Game Design

When I first hear the words 'Game Design', I instantly think of a complicated process including game blueprints, many rules, thousands of drafts and hours upon hours of hard work. Yet, after reading the articles I did not realise that a game as simple as "Snakes and Ladders" would be a game. When thinking of games I think of many games that are far more complicated such as 'Call of Duty' or 'Sims' but not simple games.

When I was made aware about having to design a game I was terrified. I thought to myself - "I am not creative enough, I do not know programming well enough to construct a whole game. I am going to fail." However, after reading articles I realised it may be far less complicated than I originally thought.

An article that stood out to me was "So You're Going To Make A Game For The Very First time?" by Lewis Pulsipher. I learnt a lot about making a game for the first time. If I had not read this I believe I would have made many mistakes - such as focusing on making the game 'pretty' rather than functional and this, as told by Pulsipher, is the wrong way to go. Making a game that may be unpleasant to look at is far better than having no game to play. This article has helped me greatly in becoming more confident for when I am tasked with creating a prototype game.

Do do not worry the aesthetic of the game! (Source)

Something else I have learnt is to always play the game yourself. Always analyse the game, make improvements and find the flaws. Find ways to improve it and how to make it more exciting to play. After playing each time make one change. The aim is to make a playable game. Designing a game should be fun as it is a time to get creative. I have made peace knowing the first game I will design will not be the best, nevertheless it will not stop me from enjoying the process of making my first game!

In another article by Wolfgang Kramer "What Is a Game?" We see a more in-depth explaining of what a game really is. We learn about the components and rules of a game and what makes a game. Certain criteria a game must have in order to be called a 'Game'. In summary of the article a game must have the following in order to be considered a game - rules, a goal, change of course, competition, equality, no impact on reality, freedom, chance, common experience and activity. It is important to have all rules, goals etc. Known before you design the game itself. The game will only work if YOU know how you want the game to work. Blueprints and graphics come at the later stage. Programming a game with no rules simply has no purpose and will not be a game.