Where we are now At this point you’ve got your game concept/idea and you need to turn this into a working document (specification) You will know the environment in which the player will reside and what choices they will make, so now its time to pin down the details

What a game isn’t (apparently) A bunch of cool features – these are a necessity, but do not in themselves, make a game – adding unnecessary features is known as gold plating Fancy graphics – high quality graphics are required in games in today’s industry but will not save a game if the core creativity is lacking The danger focusing on fancy graphics and indeed cool features can distract the development team from putting more depth in the game

What a game isn’t (cont.) Puzzles – games can be broken down into sets of linked puzzles – to many puzzles in a game however can divert from the main story and a puzzle isn’t a game in itself Setting and Story – a good setting and story draws the player in and impels him through the action, but again it will amount to nothing if the game play is not there None of these features are sufficient in and of themselves to make a game

Game Play Assuming your idea isn’t rubbish, you must focus on what you need to do to make your game successful A good game is one that you can win by doing the unexpected and making it work, this is known as the surprise and delight factor, this is almost the definition of Game Play All well designed games require the development of strategies to play them effectively

Game Goals Collect Something (Point scoring) Gain Territory (Classic War Games) Get Somewhere first (Racing) Removing a series of obstacles (Beating opponents, finding keys to open doors) Discovery (Exploration or Problem Solving) Eliminate Other Players (Multiplayer) When you are designing multiple objectives into your game, make sure they interact, otherwise you are designing two games in parallel which don’t combine to make a whole

Questions - Game spec What are the aims of the game? How will the player achieve those aims? What will the game be like to play? Key features of game play?

Game spec Features – these are what make your game unique and they emerge from rules, some features are required to make the game work, others enhance your enjoyment and others are game play substitutes Game play – explains to the developers how the game is supposed to work, provides a vision statement that can be referred to throughout development and helps you focus on the integral features

Game spec (cont.) Interface – primary function is to help the player play the game and should help the player forget there are any restrictions his control of the game Rules – at this stage you can only take a guess at the rules that will create the game– you will be continually adding and amending rules throughout game development

Game Spec cont. 2 Level design – is a major part of core game play, contributes greatly to the style, background and story of the game. How they are constructed can either enhance the game play or detract from it Level design should provide an opportunity to show off the games merits and not close of valid choices using a non-linear approach