Practical Game Design : Learn the Art of Game Design Through Applicable Skills and Cutting-Edge Insights.

cover -- Title Page -- Copyright and Credits -- Packt Upsell -- Contributors -- Table of Contents -- Preface -- Chapter 1: Introducing the Game Production Process -- Game design roles -- Specialization and T-shaping -- Development teams -- Responsibilities of a game designer -- Software development models -- Waterfall -- Agile -- Scrum -- Production schedule and milestones -- Greenlight gates and vertical slice -- Traditional milestone structure -- Validation funnel in-game development -- Role of a games publisher -- Summary -- Chapter 2: Game Concept -- What is a game concept? -- The "hook" or "elevator pitch -- Description -- Key feature set -- Finding your USP -- Platform -- Audience -- Age rating systems -- Genre -- Business model -- Know your competition -- The ideation process -- Coming up with ideas -- Twisting familiar mechanics -- Creativity through constraints -- Finding the fun -- Prototyping -- Iteration -- Defining the fantasy -- Creating the fantasy through game mechanics -- The mood, or "how the game looks and feels -- Summary -- Chapter 3: Scoping a Game Project -- Game structure -- Game content -- Content burn -- Avoiding content furnace -- Depth and possibility space -- Randomization and procedural generation -- User-generated content -- Managing content treadmill -- Common game structures -- Linear -- Structured nonlinear -- Open nonlinear -- Endless and sandbox -- Notes on structure -- Scoping practices -- Content lifespan -- Real-world examples -- Player progression flow -- Unlock matrix -- Game flow -- Example of a menu flow -- Planning design work -- Estimation techniques -- Priorities and dependencies -- Start from the middle -- Summary -- Chapter 4: Design Documentation -- What is the purpose of a GDD? -- Characteristics of a good GDD -- It is modular -- It starts with goals and requirements.

Is the result of a discussion -- Is clear, brief, and concise -- Is multimedial -- It leaves space for creativity and debate -- It comes in different formats and sizes -- It is online -- Tools for writing a GDD -- Word processors -- Presentations -- Mind maps -- Spreadsheets -- Project management (PM) tools -- Wiki -- Illustration tools -- Writing techniques -- Use of style -- Layering details -- Prioritize -- Use of keywords -- Table of Contents -- Bullet points -- Images with captions -- Diagrams -- Variables -- Redundancy -- Hyperlinks -- Write incrementally by drafting -- Elegance in game design -- Keep it short and simple (KISS) -- The less-is-more principle -- Summary -- Chapter 5: Adaptation of Mechanics -- What is a game mechanic? -- Examples of game mechanics -- Jump! -- Shooting and reloading -- Action points -- List of common game mechanics -- Game mechanics interact with each other to develop dynamics -- Mechanics and dynamics are part of a feature -- Approaching mechanic design -- Rules and game mechanics -- Mechanics and dynamics produce feedback -- Finding the right reference -- Deconstructing your references -- Additive and subtractive design -- Putting it all back together -- Summary -- Chapter 6: Invention of Mechanics -- Developing an idea into an experience -- New mechanics to solve a problem -- New mechanics to innovate -- Building a new game mechanic -- Bartle's types of players -- Lazzaro's types of fun -- Shell's taxonomy of game mechanics -- Mechanic 1 - space -- Mechanic 2 - objects, attributes, and states -- Mechanic 3 - actions -- Mechanic 4 - rules -- Mechanic 5 - skill -- Mechanic 6 - chance -- Game loops -- Game's model and player's mental loops -- Interactive loops -- Core loops -- Extended loops -- Designer's loops -- Games as systems of conflict -- Opponents -- Obstacles -- Dilemmas -- Quality over quantity.

More choices, not best choices -- Wrapping up the theory -- Combat systems -- How to design a combat system -- Holistic game design -- Types of combat system -- Combat depth -- How to achieve depth -- Emergent gameplay -- Depth and complexity -- Reducing complexity -- Teaching game mechanics -- How to design a tutorial -- Tutorials in Free to Play games -- Summary -- Chapter 7: Prototyping -- What is a prototype? -- Why a prototype? -- Prototyping techniques -- Paper prototyping -- Advantages of paper prototyping -- Limitations of paper prototypes -- Digital prototyping -- Common prototyping mistakes -- The never-ending prototype -- Spending time creating systems -- Using the prototype as a code-base for the production project -- Spending time adding features, art, and effects -- Seeking confirmations -- A step-by-step guide to prototyping -- Prototyping exercise -- The hands-on game designer -- A paper prototype case-study -- Questioning a combat system -- Addressing the problem -- Asking the right questions - step 1 -- Selecting the tools - step 2 -- Creating the rules - step 3 -- Implementation - step 4 -- First play - step 5 -- Iteration - step 6 -- Final step -- From paper to digital -- Abstraction versus reality -- Moving on -- Summary -- Chapter 8: Games and Stories -- Narrative -- Do all games have a narrative? -- Why are stories good for games? -- Traditional narrative models -- Three-act story -- Monomyths -- 17 stages of the hero's journey -- Departure -- Initiation -- Return -- Designing narrative for video games -- Linear narrative -- Linear with extended space of action -- Modular narrative -- Graph -- Open structure -- World state -- Environmental storytelling -- Narrative review process -- Step one - Read -- Step two - Review -- Step three - Analyze -- The benefit of narrative review -- Summary -- Chapter 9: Level Design.

What is level design? -- The level design process -- The premise -- The sketch -- Example - written sketch -- Example - imaginary playthrough -- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (FPS) - Pripyat assassination -- Grayboxing -- Art implementation -- Final polish -- Level design and storytelling -- Level design practices -- Functional level design and realism -- Evolving game features -- Introduction -- Development -- Twist -- Conclusion -- Pacing from day one -- Lock and key -- Geometry and gameplay -- Manipulating space -- Height -- Emotional significance of exploration -- Effects of lighting -- Vision as a mechanic -- Level design in multiplayer action games -- Summary -- Chapter 10: Characters -- Playable characters, NPCs, and enemies -- The function of characters -- Friend/Assistant -- Lover -- Mentor -- Minions (enemies) -- Allies -- Boss -- Antagonist or the Villain -- Hostage -- Vendor -- Quest Giver -- Competitor -- Character Statistics -- A step by step character design -- Acquire a deep knowledge of the game -- Write down the design pillars -- Write a high concept -- Define and balance the stats -- Weapon -- Abilities -- Prototype and iterate -- Final implementation -- The bad guys -- Types of Villains -- Types of enemies -- Chaser/Aggressor -- Patroller -- Guard -- Shooter -- Swarm -- Cannon Fodder -- Tank -- Enemy behaviors and stats -- Enemies exist to entertain the player -- Diversity -- Summary -- Chapter 11: User Interface and User Experience -- User Experience -- Player input -- Control types -- Digital input -- Analog input -- Complex analog input -- Touch screen controls -- Camera systems -- Camera types -- Static -- Manual camera -- Tracking camera -- Compound Camera -- Viewing perspectives -- First person -- Third person -- Choosing camera settings -- Feedback -- Designing UIs -- Listing and prioritizing information -- UI mockups.

Paper sketches -- Digital wireframes -- Animated and interactive prototypes -- UI Tips and Tricks -- Choose a fitting state and progress indicator -- Consider using notification badges -- Match the pop-up with the context -- Understand the limitations of tooltips -- Consider labeling your UI -- Do not reinvent the wheel! -- Use movement, contrast, and saturation to grab the user's attention -- Request or create a style guide and enforce it -- Keep theme and pacing in mind -- Confirm risky actions -- Count the time and steps to play -- Screens differ - often widely -- UI placement is a science -- Summary -- Chapter 12: Accessibility -- Increasing accessibility -- Reducing cognitive load -- Avoiding mental challenges with binary outcomes -- Limiting initial complexity and interplay between rules -- Lowering the knowledge cliffs -- Limiting the complexity of interaction -- Maintaining visual clarity -- Making audio optional -- Restricting negative consequences -- Building on common knowledge -- Teaching game systems -- In-game teaching techniques -- Teaching outside gameplay -- Best practices -- Don't kill (with) the messenger -- Understand the effects of the training mode -- Focus your efforts on innovative and obscure -- Pick the right moment to work on tutorials -- Make a tutorial plan -- Try a 3 step process -- Test and iterate -- Some things are best left unexplained -- Localization -- Playtesting -- What to playtest? -- Playtesting formats -- Individual sessions -- Group playtesting -- Public testing -- Remote playtesting solutions -- Sourcing candidates -- Personal and professional network -- Recruited testers -- Strangers -- Running playtesting sessions -- Supervised individual sessions -- Session introduction -- Playtesting session -- Post-session interview -- Unsupervised group playtesting -- Setting an objective -- Gathering feedback.

Playtesting questionnaires.

Immerse yourself in the fundamentals of game design. Are you are looking to take the creative lead and make better game designs faster? Then you have come to the right place. The book builds up the basics of game design one simple piece at a time. Written by two highly experienced industry professionals, this book will give real insights and.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.