The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Table of Lenses
Hello
1 In the Beginning, There Is the Designer
	Magic Words
	What Skills Does a Game Designer Need?
	The Most Important Skill
	The Five Kinds of Listening
	The Secret of the Gifted
	Other Reading to Consider
2 The Designer Creates an Experience
	The Game Is Not the Experience
	Is This Unique to Games?
	Three Practical Approaches to Chasing Rainbows
		Psychology
		Anthropology
		Design
	Introspection: Powers, Perils, and Practice
		Peril #1: Introspection Can Lead to False Conclusions about Reality
		Peril #2: What Is True of My Experiences May Not Be True for Others
	Dissect Your Feelings
	Defeating Heisenberg
		Analyze Memories
		Two Passes
		Sneak Glances
		Observe Silently
	Essential Experience
	All That’s Real Is What You Feel
3 The Experience Takes Place in a Venue
	The Shifting Sands of Platform
	Private Venues
		The Hearth
		The Workbench
		The Reading Nook
	Public Venues
		The Theater
		The Arena
		The Museum
	Half Private/Half Public Venues
		The Gaming Table
		The Playground
		Anywhere
	Venues Mixed and Matched
	Other Reading to Consider
4 The Experience Rises Out of a Game
	A Rant about Definitions
	So What Is a Game
	No, Seriously, What Is a Game
	Problem Solving 101
	The Fruits of Our Labor
	Other Reading to Consider
5 The Game Consists of Elements
	What Are Little Games Made Of
	The Four Basic Elements
	Skin and Skeleton
6 The Elements Support a Theme
	Mere Games
	Unifying Themes
	Resonance
	Back to Reality
	Other Reading to Consider
7 The Game Begins with an Idea
	Inspiration
	State the Problem
	How to Sleep
	Your Silent Partner
		Subconscious Tip #1: Pay Attention
		Subconscious Tip #2: Record Your Ideas
		Subconscious Tip #3: Manage Its Appetites (Judiciously)
		Subconscious Tip #4: Sleep
		Subconscious Tip #5: Don’t Push Too Hard
		A Personal Relationship
	Sixteen Nitty-Gritty Brainstorming Tips
		Brainstorm Tip #1: The Write Answer
		Brainstorm Tip #2: Write or Type
		Brainstorm Tip #3: Sketch
		Brainstorm Tip #4: Toys
		Brainstorm Tip #5: Change Your Perspective
		Brainstorm Tip #6: Immerse Yourself
		Brainstorm Tip #7: Crack Jokes
		Brainstorm Tip #8: Spare No Expense
		Brainstorm Tip #9: The Writing on the Wall
		Brainstorm Tip #10: The Space Remembers
		Brainstorm Tip #11: Write Everything
		Brainstorm Tip #12: Number Your Lists
		Brainstorm Tip #13: Destroy Your Assumptions
		Brainstorm Tip #14: Mix and Match Categories
		Brainstorm Tip #15: Talk to Yourself
		Brainstorm Tip #16: Find a Partner
	Look At All These Ideas! Now What
	Other Reading to Consider
8 The Game Improves through Iteration
	Choosing an Idea
	The Eight Filters
	The Rule of the Loop
	A Short History of Software Engineering
		Danger—Waterfall—Keep Back
		Barry Boehm Loves You
	The Agile Manifesto
	Risk Assessment and Prototyping
		Example: Prisoners of Bubbleville
			Prisoners of Bubbleville: Design Brief
			Prisoners of Bubbleville: Risk List
			Prisoners of Bubbleville: Risk Mitigation
	Ten Tips for Productive Prototyping
		Prototyping Tip #1: Answer a Question
		Prototyping Tip #2: Forget Quality
		Prototyping Tip #3: Don’t Get Attached
		Prototyping Tip #4: Prioritize Your Prototypes
		Prototyping Tip #5: Parallelize Prototypes Productively
		Prototyping Tip #6: It Doesn’t Have to Be Digital
	Tetris: A Paper Prototype
	Halo: A Paper Prototype
		Prototyping Tip #7: It Doesn’t Have to Be Interactive
		Prototyping Tip #8: Pick a “Fast Loop” Game Engine
		Prototyping Tip #9: Build the Toy First
		Prototyping Tip #10: Seize Opportunities for More Loops
	Closing the Loop
		Loop 1: “New Racing” Game
		Loop 2: “Racing Subs” Game
		Loop 3: “Flying Dinos” Game
	How Much Is Enough
	Your Secret Fuel
	Other Reading to Consider
9 The Game Is Made for a Player
	Einstein’s Violin
	Project Yourself
	Demographics
	The Medium Is the Misogynist
		Five Stereotypes about What Males Like to See in Games
		Five Stereotypes about What Females Like to See in Games
	Psychographics
		LeBlanc’s Taxonomy of Game Pleasures
		Bartle’s Taxonomy of Player Types
		More Pleasure: MORE!
	Other Reading to Consider
10 The Experience Is in the Player’s Mind
	Modeling
	Focus
	Empathy
	Imagination
	Other Reading to Consider
11 The Player’s Mind Is Driven by the Player’s Motivation
	Needs…
	…And More Needs
	Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation
	Wanna vs. Hafta
	Novelty
	Judgment
	Other Reading to Consider
12 Some Elements Are Game Mechanics
	Mechanic 1: Space
		Nested Spaces
		Zero Dimensions
	Mechanic 2: Time
		Discrete and Continuous Time
		Clocks and Races
		Controlling Time
	Mechanic 3: Objects
		Secrets
	Mechanic 4: Actions
		Emergent Gameplay
	Mechanic 5: Rules
		Parlett’s Rule Analysis
		Modes
		Enforcer
		Cheatability
		The Most Important Rule
		Wrapping Up Rules
	Mechanic 6: Skill
		Real vs. Virtual Skills
		Enumerating Skills
	Mechanic 7: Chance
		Invention of Probability
		Ten Rules of Probability Every Game Designer Should Know
			Rule #1: Fractions Are Decimals Are Percents
			Rule #2: Zero to One—and That’s It!
			Rule #3: “Looked For” Divided By “Possible Outcomes” Equals Probability
			Rule #4: Enumerate!
			Rule #5: In Certain Cases, OR Means Add
			Rule #6: In Certain Cases, AND Means Multiply
			Rule #7: One Minus “Does” = “Doesn’t”
			Rule #8: The Sum of Multiple Linear Random Selections Is NOT a Linear Random Selection!
			Rule #9: Roll the Dice
			Rule #10: Geeks Love Showing Off (Gombaud’s Law)
		Expected Value
		Consider Values Carefully
		The Human Element
		Skill and Chance Get Tangled
	Other Reading to Consider
13 Game Mechanics Must Be in Balance
	The Twelve Most Common Types of Game Balance
		Balance Type #1: Fairness
			Symmetrical Games
			Asymmetrical Games
			Biplane Battle
			Rock, Paper, Scissors
		Balance Type #2: Challenge vs. Success
		Balance Type #3: Meaningful Choices
			Triangularity
		Balancing Type #4: Skill vs. Chance
		Balancing Type #5: Head vs. Hands
		Balance Type #6: Competition vs. Cooperation
		Balance Type #7: Short vs. Long
		Balance Type #8: Rewards
		Balance Type #9: Punishment
		Balance Type #10: Freedom vs. Controlled Experience
		Balance Type #11: Simple vs. Complex
			Natural vs. Artificial Balancing
			Elegance
			Character
		Balance Type #12: Detail vs. Imagination
	Game Balancing Methodologies
	Balancing Game Economies
	Dynamic Game Balancing
	The Big Picture
	Other Reading to Consider
14 Game Mechanics Support Puzzles
	The Puzzle of Puzzles
	Aren’t Puzzles Dead
	Good Puzzles
		Puzzle Principle #1: Make the Goal Easily Understood
		Puzzle Principle #2: Make It Easy to Get Started
		Puzzle Principle #3: Give a Sense of Progress
		Puzzle Principle #4: Give a Sense of Solvability
		Puzzle Principle #5: Increase Difficulty Gradually
		Puzzle Principle #6: Parallelism Lets the Player Rest
		Puzzle Principle #7: Pyramid Structure Extends Interest
		Puzzle Principle #8: Hints Extend Interest
		Puzzle Principle #9: Give the Answer!
		Puzzle Principle #10: Perceptual Shifts Are a Double-Edged Sword
	A Final Piece
	Other Reading to Consider
15 Players Play Games through an Interface
	Between Yin and Yang
	Breaking It Down
	The Loop of Interaction
	Juiciness
	Primality
	Channels of Information
		Step 1: List and Prioritize Information
		Step 2: List Channels
		Step 3: Map Information to Channels
		Step 4: Review Use of Dimensions
		Modes
			Mode Tip #1: Use as Few Modes as Possible
			Mode Tip #2: Avoid Overlapping Modes
			Mode Tip #3: Make Different Modes Look as Different as Possible
		Other Interface Tips
			Interface Tip #1: Steal
			Interface Tip #2: Customize
			Interface Tip #3: Design around Your Physical Interface
			Interface Tip #4: Theme Your Interface
			Interface Tip #5: Sound Maps to Touch
			Interface Tip #6: Balance Options and Simplicity with Layers
			Interface Tip #7: Use Metaphors
			Interface Tip #8: If It Looks Different, It Should Act Different
			Interface Tip #9: Test, Test, Test!
			Interface Tip #10: Break the Rules to Help Your Player
	Other Reading to Consider
16 Experiences Can Be Judged by Their Interest Curves
	My First Lens
	Interest Curves
	Patterns inside Patterns
	What Comprises Interest
		Factor 1: Inherent Interest
		Factor 2: Poetry of Presentation
		Factor 3: Projection
	Interest Factor Examples
	Putting It All Together
	Other Reading to Consider
17 One Kind of Experience Is the Story
	Story/Game Duality
	The Myth of Passive Entertainment
	The Dream
	The Reality
		Real-World Method 1: The String of Pearls
		Real-World Method 2: The Story Machine
	The Problems
		Problem #1: Good Stories Have Unity
		Problem #2: The Combinatorial Explosion
		Problem #4: Not Enough Verbs
		Problem #5: Time Travel Makes Tragedy Obsolete
	The Dream Reborn
		Ten Story Tips for Game Designers
		Story Tip #1: Respect the Story Stack
		Story Tip #2: Put Your Story to Work!
		Story Tip #3: Goals, Obstacles, and Conflicts
		Story Tip #4: Make It Real
		Story Tip #5: Provide Simplicity and Transcendence
		Story Tip #6: Consider the Hero’s Journey
			Vogler’s Synopsis of the Hero’s Journey
		Story Tip #7: Keep Your Story World Consistent
		Story Tip #8: Make Your Story World Accessible
		Story Tip #9: Use Clichés Judiciously
		Story Tip #10: Sometimes a Map Brings a Story to Life
		Story Tip #11: Surprise and Emotion
	Other Reading to Consider
18 Story and Game Structures Can Be Artfully Merged with Indirect Control
	The Feeling of Freedom
	Indirect Control Method #1: Constraints
	Indirect Control Method #2: Goals
	Indirect Control Method #3: Interface
	Indirect Control Method #4: Visual Design
	Indirect Control Method #5: Characters
	Indirect Control Method #6: Music
	Collusion
	Other Reading to Consider
19 Stories and Games Take Place in Worlds
	Transmedia Worlds
	The Power of Pokémon
	Properties of Transmedia Worlds
		Transmedia Worlds Are Powerful
		Transmedia Worlds Are Long Lived
		Transmedia Worlds Evolve over Time
	What Successful Transmedia Worlds Have in Common
20 Worlds Contain Characters
	The Nature of Game Characters
		Novel Characters
		Movie Characters
		Game Characters
	Avatars
		The Ideal Form
		The Blank Slate
	Creating Compelling Game Characters
		Character Tip #1: List Character Functions
		Character Tip #2: Define and Use Character Traits
		Character Tip #3: Use the Interpersonal Circumplex
		Character Tip #4: Make a Character Web
			Archie
			Veronica
			Betty
			Reggie
			Jughead
		Character Tip #5: Use Status
		Character Tip #6: Use the Power of the Voice
		Character Tip #7: Use the Power of the Face
		Character Tip #8: Powerful Stories Transform Characters
		Character Tip #9: Let Your Characters Surprise Us
		Character Tip #10: Avoid the Uncanny Valley
	Other Reading to Consider
21 Worlds Contain Spaces
	The Purpose of Architecture
	Organizing Your Game Space
		A Word about Landmarks
	Christopher Alexander Is a Genius
		Alexander’s Fifteen Properties of Living Structures
	Real vs. Virtual Architecture
		Know How Big
		Third-Person Distortion
	Level Design
	Other Reading to Consider
22 Some Interfaces Create a Feeling of Presence
	The Power of Presence
	Six Presence Breakers
		Presence Breaker #1: Motion Sickness
		Presence Breaker #2: Counter-Intuitive Interactions
		Presence Breaker #3: Intensity Overload
		Presence Breaker #4: Unrealistic Audio
		Presence Breaker #5: Proprioceptive Disconnect
		Presence Breaker #6: Lack of Identity
	Six Presence Builders
		Presence Builder #1: Hand Presence
		Presence Builder #2: Social Presence
		Presence Builder #3: Familiarity
		Presence Builder #4: Realistic Audio
		Presence Builder #5: Proprioceptive Alignment
		Presence Builder #6: Comedy
	Encourage Looking Around
	Consider Brownboxing
	Different Hardware Enables Different Experiences
23 The Look and Feel of a World Is Defined by Its Aesthetics
	Monet Refuses the Operation
	The Value of Aesthetics
	Learning to See
	How to Let Aesthetics Guide Your Design
	How Much Is Enough
	Use Audio
	Balancing Art and Technology
	Other Reading to Consider
24 Some Games Are Played with Other Players
	We Are Not Alone
	Why We Play with Others
	Other Reading to Consider
25 Other Players Sometimes Form Communities
	More than Just Other Players
	Ten Tips for Strong Communities
		Community Tip #1: Foster Friendships
		Community Tip #2: Put Conflict at the Heart
		Community Tip #3: Use Architecture to Shape Your Community
		Community Tip #4: Create Community Property
		Community Tip #5: Let Players Express Themselves
		Community Tip #6: Support Three Levels
		Community Tip #7: Force Players to Depend on Each Other
		Community Tip #8: Manage Your Community
		Community Tip #9: Obligation to Others Is Powerful
		Community Tip #10: Create Community Events
	The Challenge of Griefing
	The Future of Game Communities
	Other Reading to Consider
26 The Designer Usually Works with a Team
	The Secret of Successful Teamwork
		If You Can’t Love the Game, Love the Audience
	Designing Together
	Team Communication
	Other Reading to Consider
27 The Team Sometimes Communicates through Documents
	The Myth of the Game Design Document
	The Purpose of Documents
		Memory
		Communication
	Types of Game Documents
		Design
		Engineering
		Art
		Production
		Writing
		Players
	So, Where Do I Start
	Other Reading to Consider
28 Good Games Are Created through Playtesting
	Playtesting
	My Terrible Secret
	Playtest Question the First: Why
	Playtest Question the Second: Who
	Playtest Question the Third: When
	Playtest Question the Fourth: Where
	Playtest Question the Fifth: What
		The First What: Things You Know You Are Looking For
		The Second What: Things You Don’t Know You Are Looking For
	Playtest Question the Sixth: How
		Should You Even Be There
		What Do You Tell Them Up Front
		Where Do You Look
		What Other Data Should You Collect During Play
		Will I Disturb the Players Midgame
	What Data Will I Collect after the Play Session
		Surveys
		Interviews
		FFWWDD
	Other Reading to Consider
29 The Team Builds a Game with Technology
	Technology, At Last
	Foundational vs. Decorational
		Mickey’s First Cartoon
		Abalone
		Sonic the Hedgehog
		Myst
		Journey
		Ragdoll Physics
	The Touch Revolution
	The Hype Cycle
	The Innovator’s Dilemma
	The Law of Divergence
	The Singularity
	Look into Your Crystal Ball
	Other Reading to Consider
30 Your Game Will Probably Have a Client
	Who Cares What the Client Thinks
	Coping with Bad Suggestions
	Not That Rock
	The Three Layers of Desire
	Firenze, 1498
	Other Reading to Consider
31 The Designer Gives the Client a Pitch
	Why Me
	A Negotiation of Power
	The Hierarchy of Ideas
	Twelve Tips for a Successful Pitch
		Pitch Tip #1: Get in the Door
		Pitch Tip #2: Show You Are Serious
		Pitch Tip #3: Be Organized
		Pitch Tip #4: Be Passionate!!!!!
		Pitch Tip #5: Assume Their Point of View
		Pitch Tip #6: Design the Pitch
		Pitch Tip #7: Know All the Details
		Pitch Tip #8: Exude Confidence
		Pitch Tip #9: Be Flexible
		Pitch Tip #10: Rehearse
		Pitch Tip #11: Get Them to Own It
		Pitch Tip #12: Follow Up
	Hey, What about Kickstarter
	Other Reading to Consider
32 The Designer and Client Want the Game to Make a Profit
	Love and Money
	Know Your Business Model
		Retail
		Direct Download
		Free-to-Play
	Know Your Competition
	Know Your Audience
	Learn the Language
		General Game Business Terms
		Free-to-Play Business Terms
	Know the Top Sellers
	The Importance of Barriers
	Other Reading to Consider
33 Games Transform Their Players
	How Do Games Change Us
	Can Games Be Good for You
		Emotional Maintenance
		Connecting
		Exercise
		Education
			Giving the Brain What It Wants
			Facts
			Problem Solving
			Systems of Relationships
			New Insights
			Curiosity
			Creating Teachable Moments
	Transformational Games
		Transformational Tip #1: Define Your Transformation
		Transformational Tip #2: Find Great Subject Matter Experts
		Transformational Tip #3: What Does the Instructor Need
		Transformational Tip #4: Don’t Do Too Much
		Transformational Tip #5: Assess Transformation Appropriately
		Transformational Tip #6: Choose the Right Venue
		Transformational Tip #7: Accept the Realities of the Market
	Can Games Be Bad for You
		Violence
		Addiction
	Experiences
	Other Reading to Consider
34 Designers Have Certain Responsibilities
	The Danger of Obscurity
	Being Accountable
	Your Hidden Agenda
	The Secret Hidden in Plain Sight
	The Ring
	Other Reading to Consider
35 Each Designer Has a Purpose
	The Deepest Theming
Goodbye
Acknowledgments
Endnotes
Bibliography
Index