Game Design Workshop About The Workshop Started in

Game Design Workshop

About The Workshop • • • Started in 2001 Hands-on Focused on iteration Grounded in a formal approach Intended to be open-ended

What It’s NOT about… • • • How to get a job as a game designer How to write a design document Where game ideas “come from” How to get your game funded How to use a level editor

In Other Words. . . • It’s not about the Business (Getting a job, pitching a game, getting funded) • It’s not about the Profession (Writing documents, tracking bugs, using tools) • It’s about the Craft (Making games that are fun)

What You’ll be Doing • • • Playing games Analyzing games Critiquing games Modifying games Refining games

Schedule ● ● 10 am-6 pm both days 2 -3 hour design exercises Info and signups at gdc. 8 kindsoffun. com or tinyurl. com/gdc-mda

The Faculty ● Andy Ashcraft ● Giantsdance ● Daniel Cook Riot Games ● Spry. Fox ● Jeb Havens Eileen Hollinger ● Robin Hunicke Funomena Stone Librande Riot Games ● Funomena ● Andrew Leker 20 XR You. Tube ● Marc Le. Blanc Zak Mc. Clendon Independent ● Tim Stellmach Otherside Entertainment

A Few Ground Rules • • Pv. E, not Pv. P Don’t bail on your group Turn the devices off Grab a pen Last but not least…

Fail Fast!

Fail Fast! Test Analyze Revise

Fail Fast! Test Analyze Revise Follow the Fun!

Analyze Test Revise

Our exercises are longer ● You will have way more rope Melinda says. . .

Channel your inner kindergartener…

Let’s Play! Rock, Paper, Scissors vs. MAHK

Break Into Rooms Rock Paper Scissors 236 220 224

The MDA Framework Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics

Game/Software Parallels =

The MDA Framework Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics

Mechanics ● Cards ● ● Shooters ● ● Shuffling, Trick-Taking, Bidding Ammunition, Spawn Points Golf ● Sand Traps, Water Hazards

Dynamics Room Thermometer Heater Too Cold Too Hot Cooler Controller An Ideal Thermostat

Chance in 36 Dynamics Die roll

Psychology = Human Dynamics ● ● ● Perception Attribution Bias Cognitive Dissonance

Sometimes…

The Idea of Dynamics ● Behavior is separate from rules. The same behavior can emerge from many different rules. ●

Eight Kinds of “Fun” ● ● Sensation Fantasy Narrative Challenge ● ● Fellowship Discovery Expression Submission

Formulating an “Aesthetic Model” For each aesthetic goal: ● Write a formal definition ● List criteria for success ● List modes of failure ● ● Serves as an “aesthetic compass” Some examples… These are often reusable

Goal: Competition Definition: A game is competitive if players are emotionally invested in defeating each other. ● Success: ● ● Players are adversaries. Players want to win. Failure: ● ● A player feels that he can’t win. A player can’t measure his progress.

Goal: Pirate Fantasy Definition: A pirate fantasy conforms to the genre conventions of pirate movies, and permits the player to engage in certain kinds of anti-social pirate behavior. ●

Goal: Pirate Fantasy Definition: A pirate fantasy conforms to the genre conventions of pirate movies, and permits the player to engage in certain kinds of anti-social pirate behavior. ● Success: ● Empowerment • Failure: ● ● ● Independence Greed Treachery Prey upon Weak • Vulnerability • Compassion • Generosity

Goal: Drama Definition: A game is dramatic if: ● Its central conflict creates dramatic tension. ● The dramatic tension builds towards a climax.

Goal: Drama ● Success: ● ● A sense of uncertainty A sense of inevitability Tension increases towards a climax Failure: ● ● ● The conflict’s outcome is obvious (no uncertainty) No sense of forward progress (no inevitability) Player doesn’t care how the conflict resolves.

Aesthetic Models are an Important Tool It’s hard to solve problems we can’t describe. ● Especially in a large group. ●

The Point: ● In some sense, it isn’t about this: Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics

The Point: ● It’s about this:

The Point: ● This is where game design happens.

● ● Stonetronix. com 8 kindsoffun. com

Random Final Thought There is no final iteration. There is only the next iteration.