1. Fundaments of Game Design
Ch 1
Richard Gesick

2. What is a Game?

3. WHAT IS GAME DESIGN ?
Game design is the process of creating the content and rules of a game.
Good game design is the process of creating goals that a player feels motivated to reach
rules that a player must follow as he makes making meaningful decisions in pursuit of those goals.

4. What makes a game “good”
Good game design is player-centric
Player’s desires are truly considered
game design is about creating opportunities for players to make meaningful decisions that affect the outcome of the game.

5. The “core” or “core dynamic” of a game
the single thing gameplay is about
A core is usually tied to a specific “core mechanic”

6. Some core dynamics Territorial Acquisition Prediction
Spatial Reasoning Survival
Destruction Building
Collection Trading
Chasing or Evading Race to the End

7. learning game design Learning by doing
order to design, you must practice design, and you must play what you practice.

8. Approaches to design Blue sky Slow boil Mechanic
MDA (mechanics-dynamics-aesthetics) aesthetics doesn’t refer to looks but emotional responses
IP (of others)
Story
Research

9. an iterative process
the game is quickly prototyped, played, and refined again and again and again
Emphasis on game play, not appearance
Rules: don’t write them until you have to
Avoid patches that work around problems

10. Constraints Budget Time frame to completion Platform Audience Rating
Cost to manufacture
Physical dimensions

11. Designer’s block Force a change of dynamics by:
Changing a resources’ availability
Allow players to affect the play of others
Change the order of play
“kill” a rule
The rule of 2