Understanding the Fundamentals of Game Design
Introduction
The entertainment field has changed over the years, and with it, the art of game design has meticulously crafted and shaped the player experience. It is an intricate process that delves into numerous aspects such as designing levels, working with gameplay mechanics, developing characters, writing a narrative, and many more, unifying into one immersive player experience. This article explores the fundamental principles that construct the world of game design, analyzing its importance in the conception of extraordinary gaming experiences.
In essence, game design is the blueprint for amazement, a driving force that transforms the digital realm into a world of tests, exploration, and inspiring storytelling. Beyond the pixels on the screen lie an essence of player engagement, playing a rhythm that hypnotizes the minds and fuels a player’s emotions to such display. As players navigate these virtual worlds, the impact left by game design becomes profound, guiding through triumph and defeat, enthusiasm and apathy.
In a world where a competitive gaming industry exists, proper game design is critical for its success. Serving as the backbone for the industry, it exceeds the realm of entertainment, forming experiences that further the industry’s future and leaving a deep nostalgia in player’s minds. As we examine the details of game design, we reveal the connections that unite players and video games, learning to turn digital projects into a fascinating experience. In this article, we will go through how games are structured, an approach to designing them, and what it takes to become a competent game designer.
Game Concepts
Before designing a game, it starts with an idea. You can find game ideas just about anywhere you look. You can document your ideas by creating a GDD, also known as a Game Design Document. This document contains all the crucial elements you are willing to incorporate. If you plan to make a game yourself or with a team, this document can help you keep track of your project. Here is a list provided by Nadia Stefyn from the “Game Design Basics: How to start creating video game” article on what you need to include in your Game Design Document:
- The idea or concept
- Genre
- Story and characters
- Core game mechanics
- Gameplay
- Level and world design
- Art and/or sketches
- Monetization strategy
Player Role
In addition to creating an outline, you must understand the player’s role in the video game. What is the player going to do? What are they going to be? These are the types of questions one must ask themselves throughout their game designer journey.
Based on the Fundamentals of Game Design by Adams Ernest, on pg. 69 it states, “Defining the player’s role in the game world is a key part of defining your game’s concept. If the player’s role is difficult to describe, that role might be difficult for the player to grasp as well, and that may indicate conceptual problems with the game. This doesn’t mean that the role always has to be simple or that the player sticks to just one role per game.” Explaining the purpose to the player in your video game helps them understand what they have to achieve and what rules they need to follow.
Successful Game Concept
There are a lot of things that go into creating a successful game concept. Many successful game designers didn’t get it right the first time. A game concept, simply put, is an understandable vision that can sell for many players to enjoy.
In an interview with the Game Informer, Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear franchise, discusses his career, aspirations, development limitations, and The Phantom Pain’s plot (Turi). One of the questions asked was what movies or shows sparked his imagination. He said he has been watching the TV show Breaking Bad and mentions the movie, Gravity. Kojima felt jealous of how the creators handled the story elements for each, as he quotes, “That’s something as a creator impacted me. Making something out of the ordinary, that you wouldn’t think of or be able to do, and making that happen while making it a success” (Turi).
While I did mention that game concepts are comprehensible ideas for a game, Metal Gear Solid has been considered to have the most complicated story of any video game series. However, it still became one of the most successful. Kojima did not have any intention of making the story complex, rather tried to make it as simple and easy to understand with the ability that “once you zoom in there’s a lot of details and a lot of things that you can see there” (Turi). His development process is by making them match with the gameplay elements. As stated by Kojima in the interview, “… I try to think of the setting, put together the plot of the story, and what kind of environment the game world will have. From there I start discussing with the team.” (Turi). His ability to push the boundaries of conventional game design has garnered him great success in the game industry, showcasing that game concepts, when approached with an understanding of the basics and imagination, can redefine the gaming landscape and future installments.
Principles of Game Design
The core principles play a significant role in game design to properly generate a memorable player experience. Without them, many game design concepts would fall apart, creating a massive financial loss for a game company. I gathered three main principles of game design that one must follow to become successful:
- Gameplay Mechanics: At the core of any game lies its gameplay mechanics, an interactive element that guides player engagement. These methods show how a player can interact with the virtual world, forming the overall experience. Whether that be player movement, the combat system, a resource manager, or other systems, exploring intuitive game mechanics can help drive the player experience. Sometimes, keeping it simple can still be enjoyable. For example, the main gameplay mechanic of Tetris is to align the falling block, and it is considered the most successful video game of all time (Parashar). You’ll have a much easier time conceptualizing a compelling mechanic for your game if the mechanic is enjoyable and easy to understand.
- Narrative Storytelling: Aside from game mechanics, storytelling is another factor that comes into play if your game design includes a narrative-driven story that would shape the player’s journey (Parashar). Introducing a story in your game adds layers of story complexity and an engrossing sensation known as immersion (Parashar). Efficient storytelling can transform sequences of events in the game into a memorable, unforgettable story for players to tell.
- Player Immersion: As mentioned in narrative storytelling, player immersion is a technique that makes the player lose track of the outside world (Adams 25). Here are three types of immersion: tactical, strategic, and narrative. Tactical immersion refers to the high-octane energy type of games that rely on high-speed action — also known as Tetris trance — by offering small challenges that can be completed within a fraction of the time (Adams 26). Strategic immersion occurs when the player is trying to win a challenge. The story is not mainly focused on but like in a chess game where you calculate your opponent’s next moves and observe the playing field, optimizing your choices is the main focus. Lastly, narrative immersion, as the name implies, is the feeling of being inside the story. The immersion is similar to the immersion from reading a good book or movie, but in games, the player is one of the actors they are controlling (Adams 26). By showcasing these immersive game design elements, players will feel captivated more often and retain a memory that will stand the test of time.
User Interface in Game Design
The user interface (UI) provides an interactive model that allows player input — button presses in the real world — into actions that the game can translate into core mechanics, presenting them in a visual and audible format (Adams 200). In this section, we will explore the purpose of the user interface in game design and discuss the best methods of intuitive design and user-friendly interface.
Interface Design
Having a solid user interface can make the player experience much more bearable. Menus and inventories, for example, can be easy to navigate if they are simple, intuitive, and consistent with the overall aesthetic and feel of the game (Technologies). An example of a successful game with a good user interface is the survival horror game “Resident Evil 4”. Survival horror games revolve around resource management, managing a limited set of items to carry around (Doc). In Resident Evil 4, the inventory has a skeuomorphic design of an attache case, where you have to align your items like in a Tetris game.
This aesthetic choice helps players better understand the rules of this interface. Large items take up more space and everything you need to carry needs to align correctly in the case. The interface design helps signify to the player that they cannot take all the items they come across but only the essentials. This type of design correlates well with the zombie apocalypse premise portrayed in Resident Evil 4, rations being scarce.
Accessibility in Games
In addition to an interface design, a game designer must focus on accessibility when developing their games. Accessibility is the concept that refers to ease of access. The inclusivity of games is a sign of a well-designed game since it considers those with “color-blindness, hearing impairments, and challenges with mobility” (Parashar). While a few games consider accessibility for people with disabilities, it should not be an afterthought because it is easy and cheap to make games more accessible. Some examples of good accessibility are having closed captions for deaf people, screen contrast adjustment for visually impaired and color-blind individuals, and making challenges in video games have hints in case the user is having trouble solving the problem.
By emphasizing the significance of accessibility, it paves the road for the game industry to embrace a wider audience and ensures that everyone is allowed to enjoy video games alike. Accessibility entails eliminating barriers that may stop people from enjoying games due to physical or mental issues. If game designers were to focus on accessibility, it would make it recognizable to the players that, regardless of any disabilities, you can enjoy a wonderful experience.
Game Balance
To make a game more enjoyable, the game has to be balanced — not super easy nor super difficult, giving the player fairness, enjoyment, and a rewarding player experience. The game designer must find a balance through the design of the game tackle to ensure that the player has a good time. This section also addresses the factors that contribute to rendering games fairer and enjoyable. Additionally, the differences in gameplay among player-versus-player (PVP) and player-versus-environment (PVE) will be explored.
Fairness & Enjoyment
During the game design process, the concept of balance is debated heavily. Many factors influence whether or not a player feels fairly treated while playing. In short, a game is balanced when the player faces challenges in the game world consistently. It is neither too long nor too short to complete but provides meaningful options for the player to continue their journey without ending in a stalemate where nothing is acquired. In order for a balanced game experience, a game designer must “playtest and make adjustments” (Parashar).
There are many ways to combat game balancing, but as explained by game designer veteran Alexander Brazie in his article, “Video Game Balance: A Definitive Gude”, understanding why you are making a balance change is the first step in achieving perfect harmony.
If the game offers meaningful choices, no strategy should be more superior than the other one since there will be no reason to explore alternative options. If one dominant strategy were to exist in your game, then you have game designed poorly. But don’t worry, here are a couple of tips to take into account when trying to balance your game based on Brazie’s 25+ year experience:
1) Examine feedback from various users:
· Is the feedback all related?
· What is the problem they are facing?
· Is it an agency problem? If so, what area if the problem occurring? Where should the results exist?
2) Once you identify the problem and why it is occurring, it is time to consider what to use to fix the problem.
a. Come up with at least 3 different approaches
b. Ask your team and choose the best one.
3) Determine how to define success.
4) Locally playtest it.
5) If it works, deploy the update.
6) Check back on it after a reasonable amount of time to see if the players have adapted to the changes and if it’s working properly.
7) If it’s not working, re-evaluate and try again.
PVP vs PVE
Part of the job for a game designer is choosing whether your game is going Player-vs-Player (Multiplayer experience- PVP) or Player-vs-Environment (Single-player experience- PVE). In a PVP game, you have to remember that players interact with your game mechanics, how they interact with others online, and if it’s fair for everyone. In a PVE game, players work with non-playable characters (NPCs) to complete a mission.
In designing a PvP experience, player competition is the main focus that adds layers of excitement. Maintaining balance in PvP is a rigorous task that requires an in-depth awareness of both player tactics and the functions of the game. To guarantee that no one character, skill, attribute, or tactic prevails over the other, game designers need to regularly assess player input, monitor in-game statistics, and carry out corrections. Take Overwatch 1, for example. Overwatch did regular updates and patches to balance out hero abilities while maintaining a fair and enjoyable competitive sphere. Each hero offers a role in the team, and neither hero is more overpowered than the other. It allows the players to test different strategies and determine which heroes work in harmony with each other and which do not. Improving an environment where multiple strategies occur encourages players to try various playstyles and contribute to an active community.
In contrast, PvE offers a completely different feeling, unlike in PvP. The strength of a PvE game lies in its interactable environment. It provides the player with challenges at a consistent difficulty (Adams 337). AI opponents must provide a sense of accomplishment when defeated, requiring players to employ various tactics and strategies. In games like “Destiny 2,” PvE encounters feature powerful bosses with intricate mechanics, encouraging teamwork and coordination among players. Maintaining balance in PvE ensures that the cooperative aspect of multiplayer games remains rewarding, fostering a sense of community among players as they overcome common challenges. This balance adds to the game’s longevity by providing a
satisfying and varied gameplay experience for those who prefer cooperative adventures.
Genres
The genre of a game defines what the construction management will be. If you are creating a game around medieval role-playing, the genre is different from a medieval space game. Both have a similar construction but different time periods. This section of the article addresses some examples of different game genres and describes the differences in gameplay.
Whenever a game is purchased, the item label has the category of what that game genre belongs to. It could be an RPG, first-person shooter, Action/Adventure, strategy, etc. Each offers a unique gameplay experience for different players. Action games, such as “Call of Duty” or “Devil May Cry,” are known for their rapid combat and reflex-based challenges, which provide an adrenaline rush of excitement. RPGs, like “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” or “Final Fantasy,“ emphasize character growth, thrilling storytelling, and player preferences, providing a deep and comprehensive narrating experience.
Differences of Gameplay Between Genres
The gameplay differences between genres determine what the game designer has been working on. For example, the fast-paced, real-time strategy games like “StarCraft” juxtapose significantly with the organized strategy and turn-based warfare of a game like “Civilization V”. However, many games have taken genre ideas from other games by borrowing similar gameplay to the point that the game category is obsolete information.
A study I encountered from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in 2018 analyzed the descriptors of video games and how, over time, many video games have borrowed gameplay from different genres, making the label feel completely pointless (Doherty). I personally have had experience with this problem and find it problematic to identify what the game is about.
When a game designer is choosing different genres to think about or is trying to incorporate a variety of borrowed genres from other games, it would be best to include sub-genres to be more descriptive. So, instead of saying just “action”, designers can create a sub-genre that provides more information on game mechanics, the theme of the game, or what the player will experience. An example of a sub-genre for the previous label could be “First-person, Hack & Slash game with Platforming”. Clear communication of your games’ features and controls are what the player is going to encounter when picking up your latest title.
Gameplay
Earlier, I mentioned that genre defines gameplay of a video games. This section discusses on how to make a game fun, setting some principles that game designers have to follow. We will refer to Unity as an example for a game engine that many game designers use.
Fun Gameplay & Game Engines
For games, a hierarchy of challenges lays out a map that displays the missions in the game and any submissions along with them. The layout describes the outcomes of the missions in the structure of a tree-hierarchy, having steps that show what the player must complete. Unity’s asset store can provide you with a massive number of scripts, assets, and other in game features to varied different challenges. All of this culminates into a mission structure that many famous games consist of. Games like God of War have the gameplay aspects down in showing the gritty nature of the situation as the main character, Kratos, goes on a revenge journey after the death of his family.
In the world of game design, applying game physics, interactive mechanics, and other components are important. These are features that a game engine can provide us. Drawing from my personal experience with Unity game engine, I’ve found that the experience can be empowering. Unity’s interface and set of tools allowed me to bring my game concepts without difficulty. Granted, it does take some time to adapt to a new interface.
When referring to gameplay, Unity offers many built-in features such as physics, 3D rendering, and collisions detection. You will need a coding editor or IDE (integrated development environment) to work along with Unity. There are many IDE’s, but I recommend Visual Studio as a good starting point. Unity offers a wide-range of assets from their marketplace that developers can access. This helps speed up development time, allowing designers to focus more on refining gameplay and less time working on building assets for their game.
Popular Game
The collaborative capabilities of Unity allow game designers to work together, encouraging creativity and productivity. Multiple designers can contribute on a project at the same time, ensuring that each feature of gameplay is not left unfinished. This is evident in the creation of game “Hollow Knight”. Hollow Knight is a critically acclaimed game developed in the Unity engine. Unity’s ability to handle complex animations and showcase dynamic environment allowed for the overall quality and success of the game. It allowed for the creation of accurate movement and interactions. Furthermore, Unity’s platform allows for cross-platform compatibility, making it available for players to interact with on different game consoles.
Hollow Knight contains unique game mechanics that keep the player engage such as wall jumping and air dashing. Each area in the games grants the player a new ability to progress into unreachable areas. By the striking enemies that you encounter, the player fills up their soul meter, allowing the player to perform offensive moves, like blasting a fireball-like spirit attack, and defensive moves, like shadow dashing which makes you invincible for a couple of frames.
Hollow Knight is a game that demonstrates the capabilities within Unity game development by elevating gameplay to greater levels. Game designers can uncover the details that contributed to the success of captivating and enjoyable gaming experience by diving into Unity’s physics engine, collab features, and asset stores. While Unity is a great option for any indie game designer, there are other alternatives you can check out. Some options include: Unreal Engine, Godot, Buildbox, Armory, Construct 2, GameMaker, and RPG Maker.
Core Mechanics
Core Mechanics is the skeletal structure that shapes how the players interacts in the gaming world. It sets the boundaries in the video game universe and dictate what the player can and cannot do. A few examples of core mechanics are player movement, resource management, and combat systems. In a survival game, you frequently have to open your inventory to manage your gear and items. That inventory is a core mechanics in order for the player to progress.
Core Mechanics can be described in many different way, but there is a commonality among them: Without the core, you can’t play the game. A key aspect to remember that when developing a core mechanic, it should be pleasing for the user to do before adding any art, theme, story, and sub mechanics. A game that I personally experience myself from time to time is the card game Yugioh Master Duel. The game consisted of cards that contain monsters, spells, and traps that you would place on the field. The core mechanic of this game is being able to play cards to defeat your opponent. Alongside the core mechanic, there are features that allow you to build your deck based on your preferred cards and buying new cards to build a deck. These features are supporting the core mechanic. If it did not, it wouldn’t make sense to buy cards or create a deck around your favorite monster archetype.
Every single feature is important, but the core mechanic is the one that links the others together. Other mechanics that don’t work with the core should be discarded. Equally relevant to the core is the fact that every single feature and system should benefit the core or be necessary for it being there in the first place.
For complex games like GTA V, the core concept might seem irrelevant due to the many mechanics it has. In that case, the core concept is separated into different categories, primary core, secondary core, and sub mechanics. Primary mechanics are core mechanics are, explained earlier, readily available and remain the same throughout the game. Secondary mechanics are core mechanics that are infrequent available or require a combination of a primary core to functions. The driving mechanics in many games — in this case, GTA V — is an example of a mechanic that its not purely used to solve the game’s main obstacle, but once understood, can help reach the end goal of the game. Sub mechanics are actions that are taken by the player under certain conditions or due to the results of a main mechanic.
Fundamentals of Level Design
Have you ever felt mesmerized with the surrounding environment and enjoying the missions you have to accomplish in a video game? Well, you are appreciating the work of a level designer. A level designer focuses on, like the title states, levels. They apply the fundamentals of design, such as ensuring the player understands the goals and risks, and creating a layout that has an appropriate pacing required to keep the player engaged. Level designer work closely with game designer to achieve a cohesive, enjoyable experience.
The concepts of flow emphasizes the seamless transitions and enjoyable progression through each level. Player guidance entails the strategic method of directing players through the use of visual cues or alluring areas. Nowadays, level designers are capable of designing complicated mazes with carefully placed enemies and loot. For most AAA games, a company would hire a team of level designers following a structured procedure. If you believe to follow the route of a level designer, using a GDD (Game design document) will serve as a blueprint from which your game will derive from.
A common error that most inexperience level designers face is trying to build something out of their skill range. You must create withing the scope of your budget, time, and available resources at hand. In order to manage a large-scale map design, these should be taken cared of during the planning phase of the game project. Another challenge faced in level design is maintaining aesthetic cohesion. Achieving a consisting theme through each level helps makes each level more distinct from one another. Through careful planning, level designers can work in parallel with game designers to creating visually stunning environments that will captivate players for a long time.
Final Thoughts
As our journey concludes with the fundamentals of game design, it showcases how these principles are the secret formula for creating a fantastic game. From an idea into a product, game designers follow an overall set of guidelines that assemble the game industry’s future. They create memories and stories that many people want to play. And the people who play it are left to resonate with the experience they just had.
But it is not just about making games. Those aspiring to become game designers must hone and master their skills to have a robust skill set. In an industry driven by innovation, a team of creative people is developing a map that resounds with many familiar people.
As I wrap this article, consider this a sign. If you are an aspiring game designer, there are many ways to understand the intricacies that make a video game enjoyable. Learn to code, network with others, and learn the creative process. Many individuals create memorable experiences from interactive entertainment, and you can become the designer of that creation process.
Work Citation
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Parashar, Nilesh. “The Top 10 Game Design Principles Every Developer Should Know.” Medium, Medium, 17 Mar. 2023, medium.com/@niitwork0921/the-top-10-game-design-principles-every-developer-should-know-27ffdf1b0fb4
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Turi, Tim. “Hideo Kojima Discusses His Career, MGS V’s Story, and More.” Game Informer, 9 July 2015, www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/07/09/hideo-kojima-the-full-interview.aspx.
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