The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses

512 Pages·24.2 MB·English

by  Jesse Schell

Cover Page: Cover
The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses Page: iii
Copyright Page Page: iv
Table of Contents Page: vii
Table of Lenses Page: xvii
Acknowledgments Page: xxi
Hello Page: xxiii
Chapter 1 In the Beginning, There Is the Designer Page: 1
Magic Words Page: 1
What Skills Does a Game Designer Need? Page: 2
The Most Important Skill Page: 4
The Five Kinds of Listening Page: 5
The Secret of the Gifted Page: 6
Chapter 2 The Designer Creates an Experience Page: 9
The Game Is Not the Experience Page: 10
Is This Unique to Games? Page: 11
Three Practical Approaches to Chasing Rainbows Page: 12
Introspection: Powers, Perils, and Practice Page: 14
Dissect Your Feelings Page: 17
Defeating Heisenberg Page: 18
Essential Experience Page: 20
All That's Real Is What You Feel Page: 21
Chapter 3 The Experience Rises Out of a Game Page: 23
A Rant About Definitions Page: 24
So, What Is a Game? Page: 26
No, Seriously, What Is a Game? Page: 30
Problem Solving 101 Page: 36
The Fruits of Our Labors Page: 37
Chapter 4 The Game Consists of Elements Page: 39
What Are Little Games Made Of? Page: 40
The Four Basic Elements Page: 41
Skin and Skeleton Page: 45
Chapter 5 The Elements Support a Theme Page: 47
Mere Games Page: 48
Unifying Themes Page: 49
Resonance Page: 53
Back to Reality Page: 56
Chapter 6 The Game Begins with an Idea Page: 57
Inspiration Page: 58
State the Problem Page: 60
How to Sleep Page: 62
Your Silent Partner Page: 63
Fifteen Nitty-Gritty Brainstorming Tips Page: 68
Look At All These Ideas! Now What? Page: 74
Chapter 7 The Game Improves Through Iteration Page: 75
Choosing An Idea Page: 76
The Eight Filters Page: 76
The Rule of the Loop Page: 79
A Short History of Software Engineering Page: 80
Risk Assessment and Prototyping Page: 83
Eight Tips for Productive Prototyping Page: 86
Closing the Loop Page: 91
How Much is Enough? Page: 94
Chapter 8 The Game is Made for a Player Page: 97
Einstein's Violin Page: 98
Project Yourself Page: 99
Demographics Page: 99
The Medium is the Misogynist? Page: 102
Psychographics Page: 108
Chapter 9 The Experience is in the Player's Mind Page: 113
Modeling Page: 115
Focus Page: 118
Empathy Page: 123
Imagination Page: 124
Motivation Page: 126
Judgment Page: 127
Chapter 10 Some Elements are Game Mechanics Page: 129
Mechanic 1: Space Page: 130
Mechanic 2: Objects, Attributes, and States Page: 136
Mechanic 3: Actions Page: 140
Mechanic 4: Rules Page: 144
Mechanic 5: Skill Page: 150
Mechanic 6: Chance Page: 153
Chapter 11 Game Mechanics Must be in Balance Page: 171
The Twelve Most Common Types of Game Balance Page: 172
Game Balancing Methodologies Page: 201
Balancing Game Economies Page: 203
Dynamic Game Balancing Page: 205
The Big Picture Page: 205
Chapter 12 Game Mechanics Support Puzzles Page: 207
The Puzzle of Puzzles Page: 208
Aren't Puzzles Dead? Page: 209
Good Puzzles Page: 211
A Final Piece Page: 219
Chapter 13 Players Play Games Through an Interface Page: 221
Breaking it Down Page: 223
The Loop of Interaction Page: 228
Channels of Information Page: 234
Other Interface Tips Page: 240
Chapter 14 Experiences Can be Judged by Their Interest Curves Page: 245
My First Lens Page: 246
Interest Curves Page: 247
Patterns Inside Patterns Page: 249
What Comprises Interest? Page: 253
Interest Factor Examples Page: 258
Putting It All Together Page: 259
Chapter 15 One Kind of Experience Is the Story Page: 261
Story/Game Duality Page: 262
The Myth of Passive Entertainment Page: 263
The Dream Page: 264
The Reality Page: 264
The Problems Page: 266
The Dream Reborn Page: 270
Story Tips for Game Designers Page: 270
Chapter 16 Story and Game Structures can be Artfully Merged with Indirect Control Page: 283
The Feeling of Freedom Page: 284
Indirect Control Method #1: Constraints Page: 285
Indirect Control Method #2: Goals Page: 286
Indirect Control Method #3: Interface Page: 286
Indirect Control Method #4: Visual Design Page: 287
Indirect Control Method #5: Characters Page: 292
Indirect Control Method #6: Music Page: 292
Collusion Page: 293
Chapter 17 Stories and Games Take Place in Worlds Page: 299
Transmedia Worlds Page: 300
The Power of Pokemon Page: 301
Properties of Transmedia Worlds Page: 303
What Successful Transmedia Worlds Have in Common Page: 305
Chapter 18 Worlds Contain Characters Page: 309
The Nature of Game Characters Page: 310
Avatars Page: 312
Creating Compelling Game Characters Page: 314
Chapter 19 Worlds Contain Spaces Page: 329
The Purpose of Architecture Page: 330
Organizing your Game Space Page: 330
Christopher Alexander is a Genius Page: 334
Real vs. Virtual Architecture Page: 338
Level Design Page: 343
Chapter 20 The Look and Feel of a World Is Defined by Its Aesthetics Page: 345
Monet Refuses the Operation Page: 346
The Value of Aesthetics Page: 347
Learning to See Page: 348
How to Let Aesthetics Guide your Design Page: 349
How Much Is Enough? Page: 350
Use Audio Page: 351
Balancing Art and Technology Page: 352
Chapter 21 Some Games are Played with Other Players Page: 353
We Are Not Alone Page: 354
Why We Play With Others Page: 354
Chapter 22 Other Players Sometimes Form Communities Page: 357
More than just Other Players Page: 358
Ten Tips for Strong Communities Page: 359
The Challenge of Griefing Page: 368
The Future of Game Communities Page: 370
Chapter 23 The Designer Usually Works with a Team Page: 371
The Secret of Successful Teamwork Page: 372
Designing Together Page: 375
Team Communication Page: 376
Chapter 24 The Team Sometimes Communicates Through Documents Page: 381
The Myth of the Game Design Document Page: 382
The Purpose of Documents Page: 382
Types of Game Documents Page: 383
So, Where Do I Start? Page: 387
Chapter 25 Good Games Are Created Through Playtesting Page: 389
Playtesting Page: 390
My Terrible Secret Page: 391
Playtest Question the First: Why? Page: 392
Playtest Question the Second: Who? Page: 393
Playtest Question the Third: Where? Page: 394
Playtest Question the Fourth: What? Page: 396
Playtest Question the Fifth: How? Page: 396
Chapter 26 The Team Builds a Game with Technology Page: 403
Technology, At Last Page: 404
Foundational vs. Decorational Page: 405
The Hype Cycle Page: 409
The Innovator's Dilemma Page: 410
The Singularity Page: 411
Look Into Your Crystal Ball Page: 412
Chapter 27 Your Game Will Probably Have a Client Page: 415
Who Cares What the Client Thinks? Page: 416
Coping with Bad Suggestions Page: 417
Not That Rock Page: 418
The Three Layers of Desire Page: 419
Firenza, 1498 Page: 419
Chapter 28 The Designer Gives the Client a Pitch Page: 423
Why Me? Page: 424
A Negotiation of Power Page: 424
The Hierarchy of Ideas Page: 425
Twelve Tips for a Successful Pitch Page: 425
Chapter 29 The Designer and Client Want the Game to Make a Profit Page: 433
Love and Money Page: 434
Know Your Business Model Page: 435
Units Sold Page: 436
Breakeven Page: 436
Know the Top Sellers Page: 437
Learn the Language Page: 437
Chapter 30 Games Transform Their Players Page: 441
How Do Games Change Us? Page: 442
Can Games Be Good For You? Page: 442
Can Games Be Bad For You? Page: 448
Experiences Page: 451
Chapter 31 Designers Have Certain Responsibilities Page: 453
The Danger of Obscurity Page: 454
Being Accountable Page: 455
Your Hidden Agenda Page: 456
The Secret Hidden in Plain Sight Page: 456
The Ring Page: 457
Chapter 32 Each Designer has a Motivation Page: 459
The Deepest Theming Page: 460
Chapter 33 Goodbye Page: 463
All Good Thingsƒ Page: 464
Endnotes Page: 465
Bibliography Page: 477
Index Page: 481
A Page: 481
B Page: 481
C Page: 482
D Page: 482
E Page: 483
F Page: 483
G Page: 483
H Page: 484
I Page: 484
J Page: 484
K Page: 484
L Page: 484
M Page: 486
N Page: 486
O Page: 486
P Page: 486
Q Page: 487
R Page: 487
S Page: 488
T Page: 489
U Page: 489
V Page: 489
W Page: 489
Y Page: 489
Z Page: 489