This document discusses games and game design. It defines what a game is, including that a game requires players, has rules, a goal, and interaction. Game design is described as every decision that affects the player experience. Games are broken down into their key elements - mechanics, aesthetics, technology, and story. Important designer skills are listed like communication, problem solving, and programming. The most important skill is said to be communication. Players are motivated by exploration, socialization, and achievement. Different player types are discussed based on age, gender, culture, and a player taxonomy. Key references on game design are also cited.

1. Mike Papagathangelou
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3. The Game…
What is a game?
“A game is a series of interesting choices”
-Sid Meier

4. The Game…
What is a game?
Game Characteristics
Requires at least one player
 Has rules and therefore a certain level of challenge
 Has victory conditions
 Has interaction
 Designed to entertain


5. The Game…
What is a game?
Game Definition
A game is a set rules that are meant to offer challenge and
entertainment to one or more individuals through certain
interactions that are targeted towards completing a certain goal.

6. The Game…
What is a game?
good
“A game is a series of interesting choices”
Power
Impact
Engagement

7. The Game…
What is game design?
“Game design is the act of deciding how a game
should be…”
-Jesse Schell
Game design is every decision that affects the experience
of the player

9. The Game Elements…
What is game consisted of?
Aesthetics
THEME
Mechanics
Skills
Point of View
Leveling System
Level Design
Artificial Intelligence
User Interface
3D Graphics
2D Graphics
Animations
SFX
Music
Technology
Touchpad
Virtual Reality
Augmented Reality
Controller
Online
Pen and Paper
More Visible
Story
Storyline
Characters
World
Direction
Cut scenes
Less Visible

10. The Game Elements…
What is game consisted of?
Mechanics
Aesthetics
First Person POV
Skills/ Abilities
Leveling system
3D Graphics
Rich Environments
Realistic Sounds
Skyrim!
DRAGONS IN MIDDLE AGES
Technology
Story
Open World
Complex Controls
Intriguing story with
many characters

11. The Game Elements…
What is game consisted of?
4
4X
A
Action game
Action role-playing
game
Action-adventure
game
Adventure game
Alternate reality game
Art game
Artillery game
B
Beat 'em up
Bishōjo game
Browser game
Business simulation
game
C
Cinematic platformer
City-building game
Collectible card game
Combat flight
simulator
Construction and
management
simulation
D
Dating sim
Dungeon crawl
E
Escape the room
F
Fighting game
First-person shooter
G
God game
Government
simulation game
Grand Theft Auto
clone
G cont.
Graphic adventure
Guns and Robots
H
Hack and slash
I
Interactive movie
J
Japanese role-playing
video games
L
Life simulation game
Light gun shooter
List of BL games
List of console
adventure games
M
Massively multiplayer
online game
Massively multiplayer
online role-playing
game
MUD
Roguelike
Third-person shooter
Multiplayer online
R cont.
Tower defense
battle arena
Role-playing video
Traditional game
Music video game
game
Turn-based strategy
N
S
Turn-based tactics
Non-game
Shoot 'em up
V
Nonviolent video gameShooter game
Vehicle simulation
O
Sim racing
game
Open world
Simulation video game Vehicular combat
Otome game
Social simulation game game
P
Space flight simulator Vertically scrolling
Platform game
game
video game
Power Politics (video Sports game
Video games as an art
game)
Stealth game
form
Programming game Strategy video game Visual novel
Puzzle video game
Survival horror
W
R
T
Wargame
Racing video game
Tactical role-playing
Real-time strategy
game
Real-time tactics
Tactical shooter
Rhythm game
Text Tiles

13. The Designer…
What skills and knowledge do you need?
“Hide not your talents, they for use were made,
What's a sundial in the shade?”
-Benjamin Franklin

14. The Designer…
What skills and knowledge do you need?
Animation
Anthropology
Architecture
Cinematography
Creativity
Design
Economics
History
Illustration
Management
Marketing
Music
Problem Solving
Programming
Psychology
Rhetoric
Time management
Writing

15. The Designer…
What is the most important skill?
“Communication”
-Scott Rogers
“Listening”
-Jesse Schell
“Make information clear and
easy to understand”
-Diorgo Jonkers

16. The Designer…
What is the most important skill?
“Two-way Communication”
Team
Player
The
Designer
Game/
Self

18. The Player…
Why do people play?
Consciously it is for entertainment
But why are we entertained by games?
It is an instinct! We are training ourselves!

19. The Player…
Why do people play?
The people are entertained…
…through exploration and experimentation
…through socialization
…through acknowledgement

20. The Player…
Who is the player
Age
Gender
Culture
Type
Preschooler 0 -6
Kid 6-12
Teens 12 -18
• Unable to read
• Usually playing with parents
• Unable to solve complex
problems or puzzles
• Able to solve simple puzzles
• Sometimes playing with
parents
• Some kids can get very
passionate/ addicted to their
interests/ games
• Gender starts playing a big
role in their interests
• Teens tend to explore about
things they might be interested
in
• They develop basic problem
solving and decision making
skills
1/2

21. The Player…
Who is the player
Age
Gender
Culture
Type
Young Adult 18 - 24
Middle-aged 24 - 50
The Elders 50+
• Young adults play less than the
younger ones
• They are more mature and
therefore know better what they
want/ like
• They usually have
money, independence and time so
they get to be big consumers
• Have much less time
• They are usually parents
• Most of them become
“Casual gamers”
• A few remain “Hardcore
gamers”
• Have plenty of time and
money
• They get interested in games
with social components
• They are exploring/
experimenting
2/2

22. The Player…
Who is the player
Age
Gender
Culture
Type
Male
Female
1. Mastery
1. Emotion
2. Competition
2. Real World
3. Destruction
3. Nurturing
4. Spatial Puzzles
4. Verbal Puzzles
5. Trial and Error
5. Learning by example

23. The Player…
Who is the player
Age
Gender
Culture
Type
Religion
Social Structure
Language
Gender Roles
Cuisine
Superstitions
Traditions
Etiquette

24. The Player…
Who is the player
Age
Gender
Culture
Type
Acting
Killers
Achievers
Players
World
Explorers
Socializers
Interacting
- Bartle’s Taxonomy

25. Bibliography
“The Art of Game Design, a Book of Lenses” by Jesse Schell
“The Art of Computer Game Design” by Chris Crawford
“Level-up, the Guide to Great Video Game Design” by Scott Rogers
“A Theory of Fun for Game Design” by Raph Kostert
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Video_game_genres
http://www.brainyquote.com/
https://class.coursera.org/videogameslearning-001/class

26. Thank you!