This book presents 71 practical game design tools that readers can use to solve real-world game design problems. Written to be a "toolbox" for game designers, it offers a hands-on approach with clear and easy-to-use tools so that readers can quickly find the right solution to the problem they are facing.
This book is divided into six game design phases: ideation, exploration, commitment, problem solving, balancing, and tuning. Each category contains an array of relevant tools, and the accompanying indexes offer suggestions for tools to use for specific problems. Support Materials for this book offer further teaching materials, exercises, and complementary FAQs.
Written to be a practical resource, this book will be a useful toolbox for junior and veteran game designers alike.
Author(s): Martin Annander
Edition: 1
Publisher: CRC Press
Year: 2023
Language: English
Commentary: Published: 6 December 2023
Pages: 190
City: Boca Raton
Tags: Game Design
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 ◾ Game Design
Game Designer
Stages of A Game’s Design
Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics (MDA)
Loops and Hoops
Embracing Subjectivity
The Tools
Chapter 2 ◾ Ideation
Ask Fewer Questions
Brainstorm on Paper
Zoom in, Zoom Out
Verbalize
Say “Yes, And…”
Try It
Set a Theme
Invent a Mechanic
Decide Who the Player Plays
Assume Less
Start From Conflict
Pretend to Play
Hold Structured Meetings
Chapter 3 ◾ Exploration
Spot The Sausage Cake
Make Analog Prototypes
Use Timeboxes
Design in Layers
Make Flowchart Prototypes
Role Play your Design
Add Uncertainty
Magic It!
Think of the Data
Add Rough Edges
Input, Output, Scream
Challenge Play With Plot
Build Task Forces
Chapter 4 ◾ Commitment
Tell a Story
Build an Amusement Park
Say It Again
Define the Features
Stand on Pillars
Cross-Matrix Everything
Factualize
Write One-Pagers
Set Metrics
Play, Don’t Show
Check It
Chapter 5 ◾ Problem Solving
Make Player Personas
Observe and Analyze
Test Blind
Draw a Strategy Map
Verify With Checklists
Validate Your Pillars
Lay a Trail
Make it Escalate
Give Them Carrots
Burn Them on the Stove
Solve Problems
Leave Things Behind
Chapter 6 ◾ Balancing
One Thing At a Time
Ask Sly Questions
Avoid Domination
Double or Halve
By 10
Test for Extremes
Lift Things Up
Use Foiling
Balance Coverage
Simplify Your Math
Tween More
Put the Door Before the Key
Chapter 7 ◾ Tuning
Refine Your Audience
Exterminate your Darlings
Put the Cool Thing First
Remove Uninformed Choices
Allow Customization
Offend on Purpose
Put it Elsewhere
Make it Fun to Watch
Think Like a Player
Meet Player Intentions
References
Index
