Table of Lenses
Acknowledgments
Hello
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
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
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
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
The Game Consists of Elements
What Are Little Games Made Of?
The Four Basic Elements
Skin and Skeleton
The Elements Support a Theme
Mere Games
Unifying Themes
Resonance
Back to Reality
Other Reading to Consider
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
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
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
The Game Is Made for a Player
Einstein's Violin
Project Yourself
Demographics
The Medium Is the Misogynist?
Five Things Males Like to See in Games
Five Things 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
The Experience Is in the Player's Mind
Modeling
Focus
Empathy
Imagination
Other Reading to Consider
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
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, Attributes, and States
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
Human Element
Skill and Chance Get Tangled
Other Reading to Consider
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
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
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
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
One Kind of Experience Is the Story
Story/Game Duality
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 #3: Multiple Endings Disappoint
Problem #4: Not Enough Verbs
Problem #5: Time Travel Makes Tragedy Obsolete
The Dream Reborn
Story Tips for Game Designers
Story Tip #1: Goals, Obstacles, and Conflicts
Story Tip #2: Make It Real
Story Tip #3: Provide Simplicity and Transcendence
Story Tip #4: Consider the Hero's Journey
Vogler's Synopsis of the Hero's Journey
Story Tip #5: Put Your Story to Work!
Story Tip #6: Keep Your Story World Consistent
Story Tip #7: Make Your Story World Accessible
Story Tip #8: Use Cliches Judiciously
Story Tip #9: Sometimes a Map Brings a Story to Life
Other Reading to Consider
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
Stories and Games Take Place in Worlds
Transmedia Worlds
The Power of Pokemon
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
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
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
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
Some Games Are Played with Other Players
We Are Not Alone
Why We Play with Others
Other Reading to Consider
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
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
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
Good Games Are Created through Playtesting
Playtesting
My Terrible Secret
Playtest Question the First: Why?
Playtest Question the Second: Who?
Playtest Question the Third: Where?
Playtest Question the Fourth: 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 Fifth: 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
Other Reading to Consider
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
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
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
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
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
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
Each Designer Has a Purpose
The Deepest Theming
Goodbye
Endnotes
Bibliography
Index
