1. Look and Feel Guidelines for Casual Games
Themes
Visual Design
Audio
Writing
Polish

2. Audience Demographics Drive Look and Feel
NOT THE SAME AS CORE GAMERS
Core gamers are mostly:
Young
Male
Often favor adolescent power fantasies

3. Who Is The Casual Gamer? Older More female
Less experience with videogame canon

4. Themes Choosing well is key to Helping users understand your game
Building a sense of comfort, safety, and excitement

5. Themes
Non-violent, family friendly

6. Themes
Non-violent, family friendly

7. Themes
Aspirational fantasies

8. Themes
Fun, quirky themes

9. Themes
Abstract can be OK

10. Visual Design Key to telling the audience “this is for me”
Sets the tone for the audience’s connection to your game
Presented in varying flavors of escapism

11. Visual Design
Good looking, but usually stylized

12. Visual Design
Detail OK if not too realistic

13. Visual Design
Don’t get too gritty

14. Visual Design
Beware of getting “too cute”

15. Real Time 3D Bad idea Especially if used for 3-space mechanic
Often leads to photorealism. Boo!
Especially if used for 3-space mechanic
Difficult for non-gamers, especially women
Cuts out chunks of the market

16. Real Time 3D
Using 3D assets to express a 2D game

17. Real Time 3D
This is a 2D game, honest

18. Audio Design Key tool for building immersion
Often undervalued in game production (not just casual)
Worth making multiple passes

19. Sound Effects
Sound effects need to communicate the moments of your games
Back-of-monitor test
Keep the sounds aligned with the player’s emotions.
Celebrate the big moments
Don’t be afraid to go large

20. Music Composition Build out the feel of your world and game
Music can be used to connote game state as well
Mainline gameplay
Hazard
Victory
Side note: Beware of crazy-making loops

21. Writing Guidelines Avoid excessive text
Computer is a bad place to read
Middle of a game is a bad place to read

22. Writing Guidelines
6 dialogs, 2 in-game interactions

23. Writing Guidelines
Keep the story aligned with the game

24. Writing Guidelines Delivering great stories Write more than you show
Leave the audience wanting more

25. Writing Guidelines Great story delivery Show, don’t tell
Reveal through gameplay

26. Polish Going above and beyond to make the game look and feel special
Polish counts everywhere
Casual games have professionalized

27. Polish
Amateur quality shows
But may be non-fatal

28. In Summary Theme: An inviting metaphor that rationalizes your game
Visual Design: Let the audience know the game is for them
Audio Design: Help the player get immersed in the game experience
Writing: Show, don’t tell. Keep it short.
Polish: Do as much as you can afford to make the game feel great