Game Design for Game Developers by Iain Lobb
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Presentation by Iain Lobb at Mochi London 2011 on good game design and how to achieve it.
Transcript of Game Design for Game Developers by Iain Lobb
@iainlobb
Zwok
Meta4orce
Stackopolis
Pop Pirates
Owl Spin
Dull Dude Games
Super Gun Kids
Addic>ng Game Design
Addic>ve Game Design
I hope I’m right!
Without good game design you are
guaranteed to fail.
Tailor your game to the market.
Play test your game on people other than your
friends.
Don’t ignore feedback.
Don’t clone.
Recombine popular game mechanics.
Nobody reads.
Make learning the rules into part of the game.
Games should get easier as they go, not harder.
Flight (Armor Games)
Humans are hunter-‐gatherers. Let the player collect coins, power-‐ups
and keys.
Items and upgrades turn a skill game into a
strategy game.
Whatever you do, put a shop in your game!
Deep game play is based on decision making, not
manual dexterity.
Let the player know what they can get if they keep
playing.
Randomise rewards.
Saving the player’s progress increases their investment in your
game.
The new genera>on of gamers have never
played games that don’t save their progress.
Don’t make players repeat large sec>ons of
game play.
Auto-‐save all the >me.
Build your own achievements system.
Tell the story with voice ac>ng and game play.
Sissy’s Magical Ponycorn Adventure (Untold Entertainment)
Meta4orce
2.5 dimensions is enough for anybody.
Create living worlds to explore, not empty voids.
Take the player on a journey.
Li[le Wheel (One Click Dog)
Puzzles should make the player feel clever, not
stupid.
The wrong theme will kill your game before you’ve
even started.
Cute characters, animals and friendly monsters
have broader appeal than space marines.
...but consider your audience.
Remember what you liked when you were 8 years old.
Keep the guns but lose the gore.
Good characters are recognisable from their
silhoue[es.
Good characters are recognisable from their
colour scheme.
It’s easier to iden>fy with a simple character.
To iden>fy with a character, we need to see their face.
Even viewed from the side, characters should face the
camera.
Characters with big heads are more expressive.
Use a Zelda-‐like perspec>ve rather than a true top-‐down view.
The same idea can be a hit or a flop depending
on how well you implement it.
Don’t invent your own control scheme.
Polish like crazy!
