the default. Do not force the user to enter a name; make it optional.