This booklet outlines important aspects of game design including; controls, mechanics, gameplay (achievements, competition and challenge), learning, immersion, storyline (characters, plot, location), graphics and sound.

1. the principles of
game
design
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performance
performance is crucial when it comes to game design as players have certain
expectations regarding controls and game mechanics. it is important to design a
game that is fun and imaginative, but at the same time realistic and logical - here are
a few tips:
controls
example, players have the following expectations for car games:
left button: steers car to the left
right button: steers car to the right
accelerate button (eg. ‘x’ on playstation): speeds the car up
brake button (eg. ‘square’ on playstation): slows the car down
having controls that differ from these standard rules can cause confusion and often
a negative gameplay experience. your controls should always be logical and
complement the game. good control schemes occur to the player naturally, meaning
they shouldn’t have to think about what button to press.

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mechanics
game mechanics relate to how the player interacts with the game’s
world. based on fundamental constructs, game mechanics aim to
create a believable environment for the player.
common types of game mechanics include:
- gravity
- walking
- aiming & shooting
gravity
important to game mechanics is gravity (a force that pulls an object
towards the centre of a planet). when creating a world, you need to
consider how strong the force of gravity is. will it be similar to earth’s?
or will it be weaker, as if you were on the moon?
similar to controls, players have expectations. when they drop a ball
on earth, they expect it to bounce back up. if they throw an object, it
will gradually lose momentum.
aiming & shooting
if your game has a shooting element, there are standard mechanics
present in games. for example:
- the bullet will only travel a certain distance
- the bullet may not penetrate all surfaces (eg. concrete)
- the player has a viewfinder to align their weapon, and the bullet will
fire at the target as seen in the viewfinder
similar to controls, the mechanics should be logical and suit the environment.
deviating from the norms can create an uncomfortable gaming experience.

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gameplay & playability
gameplay is another form in which the player interacts with the game. it is separate
from mechanics, audio and visual and focuses more on the storyline, characters
and the player’s emotional experience with the game.
satisfaction & motivation
satisfying and motivating the player is an important part of your
gameplay. without recognition for achievements, players will simply
lose interest and stop playing the game.
here are common ways to motivate and satisfy players:
achievements
achievements provide the player with a reason to continue playing
the game, rather than just playing the game to finish it. achievements
are often the result of completing in-game tasks and challenges.
examples include:
- defeating a boss
- earning a certain amount of experience points (xp)
- consecutive first place wins
- accumulating wealth
- earning social status

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competition & challenge
competition works alongside achievements, providing players with a
reason to continue playing.
a popular form of competition in video games is the leaderboard.
a leaderboard allows players to make their achievements public,
assigning them a rank. players then compete amongst the game’s
community to reach the top. not all games are suited to leaderboards
however, and physical resources are required to maintain the service
(ie. servers).
socialisation
many new games incorporate a social aspect, commonly offering
audio chat for players. through socialisation, players are able to:
- help others and develop teamwork skills
- complete missions and earn achievements collectively
- develop long-term friendships
- engage in friendly conversation
social networking is not suitable for all games, and both the positives
and negatives need to be evaluated before implementing a social
feature.

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learning
games should also be beneficial to the user, with many games
effectively developing a variety of skills including:
patience and perseverance
forward thinking and strategic planning
leadership and socialisation
mental and creative development
sympathy and empathy
logic development
obeying rules/laws
and, following instructions
your game should aim to incorporate a few of these skills. how they are implement
depend on your game’s style and relevance to the gameplay/storyline.
examples include:
- incorporating a social component
- setting the player specific missions to complete
- a game that focuses on developing human relationships (eg. simulators)
- puzzle games

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immersion
it is important to keep players engaged! if your game doesn’t contain
an immersive experience, they may lose interest and discontinue
playing the game. immersion is a fairly vague term, however covers a
broad range of fundamental principles (many of which are discussed
in this resource). immersion involves:
interesting storyline
many players seek to invest in a game with an interesting an
engaging storyline - characters, locations and events that happen
throughout the game should evoke emotion and connect to the
players on an emotional level.
spectacular audio/visuals
mind-blowing graphics accompanied with riveting audio should
complement the gameplay and storyline developed in your game.
gradual difficulty increases
it is important to gradually increase the difficulty of your game to keep
the players challenged. finding a balance is important, as games
that increase difficulty quickly/abruptly may discomfort the player,
and they may no longer enjoy the game. however if the change is
too slow/subtle, players may not feel challenged enough and lose
interest.

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limited intense analytical/strategic think-
unless your game is a puzzle or strategy game, limit the amount
of heavy thinking you reply your players to do. games should be
enjoyable, and if your game becomes a burden you risk losing
players.
customisation
this may not apply to your game, however players like the ability to
customise their characters. customisation allows people to express
themselves, connecting them further to their character (and hence, the
game).
escapism
many people game to ‘escape’ their life in reality. your game should
develop a world that seems realistic, but at the same time different to
‘the real world’. escapism often involves role-playing where the player
is able to live the life of the game character.

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storyline
the debate between the importance of storyline and gameplay is ongoing, however
many agree that the best games incorporate both aspects effectively.
storyline has the ability to illuminate gameplay, providing meaning and purpose to
a game that may otherwise lack substance. there are multiple parts to an effective
storyline:
characters
characters are the connection between the player and the game’s
world, and are therefore crucial to all video games. characters have
the ability to:
- immerse the player in a first person experience
- connect to and relate with the player on an emotional level
- develop storyline
important tips to consider when developing a game character:
what do they look like?
what are their thoughts, beliefs and values?
what is their backstory?
and, what is their role in the game?
who are they connected to? what is their relationship (friend/foe)?

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location & setting
without location and setting, you wouldn’t have a video game. it is
important to develop a world that suits the storyline of your game.
for example, if you are creating a soccer game, it should be set on
a soccer field - not in space. as mentioned earlier, the location also
influences the mechanics, meaning that playing soccer on the moon
would be impossible.
video game worlds should also consider the following fundamentals:
culture: does your world have a single or many cultures? how
does this influence your world?
aesthetics: what does your world look like? is it reminiscent of
earth or set in a completely different galaxy? what year is it?
morals and values: what do people find important/what do
they value? what morals guide their decisions and actions?
laws: what societal laws are there, and why? how are these
laws enforced? what happens if they are broken?
depending on the complexity of your game, you may chose to only investigate
some aspects in depth.
also consider how the location is significant to the character (for example, did
they grow up there? are they a refugee?), and what their relationship is with the
environment (for example, are they on the run?).

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events that happen
along with characters and locations, you need to create a plot to
develop your game. game plots follow a similar structure to traditional
stories and movies, however are more complex and dynamic due to
their interactive nature. a fundamental narrative structure is the story
mountain:
each video game story is different, and you may not necessarily
need follow the structure of the story mountain to produce a quality
plot. here are a few questions you may want to consider when
developing a plot:
- what are the histories of the characters and the world?
- is there an event in this history that caused conflict?
- who is the conflict between (and why)?
- what form of conflict is it?
- who is able to solve the conflict (and why /how)?
background/introduction
introduce characters and
setting
rising action
events leading up to main
conflict/climax
falling action
characters work to solve
the conflict
climax
the conflict
resolution
the conflict has been
resolved

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graphics
players are more likely to become immersed in a game that feels realistic. an
effective way to induce a sense of realism is through the game’s visual experience.
players appreciate video games with graphics that:
are aesthetically pleasing
your game’s graphics should look nice. this may include clever use
of colours, textures and fonts.
have realistic visual mechanics
along with mechanics such as gravity, games should consider effects
like weather and lighting to develop a realistic world.
weather can support the storyline, as well as create mood:
- clear & sunny weather be used in light-hearted, happy games
- dark & rainy weather can be used to develop an ominous mood
similarly, lighting can be used alongside weather:
- soft, global illumination can instil comfort
- harsh, directed lighting can develop an eerie, unsettling feeling
are suitable for the target audience
think about who your target audience is. what type of graphics would
they prefer? high quality 3D models or 2D cartoons? what colour
scheme? bright and colourful, or dark and eerie? et cetera...
keep in mind that if your storyline and character development isn’t strong, great
graphics can help boost the player’s experience.

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sound
sound is just as important as graphics when it comes to immersing the player and
should complement each other. for example, if you shoot a gun, you expect to hear
a gunshot right? there are multiple types of audio your game should include:
music
music has the powerful ability to influence the player’s emotions
and develop mood. majority of the game (if not all) should have
background music to keep the player engaged.
type of music effect
fast paced invigorates the player, immersing them
in rapid gameplay
sad/dramatic/orchestral evokes emotions, engrossing the
player in their character’s story and
surroundings
ambient and sometimes
creepy
puts the player on edge, inducing
emotions that makes them act
cautiously/with fear
sound effects
sound can also be used for audible cues. examples include:
- victory sound effect to alert the player when they have completed a
goal (or gained a life, obtained a power up etc)
- a beeping that increases in speed if an enemy is approaching
as mentioned above, sound effects also make the game seem more
realistic. for example, if you are driving a car and you press the horn,
you’d expect to hear the horn right?

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voice over & narration
many games incorporate voice overs and narration for various
purposes, and may benefit your video game:
they can be used to tell a story and provide additional
information that is not evident in the visuals
they are able to provide information without the user having to
watch cut scenes or read slabs of text
voices are used for interaction between characters. hearing a
person talk is better than reading subtitles or speech bubbles!
now it’s time to start making games!