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How Do I Game Design? (OSCON 2014)

Secret Lab
July 23, 2014
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How Do I Game Design? (OSCON 2014)

"How Do I Game Design?" was a 40 minute session by Secret Lab (http://www.secretlab.com.au) for OSCON (http://www.oscon.com)

More information at http://www.oscon.com/oscon2014/public/schedule/detail/34461

Secret Lab

July 23, 2014
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Transcript

  1. How Do I Game Design?

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  2. Hello!

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  3. View Slide

  4. Jon Manning
    @desplesda
    Paris Buttfield-
    Addison
    @parisba

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  5. View Slide

  6. We are Australian
    If we don’t make sense, let us know!

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  7. View Slide

  8. View Slide

  9. What We'll Be Doing
    • Game design!
    • Focusing on Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics
    • Analysis of what fun is, why games have it, and
    how to design for it

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  10. What We Won't Be Covering
    • Any programming whatsoever
    • Learning how to use a game engine
    • Learning how to get a job as a game designer

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  11. It’s about play

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  12. Why do we play games?
    Because they're fun!

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  13. Why do we play games?
    •But:
    •Why are they fun?
    •What do we mean when we say "fun"?
    •These are big, contentious questions with no
    single answer
    •Here's one answer:

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  14. Why are games fun?
    •Games elicit specific feelings in their players
    •Discovery
    •Power
    •Teamwork
    •Skilfulness
    •Fear
    •More...
    •We play games because we like experiencing these
    feelings
    •Similar reason to why we like movies, books, TV,
    theatre, art..

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  15. Why are games fun?
    How do games elicit these feelings?

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  16. Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics
    LeBlanc, Hunicke & Zubek 2004

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  17. • Games are unpredictable (to varying degrees)
    • Player choice affects what happens
    • The choices available to the player are created
    by the game designer
    How are games different from other media?

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  18. What Choices Are Created?
    • Players interact with games in very specific,
    constrained ways

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  19. •Players take turns moving
    pieces
    •Pieces have different rules for
    moving
    •Pieces capture other pieces
    •You win when you capture the
    king (more or less)

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  20. •One player is "it"
    •If the "it" player touches
    another player, that player
    becomes "it"

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  21. •Jump over the rope
    •If the rope hits you, it's the next person's
    turn
    •Arguably not a game?

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  22. Aside: Game Definitions
    game /gām/ n. (pl. -games) a non productive activity that involves
    a competition confined by procedures.

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  23. Aside: Game Definitions
    game /gām/ n. (pl. -games) a non productive activity that involves
    a competition confined by procedures.

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  24. Aside: Game Definitions
    game /gām/ n. (pl. -games) a formalized experience in which
    players make choices to have a meaningful experience.
    game /gām/ n. (pl. -games) an artwork characterized by an act of
    exploration.
    game /gām/ n. (pl. -games) an interactive object in which players
    interact with each other resulting in an unequal outcome.
    game /gām/ n. (pl. -games) a challenge in which players interact
    with each other resulting in a specific state of affairs.
    game /gām/ n. (pl. -games) a medium that involves a playful
    relationship representing a subset of the world.
    game /gām/ n. (pl. -games) a non productive activity that involves
    a competition confined by procedures.

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  25. Aside: Game Definitions
    gamedefinitions.com

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  26. Our Definition
    For our purposes, a game is:
    anything in which you play, subject to

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  27. ANYWAY

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  28. •Jump over the rope
    •If the rope hits you, it's the next person's
    turn
    •Arguably not a game?

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  29. •Walking,
    running
    •Weapons
    •Collectables
    •AI shoots at
    you

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  30. •Resource
    collection
    •Buildings
    •Units
    •Fog of War
    •Orthogonal unit

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  31. Mechanics
    • We call these game rules "mechanics"
    o Why not just "rules"?
    o Rules are instructions.
    o Mechanics are descriptions of how systems function.
    • Players interact with these systems!

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  32. Dynamics
    • A thermostat has these mechanics:
    o "If the temperature is below 72°F, turn on
    the heater"
    o "If the temperature is above 72°F, turn on
    the air conditioner"

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  33. • This creates negative feedback - the system will
    work to try to settle on a single value
    Heater On Heater On
    Cooler On
    Cooler On
    Dynamics

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  34. Dynamics
    • Mechanics combine together to create dynamics.
    • “Tag” is a good, simple example.
    o Mechanic: The goal of the game is to not be
    "it".
    o Mechanic: When the player who is "it" touches
    you, you are "it".
    o Dynamic: the player who is "it" moves towards
    players who are not "it", who then flee.
    • Behaviour is separate from mechanics.

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  35. Dynamics
    • Another, mostly abstract example:

    o Mechanic: Players can earn points, and can
    cause other players to lose points.
    o Mechanic: The winner is the first player with 10
    points.
    o Dynamic: When a player gets close to winning,
    other players will gang up on them and bring
    them down.

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  36. Dynamics
    •Closely related to strategy, but not the same thing
    •If a game mechanics mean playing a certain way
    will win the game more often, the fact that you
    end up playing that way is the dynamic

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  37. Dynamics
    •Often difficult to work out from just reading the
    rules
    •The concept of discovered check is not obvious in
    the rules of chess

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  38. Aesthetics
    • Dynamics have effects on players.
    • In tag, the "it" player chases you
    o This makes you feel hunted
    • When you're "it", you chase the other players
    o This makes you feel like a hunter

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  39. Aesthetics
    Sensation
    Game as sense-pleasure
    Fantasy
    Game as make-believe
    Narrative
    Game as unfolding story
    Challenge
    Game as obstacle course

    Fellowship
    Game as social framework
    Discovery
    Game as uncharted
    territory
    Expression
    Game as soap box
    Submission
    Aesthetics are the way that games make us feel.
    From 8kindsoffun.com

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  40. Aesthetics
    • Arguably, aesthetics are what we're usually
    talking about when we describe "fun".
    • They're often what players are subconsciously
    looking for when selecting a game
    o "I want a game that makes me feel powerful"
    o "I want a game that makes me feel like I'm
    working in a team"
    o "I want a game where I can have fun with my
    friends"

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  41. MDA Summary
    Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics
    • Designers create mechanics
    • Mechanics, when played, create dynamics
    • Dynamics have aesthetic effects on players

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  42. Players See This Differently
    Developer Player
    Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics

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  43. Examining a game using MDA

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  44. “The Resistance”
    •Rebels vs Evil Government
    •Most players are “rebels” (good guys)
    •Some players are “spies” (bad guys)
    •Spies know who their fellow spies are, but rebels
    don’t know

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  45. “The Resistance” Rules
    •Each turn:
    •Current “leader” player picks some players to go on a
    “mission”
    •Players vote on whether this selection is good
    •Selected players secretly pick a “success” or “failure” card;
    these are gathered and shuffled, then revealed to everyone
    •If any “failure” cards were picked, the mission fails
    •Next player clockwise becomes leader
    •3 mission fails = spies win
    •3 mission successes = rebels win

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  46. “The Resistance” Mechanics
    •At a higher level:
    •Hidden information
    •Fixed game time
    •Perfect knowledge of own state
    •Subset of players have perfect knowledge of full state

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  47. “The Resistance” Dynamics
    •Accusation
    •Rebels end up looking for evidence of spies
    •Deduction
    •Rebels need to work out who they can trust; this leads to:
    •Creation of “circles of trust”
    •Small exclusionary groups form, often hostile to actual non-
    spies
    •Camouflage
    •Spies can choose to help missions succeed
    •Misdirection
    •“I’m not the spy! You’re the spy!”
    •Sacrifice
    •One spy denounces another, to gain trust

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  48. “The Resistance” Aesthetics
    •For rebels:
    •Paranoia
    •Uncertainty
    •For spies:
    •Silent teamwork
    •Fear of discovery

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  49. Small rule changes mean big gameplay changes

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  50. Two new rules

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  51. Two new rules
    •Same as "The Resistance", but with an Arthurian
    theme
    •One Good player is Merlin
    •Knows who all the Evil players are
    •One Evil player is the Assassin
    •At end of game, if Good has won but the
    Assassin can correctly identify Merlin, Evil wins

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  52. New Dynamics
    •Merlin tries to subtly signal to known good
    players
    •Players (Good and Evil) try to discover Merlin's
    identity
    •Evil players pretend to be Merlin
    •Merlin tries to find independent justifications
    •Multiple routes to victory for Evil players
    •Merlin discovery gambits
    •Counter-gambits
    •Counter-counter-gambits

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  53. New Aesthetics
    •Frustration (for Merlin)
    •Out-thinking
    •Guardianship
    •Vigilance (for Assassin)

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  54. Dynamics create aesthetics through narrative

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  55. Games tell stories
    Not just written narrative, but emergent narrative

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  57. Ravenholm is a scary level
    •Why?
    •Several well-placed elements combine to create a
    scary experience

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  58. Reinforcement through dialogue
    •“That's the old passage to Ravenholm. We don't
    go there anymore."
    •Initial setup; establishes mystery
    !
    •"Whatever you do, don’t go through Ravenholm!"
    •Clumsy line, but establishes Ravenholm as
    dangerous and reinforces mystery

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  59. Reinforcement through setting

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  60. Pre-Written Narrative
    (Artist’s Impression)
    Marc Laidlaw

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  61. Reinforcement through dynamics
    •Player is deliberately starved of ammo
    •Earlier areas featured plenty of ammo
    •Sudden shift in availability creates contrast and
    unease (“Why can’t I find ammo? Am I not playing
    this game right?")
    •To compensate, player is forced to improvise and
    get closer than usual to dangerous enemies
    •New mechanics designed to reinforce scariness

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  62. • Small
    • Fast
    • Jump at player
    • On hit, player’s
    health drops to 1%

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  63. Effective Dynamics
    •Games tell stories through gameplay.
    •This is in addition to any prewritten narrative.
    •Games are important because they’re the only
    medium for interaction in which the narrative
    depends entirely on the player.

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  65. View Slide

  66. Effective Dynamics
    •Effective written stories have dramatic tension.
    •Effective emergent stories have dramatic tension,
    too!

    •But what is dramatic tension?

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  67. Dramatic Tension
    Time
    Rising tension
    Climax
    Resolution/
    Denouement

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  68. Dramatic Tension
    Time
    Meet Luke, sand people, escape
    Tatooine, escape Death Star
    Attack Death
    Star
    Yay, medals

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  69. Dramatic tension
    •How does dramatic tension form?
    •Through a combination of:
    •Uncertainty
    •Inevitability

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  70. Uncertainty
    The outcome is unknown. Anyone could win or lose.

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  71. Inevitability
    The contest between players is moving forward
    towards resolution, and the outcome is imminent.

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  72. Tension requires both of these
    •Without uncertainty, the outcome is too obvious
    •Without inevitability, the outcome is too distant

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  73. Dramatic Tension
    •Game dynamics can create both uncertainty and
    inevitability

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  74. Sources of Inevitability

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  76. Sources of Uncertainty

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  77. Sources of Uncertainty

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  79. Mechanics
    Dynamics
    Aesthetics

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  80. Losing Players Can Make A Comeback
    Uncertainty
    Fixed Duration of Race
    Inevitability
    The first person to pass the finish line wins the game.
    When players collide with item boxes, they receive a random item.
    One item is the Blue Shell, which is a homing missile that slows down players in front of you.
    When a player is in last place, they have an increased chance of collecting blue shells.
    `
    Holy crap! That was so close, but you hit me with a shell just before I
    crossed the finish line! I hate you! Let’s go again!

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  84. No knowledge of what’s behind each door
    Uncertainty
    Number of rooms is finite
    Inevitability
    The player can walk from room to room.
    Rooms contain items, like books, boxes, documents, keys…
    Items can be picked up and examined.
    ` Oh man, I hope things work out for her in the end…

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  85. View Slide

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  87. Dynamics are hard to intuit

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  88. View Slide

  89. Your goal is to fail as
    quickly as possible

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  90. • Spend as little time as possible thinking about
    changes, and as much time as possible testing
    changes
    • Games are about interacting components
    • The only way to work out the next steps in your
    design is to put it in motion
    Fail Fast

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  91. Fail Fast
    • Your first attempts will be terrible.
    • This is good.
    • Discover what you don't like about your work,
    make a change, and test it again. Repeat.

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  92. View Slide

  93. @thesecretlab

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  94. Thanks!
    @desplesda

    @parisba
    @thesecretlab
    !
    Slides/notes will be available at:
    http://blog.secretlab.com.au
    !
    Want more of this sort of thing?

    Visit GDC in San Francisco in March
    next year, and attend the annual 2-
    day Game Design Workshop:

    http://www.gdconf.com

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