Engineering Fun in Game Design

Michael Wilson
Michael WilsonPresident at Ponywolf
GAME DESIGNENGINEERING FUN IN DESIGN
OVERVIEW
Today I want to talk about the basics of
game design and structure while applying
those principles to modern digital design.


This class is theory and methodology, not
practice, but we may reference design and
programming principles, so rudimentary
experience in design or development will be
useful.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
MICHAEL WILSON

@STOPWILSON | WWW.PONYWOLF.COM
PRESENTED BY
Engineering Fun in Game Design
. . . . . . . . . . . .
INTOAPROCESS?
CAN WE TURN FUN
GAMES ARE DESIGNED

TO BE ADDICTIVE
Photo used under Creative Commons from Jeff Kubina
GAME MECHANICS
• Achievements
• Behavioral Momentum
• Bonuses
• Cascading Information
• Combos
• Community Collaboration
• Countdown
• Discovery
• Epic Meaning
• Infinite Gameplay
• Levels
• Loss Aversion
• Lottery
• Ownership
• Points
• Progression
• Quests
• Reward Schedules
• Status
via http://gamification.org/wiki/Game_Mechanics
. . . . . . . . . . . .
METHODOLOGY?
SO WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH
IT’SASET OF FEATURES
Progress Bars
Achievements
Badges
Scoreboards
Socialization
Competition
Challenges
etc.
}METHODOLODY
THAT DON’T EQUATE TO FUN
Progress Bars
Achievements
Badges
Scoreboards
Socialization
Competition
Challenges
etc.
}= FUN/
SO HOW DO WE

MANUFACTURE

FUN?
. . . . . . . . . . . .
GAME?
WHAT IS A
THERE IS A
HIERARCHY OF
EXPERIENCE
Experience Toy Puzzle Game
EXPERIENCE
Photo used under Creative Commons from Blender Films
TOY
Photo used under Creative Commons from stevendepolo
A TOY IS DESIGNED
FOR PLAY
PLAY = INTERACTION
INHERENT “RULES” OFATOY
• Interaction
• Physical/Environmental Rules
• Expectations
• Feedback (Light, Sound, etc.)
• Discovery
• Manipulation
• etc.
TOY
VISUAL FEEDBACK
SURPRISE,

DELIGHT,

RANDOMNESS,

POSSIBILITIES

(BUT NO GOAL)
PUZZLE
Photo used under Creative Commons from fdecomite
A PUZZLE IS FUN AND HAS A
RIGHT ANSWER
--SCOTTKIM,PUZZLEMASTER(THENEXTTETRIS)
IMPLICIT RULES OFAPUZZLE
• Puzzles are a form of play.
• Puzzles have a goal or objective.
• Puzzles are “tricky.”
• Puzzles imply needed ingenuity.
PUZZLE
EXPLICIT RULES OFAPUZZLE
A PUZZLE 

HAS RULES
Engineering Fun in Game Design
A PUZZLE IS FUN AND HAS
(ATLEASTONE)

RIGHT ANSWER
SURPRISE,

DELIGHT,

RANDOMNESS,

POSSIBILITIES

(NOW WITHAPURPOSE)
GAME
Photo used under Creative Commons from Muffet
A GAME IS A PLAY ACTIVITY WITH
RULES THAT INVOLVES CONFLICT
--INTERNATIONALGAMEDEVELOPERSASSOCIATION
RULES OFAGAME
• Games are an activity.
• Games have rules.
• Games have conflict.
• Games have goals.
• Games involve decision making.
• Games have an uncertain outcome.
GAMEPortions of text used under Creative Commons from Ian Schreiber
RULES OFAGAME, MAYBE?
• Games have Players?
• Games have Winners and Losers?
• Games are purposely inefficient?
• Games have outcomes?
• Games involve systems?
• Games are...?
GAME
A GAMES ARE
STORY MACHINES
STORY
Photo used under Creative Commons from DeusXFlorida
STORY
Photo used under Creative Commons from StuSeeger
THE PIECES OF OUR
STORY MACHINE ARE
CALLED MECHANICS
GAME MECHANICS ARE
CONSTRUCTS OF RULES
INTENDED TO PRODUCE AN
ENJOYABLE GAME OR
GAMEPLAY
WHAT ISAGAME?
Experience Toy Puzzle Game
Lacks
Interaction
Explicit
Rules
Inherent
Rules
Outcome
Has

Interaction
Objectives
Conflict
. . . . . . . . . . . .
FUN!
DIALING IN THE
DESIGNING FUN

IS ABOUT DESIGNING
BALANCE
BALANCE
Photo used under Creative Commons from cho45
WHAT TO BALANCE?
Risk
Luck
Random
Completion
…This
Reward
Skill
Predictive
Endlessness
That…
vs.
vs.
vs.
vs.
vs.
THESE ARE THE BIG
THREE,

BUT THERE ARE MANY
OTHERS
RISK

VS.

REWARD
RISK
RISK VS.REWARD
• Think of RISK and REWARD as a mechanic
to drive MEANING.
RISK = EFFORT

EFFORT + REWARD =
MEANING
CHALLENGE & DIFFICULTY
According to human nature, it is
inevitable that a person will learn and
gain more skill presented a
challenge and a chance to grow—
therefore a game must increase in
difficulty as the player progresses in
order to continue to be challenging
MORE CHALLENGE = MORE
EFFORT = MORE RISK
SO, A GAME 

WITHOUT RISK WILL
INHERENTLY MAKE IT
UN-FUN
LUCK

VS.

SKILL
Photos used under Creative Commons from dupo-x-y & Muffet
LUCK SKILL
ALL GAMES HAVE SOME LUCK
ALL GAMES HAVE SOME SKILL
SOURCES OF LUCK
• Random Number Generators (Dice, Coins,
etc.)
• Simultaneous Choices (Rock, Paper,
Scissors)
• Hidden Information (Cards, Stock Market)
• Environment (Weather, imperfections, etc.)
LUCK
LUCK LEVELS
THE PLAYFIELD
LUCK IS
INCLUSIVE
SKILL TAKES
EFFORT
SOURCES OF SKILL
• Physical (Exercise, Practice, etc.)
• Intelligence (IQ, Problem Solving, etc.)
• Familiarity (Experience, Practice, etc.)
• Endurance (Willpower, etc,)
SKILL
SKILL ADDS
MEANING
SO, A GAME WITH OUT
LUCK WILL INHERENTLY
MAKE IT UNFAIR
MANIPULATING LUCK
WHEN SKILL GETS AN
ADVANTAGE, DIAL UP
THE LUCK
RANDOM

VS.

PREDICTIVE
Photos used under Creative Commons from dupo-x-y & Muffet
RANDOM PREDICTIVE
RANDOMNESS ISN’T

LUCK
PREDICTIONS ARE

ODDS
CHESS IS VERY RANDOM
• The Shannon number, named after Claude
Shannon, is an estimated lower bound on
the game-tree complexity of chess
• Shanon’s number is estimated at
10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00
0,000,000,000,000,000,000 (1046.7) games
• More than the estimated number of atoms
in the Universe
via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon_number
Photos used under Creative Commons from Muffet
CHESS IS PREDICTIVE
}IN BOOK
IN BOOK
IN BOOKIN BOOK
IN BOOK
IN BOOK
IN BOOK IN BOOK
NOVELTY
IN BOOK
INBOOK
INBOOK
INBOOK
INBOOKINBOOKINBOOK
INBOOK
INBOOK
KNOWING THE POSSIBLE
OUTCOME MAKES
VARIATIONS MORE
EXCITING
WHO WINS?
i i
PREDICTIVE OUTCOMES
CREATE UNDERDOGS
PREDICTIVE OUTCOMES
CREATE RIVALRIES
WHO IS THE
UNDERDOG?
Photo used under Creative Commons from Mike_fleming
SO, A GAME WITH OUT
PREDICTIONS WILL
INHERENTLY MAKE IT
BORING
. . . . . . . . . . . .
TOGETHER
BRING IT
ARE YOU CREATING
CONFLICT?
ARE YOU CREATING
MEANING?
ARE YOU CREATING
BALANCE?
Q&A
1 of 80

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Engineering Fun in Game Design