Game Design Knowledge

Game Design Books read:

• A Game Design Vocabulary - Anna Anthropy & Naomi Clark
• Game Masters: The Exhibition - Emma McRae

Game design has changed a lot since it became popular in the 1980's. One change in particular is that there is more instructions/tutorials at the start of games now. It seems that there is now a lack of confidence in the designers ability to teach the player the rules of the game without explicitly stating them upfront. The great thing about digital games is that the computer is performing the tasks of rules and tracking numbers. This is so the game can withhold some of the complexities of the rules from the player. When the player discovers these complexities later, then the story can develop. 

All games are made from rules. Game designers want to design rules that can develop as the game goes on, but still be fun. So what is fun? Fun is all about making our brains feel good - that is, to release endorphins into our system. One of those chemical releases can be at the moment of triumph when we learn something. Fun from games arise out of mastery. It is the act of solving puzzles that makes games fun. When a game stops teaching us, we get bored. It is the feeling you get when there are no new patterns to absorb. The definition of a good game is "one that teaches everything it has to offer before the player stops playing." That's what games are, teachers. We then start to wonder why people think learning is boring. We praise good teachers because they make learning fun. Games are excellent teachers.

Games should be evolving to teach skills that are more commonly needed today.