Video Game Design For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond the Book
Part 1 Getting Started with Game Design
	Chapter 1 Introducing the Art of Game Design
		Discovering What Game Design Is
		Looking at a Brief History of Game Design
		Leaning Into the Fun
		Preparing to Think Systematically
		Diving Into the Game Designer’s Mind
		Constructing Your First Game
	Chapter 2 Knowing Why Game Design Matters
		Game Design Is the Glue of Games
		Looking at Examples of Game Design
		Understanding Player Motivations
			Psychological aspects of gaming
			Types of player motivation
		Creating Meaningful Experiences
			Creating agency and immersion
			Making players feel something
			Balancing challenge
			Implementing difficulty curves
			Designing with flow in mind
		Designing Around Constraints
		Navigating Legal and Ethical Considerations
			Understanding laws that protect your work
			Learning ethical game design practices
	Chapter 3 Overviewing the Game Design Process
		Exploring the Phases of a Game’s Design
			Concepting
			Pre-production
			Production
			Launch
			Post-production
		Setting Design Intentions
			Creating intention in your journey
			Establishing design pillars
			Aligning a team’s vision
		Managing Scope
	Chapter 4 Becoming a Game Designer
		Learning What It Takes to Be a Game Designer
			Exploring what game designers do
			Knowing the top five game design skills
			Making games is fun
			Approaching game design as a craft
			Developing the designer’s mind
			Curating ideas
			Finding your design style
			Preparing to hear feedback
			Collaborating with your team
			Learning from other designers
			Analyzing games
		Putting Your Ideas on Paper
			Gathering the tools to get you started
			Designing a game on paper
			Designing a system in a spreadsheet
			Building a world
			Learning how to prototype
		Moving from Hobbyist to Industry
			Building a portfolio
			Joining a game jam
			Practicing your craft
			Acing the design interview
Part 2 Exploring Game Design Elements
	Chapter 5 Game Design Tools and Software
		Gathering Design Tools
			Putting pen to paper
			Picking a game engine
			Choosing 3-D tools
			Choosing 2-D tools
			Becoming familiar with user generated content platforms
		Learning Project Management
			Knowing that every project needs to be managed
			Planning and scheduling
			Using collaboration tools
	Chapter 6 Getting Into Game Mechanics
		Understanding Game Mechanics
			Defining core mechanics
			Supporting mechanics
			Defining rules
			Defining interactions
			Creating feedback systems
			Structuring progression systems
		Digging Into How Mechanics Impact Gameplay and Fun
			Putting player experience first
			Getting a feel for game feel
			Understanding game balance
		Exploring Examples of Game Mechanics
			Case study #1: Ooblets
			Case study #2: Inscryption
			Case study #3: Thronefall
	Chapter 7 Understanding Game Systems
		Core Elements of Game Systems
			Defining the foundation of game systems
			Making games work with rules and systems
			Using system design principles
		Progression Systems
			Structuring leveling systems
			Creating reward structures
			Examples of progression systems
		Social Systems
			Creating dynamics between players
			Building player communities
			Examples of social systems
		Economy Systems
			Building virtual economies
			Balancing supply and demand
			Examples of economy systems
		Balancing and Iteration of Game Systems
			Testing game systems
			Updating game systems post-launch
	Chapter 8 Incorporating Story in Games
		Telling a Story
			Writing story conceit
			Developing characters
				Initial creation
				Names
				Archetypes
			Creating narrative structure
		Designing Worlds
			Worldbuilding techniques
			Creating immersive worlds
				A top-down view of your world
				A golden path
				The layout of the world’s map
			Being consistent in world design
	Chapter 9 Developing an Art Style in Games
		Defining Art Style
			Identifying the elements of art style
			Understanding how art style evokes a game’s mood
			Figuring out your art style
			Creating consistency in your artwork
			Adapting art style to gameplay and narrative
			Telling a story through visuals
		Choosing Tools and Software for Art Style Development
		Exploring Elements of Art Style
			Visual elements
				Color theory
				Shape language
				Texture and material
			Animation style
			Audio style
		Considering Scope When Choosing an Art Style
			Budgeting for art style
			Collaborating with artists and designers
			Managing art production timelines
			Addressing technical constraints and optimization
		Ethical and Cultural Considerations
			Representation in art style
			Ethical challenges
	Chapter 10 Creating an Engaging User Experience
		Defining User Experience in Games
			Importance of UX in game design
			Impact on players and retention
		Finding Out Who Will Play Your Game
			Gathering information through surveys
			Researching the market
			Creating personas
		Designing for Your Players
			Tailoring gameplay mechanics to your players
			Choosing features of the genre
			Designing effective tutorials
			Appealing to your players
		Designing Interfaces
			Learning interface design principles
			Tending to accessibility considerations
			Choosing tools and techniques for accessibility
			Designing responsive interfaces
			Designing for platforms and devices
		Looking at Examples of User Experience in Games
			Analyzing successful UX design
			How UX design impacts players and reviews
Part 3 Balancing Your Game
	Chapter 11 What Game Balance Is
		Defining Game Balance
			Balancing game economy and systems
			Looking at examples of good and bad game balance
		Learning Design Guidelines for Game Balance
			Reviewing guidelines of fairness and equity
			Balancing skill and luck
			Considering ethical matters
		Digging into the Data in Games
			Using simulation and modeling tools
				Google Sheets/Microsoft Excel
				Machinations.io
				Home-grown tools
			Collecting data
			Analyzing data
	Chapter 12 Analyzing Feedback and Making Adjustments
		Knowing When to Start Playtesting
		Exploring Types of Playtesting
		Finding People to Playtest
		Questioning Playtesters
		Observing Playtesters
		Sorting through the Feedback
		Iterating on Your Game
			Analyzing trends in feedback
			There’s always room to improve
			Deciding when your game is complete
Part 4 Designing Your Own Game
	Chapter 13 Building Your Game Concept
		Refining the Concept
			Getting inspiration
			Researching techniques
			Brainstorming techniques
			Crafting the perfect idea
			Validating your concept
		Setting the Scope
			Defining your strengths
			Keeping it simple
			Planning your project
		Determining the Goals
			Defining metrics
			Creating milestones and deadlines
		Documenting Your Game
			Documenting your designs
			Creating razor statements
			Defining design pillars
		Finding the Audience
			Doing your market research
			Identifying target demographics
			Reaching your players
	Chapter 14 Following a Step-by-Step Game Design Process
		Designing from Concept to Launch
			Planning
				Determining a few foundational elements
				Concepting
			Pre-production
				Prototyping in a spreadsheet
				Making decisions
			Production
				Testing and more testing
				Grinding to get things done
			Soft launch / launch
			Post-production
		Acquiring the Skills Needed to Launch
		Accepting the Final Release (Versus What You Envisioned)
		Iterating on Your Designs
		Improving through Player Feedback
	Chapter 15 Finishing Your Game
		Avoiding the Top Reasons Games Don’t Finish
		Making Decisions for Your Game
		Estimating for Learning Curves
		Keeping Your Game in Budget
		Designing a Routine: A Survival Guide
		Managing Your Time
		Staying Consistent
		Improving Your Productivity
Part 5 Publishing and Marketing Your Game
	Chapter 16 Getting Your Game Noticed
		Marketing Games in This Market Is Hard
		Understanding Marketing and Its Importance
		Building a Marketing Plan
			Planning your marketing
			Budgeting time and money for marketing
			Looking at example marketing campaigns for games
		Optimizing for Discoverability
			Using tags and keywords
			App Store Optimization (ASO)
			Search engine optimization
		Preparing to Launch a Game
			Timing your launch
			Building a community
			Getting on social media
			Managing launch day
			Managing player feedback
		Giving Your Game Life after Launch
	Chapter 17 Publishing Your Game
		Deciding How to Publish a Game
			Learning self-publishing basics
			Getting someone to publish your game
		Publishing on Different Platforms
			Steam
			Itch.io
			Consoles
			Mobile app stores
			User generated content platforms
			Virtual reality platforms
			Augmented reality platforms
Part 6 The Part of Tens
	Chapter 18 Ten Game Designers You Should Know
		Ah Young Joo
		Ian MacLarty
		Grace Bruxner
		Tim FitzRandolph
		Timothy Staton-Davis
		Anton Hand
		Austin Grossman
		V Buckenham
		Elaine Gómez
		John Bernhelm
	Chapter 19 Ten Free Resources for Game Designers
		GameDeveloper.com
		How to Market a Game Blog
		SteamDB
		Assets by Kenney
		Mixamo
		Game Accessibility Guidelines
		Global Game Jam (GGJ)
		Ludum Dare
		Game Maker’s Toolkit
		Game Developers Conference (GDC)
Glossary
Index
EULA