Game Design

Game Design

The definition of a game is, in my opinion, equally as difficult to define as "art". Games themselves can be defined as a form of art. Generally, people define games as a process in which a player follows a set of formal rules voluntarily in safety in order to overcome a problem, obstacle or conflict in order to win or lose the game. A lot of definitions I have read define games such as this.. but there are always exceptions to it. For example, puzzle games can be difficult to define in the same way, since there will not necessarily be elements such as conflict or competition in the game. People have many varying opinions about the definition of a game- and while they may be right to some extent, it is extremely difficult to define.

The article What is a Game explores in detail the process in which games can be defined and helped give me a clear understanding of the ideas behind defining a game.

I found the rules for the game of Tic-Tac-Toe difficult to wrap my head around upon first being presented with them, but only then after I was shown the diagram of the game written out by the rules did I realise what it was. Such a worldwide famous game that the majority of people have played, broken down, is simply a set of rules. Seeing a famous game broken down like that personally helped me understand the process of creating a game; initially the thought of making a game was overwhelming since it is a new experience and I had not thought so deeply into the basic definition of what a game is. Breaking it down into a set of rules and the end objective are some of the main points in creating a game, and helps greatly in the process of shaping the game in development and design.

This article about using non digital techniques to create a game is very inspirational and it helped me feel less intimidated about tackling the process- I recommend the read!

Scrabble cubes spelling "game"

Source: The Blue Diamond Gallery

Game design speaks entirely of the fundamentals of a game- its core design. This does not include coding, programming, or technological development (which is a common misconception of the term). Game design can be done with simply pencil and paper- it's essentially coming up with the structure of the game in an iterative process. Setting up the rules and the end goal requirements leaves the way to fine tune the game design- such as the story of the game, adding conflicts, which leads to iteration. Playing the game you have created gives you a chance to see how enjoyable it is and what could be added and improved on. Changing elements of the game design in an iterative process helps to eliminate design risk. 

Game development is about the more technical aspects of creating a game such as programming, coding, testing, world building, user interface etc. This comes at a later stage of the development process- its important to have a strong game design before moving on to the technical aspects- at least in my personal opinion. Development is also important though- it builds the game for the player to play. The design sets up the structure to be built upon. Having a playable game is important in the development stage as it helps eliminate game risk through testing and iteration.

This blog explains the process of the beginnings of designing a game well and gives helpful advice such as creating a simple tabletop game which I have discussed above. I recommend beginners of game design read this blog!

Overall I have gained a lot of insight on games through my readings- I have never thought of the definition of a game in such a manner before and breaking down the basic elements of a game gave me a good understanding of what I need to do to develop my own game.

I also had a misconception that game design involved the process of developing the entire game- and I have learned that it is not the case.

My main concerns now are the development stages of the game using Unity and other tools- but I'm sure I'll learn and improve through my process.

Thank you for reading my blog!