Practical Game Design A modern and comprehensive guide to video game design Adam Kramarzewski Ennio De Nucci BIRMINGHAM—MUMBAI Practical Game Design Copyright © 2023 Packt Publishing All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied Neither the authors, nor Packt Publishing or its dealers and distributors, will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly by this book Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information Group Product Manager: Rohit Rajkumar Publishing Product Manager: Vaideeshwari Murlikrishnan Content Development Editor: Abhishek Jadhav Technical Editor: Joseph Aloocaran Copy Editor: Safis Editing Project Coordinator: Aishwarya Mohan Proofreader: Safis Editing Indexer: Tejal Soni Production Designer: Shankar Kalbhor Marketing Coordinator: Nivedita Pandey First published: April 2018 Second edition: August 2023 Production reference: 1200723 Packt Publishing Ltd Grosvenor House 11 St Paul’s Square Birmingham B3 1R, UK ISBN 978-1-80324-515-7 www.packtpub.com I’d like to extend my gratitude to my loving wife, Shan, for putting up with me throughout this project, and to my brother Chris, my parents, our reviewers, and everyone at Space Ape Games and beyond who helped me out with feedback, fresh ideas, and words of encouragement – Adam Kramarzewski My first thanks to Barbara, who supported me in the long hours of writing and studying for this book Thanks to my parents for all the lessons, my friends for all the adventures, and all my colleagues throughout my career, especially those at Another Place Productions and Simon M You have been an endless source of teachings and inspiration Finally, my gratitude to Fabio Belsanti and Fabio Abbattista, who believed in me and sparked my passion for game design – Ennio De Nucci Contributors About the authors Adam Kramarzewski is a game designer who, at the age of 19, dived straight into the pre-smartphone mobile games industry of 2007 He has gathered over 16 years of experience with the likes of Gameloft, Square Enix, Space Ape Games, and Madbox, and has worked on over 30 game projects and many world-class IPs, including Lara Croft, Deus Ex, Boom Beach, and Transformers Adam is an avid gamer and a fan of cinematography, psychology, and all things science He has also sat on the jury for game design at the 2017 and 2022 BAFTA Video Game Awards Ennio De Nucci is a game designer and developer His passion for role-playing games and miniature war games brought him into the game industry, where he has worked as a game designer since 2011 and designed both digital video games and physical board games He worked for a variety of video game developers, such as PM Studios Srl, IGT, Supermassive Games, and Another Place Productions At the time of this book’s release, he works as a Lead Game Designer for one of the most renowned strategy game developers About the reviewers Suvrangshu Barua is a game developer with 3.5 years of professional experience in game development and is currently working at Kolpoverse Studio, where he utilizes his passion for gaming and his programming expertise to create engaging and enjoyable gaming experiences for players Suvrangshu has also worked as a game programmer at Alpha Potato LLC, a renowned game development company As he progresses in his career, he aspires to be recognized as a game developer who not only creates exceptional games but also provides players with unforgettable experiences With his passion, technical expertise, and creative mindset, he aims to contribute to the evolution of the gaming industry and inspire fellow developers to push their boundaries Jaydev Dhakan remains grounded and continually seeks new opportunities for growth He embraces the ever-changing landscape of the gaming industry, staying up to date with emerging trends and technologies By actively engaging with the gaming community and collaborating with other passionate professionals, he continuously pushes his boundaries and expands his creative horizons Zoë O'Shea is a PhD candidate studying at Goldsmiths University, London, and is part of the Intelligent Games/Games Intelligence Center for Doctoral Training (IGGI) Originally from Dublin, Ireland, Zoë has previously studied 3D modeling, game design, and games theory Her current research is centered around player psychology and behavior When not working on her thesis, Zoë undertakes a wide selection of freelance work and enjoys playing Final Fantasy XIV Online Bill Robinson has been developing games for almost 30 years, and has been doing so professionally for over 10 years He currently works at Space Ape Games in London and worked for Jagex in Cambridge earlier Table of Contents Prefacexiii Introducing the Game Production Process Game design roles Agile7 Specialization and T-shaping Production schedule and milestones Development teams Responsibilities of a game designer Software development models Greenlight gates and vertical slice A traditional milestone structure Validation funnel in-game development Waterfall7 10 10 11 The role of a games publisher 14 Summary15 Preparing a Game Concept What is a game concept? Structure of a game concept document 17 17 19 The hook or elevator pitch 20 Description21 Key feature set 21 Platform23 Audience24 Genre26 Business model 26 Knowing your competition Understanding the ideation process 28 29 Coming up with ideas Twisting familiar mechanics Creativity through constraints Finding the fun Defining fantasy The mood, or how the game looks and feels 30 31 31 32 33 34 Summary35 viii Table of Contents Scoping a Game Project The evolution of game structure Common game structures 37 39 40 Linear40 Structured nonlinear 41 Open nonlinear 42 Endless and sandbox 43 Notes on structure 44 Game content 44 Content burn 46 Scoping practices 53 Content lifespan Game flow 53 58 Planning design work 61 Estimation techniques Priorities and dependencies 62 64 Summary65 Creating Design Documentation The purpose of a GDD Characteristics of a good GDD 68 69 It is modular It starts with goals and requirements It is the result of a discussion It is clear, brief, and concise It is multimedia It leaves space for creativity and debate It comes in different formats and sizes It is online, shareable, and accessible 69 71 72 73 74 75 76 76 Tools for writing a GDD 77 Word processors 77 Wikis78 Presentations80 Note organizers 81 Digital whiteboards 81 Mind maps 81 Spreadsheets83 Illustration tools 84 Generative AI tools 86 67 Writing techniques 87 Use of style 87 Layering details 87 Start with a high-level design 88 Motion versus action 88 Write incrementally by drafting 88 Prioritize89 Use of keywords 89 Table of contents 89 Bullet points 89 Images with captions 89 Diagrams90 Variables90 Redundancy90 Hyperlinks90 Elegance in game design 90 Keep it short and simple (KISS) The less-is-more principle 91 92 Summary93 Table of Contents Understanding Game Mechanics What is a game mechanic? 96 Examples of game mechanics 97 Game mechanics interact with each other to develop dynamics 101 Mechanics and dynamics are part of a feature 101 Approaching mechanic design Rules and game mechanics 102 104 95 Mechanics and dynamics produce feedback 105 Finding the right reference 107 Deconstructing your references 109 Additive and subtractive design 110 Putting it all back together 112 Summary112 Designing Systems and Features Developing an idea into an experience 114 113 Games as systems of conflict 127 Innovating with design 117 Solving gameplay problems with design 117 Building a game feature starting from the players118 Opponents127 Obstacles128 Dilemmas128 Quality over quantity 129 More choices, not best choices 129 Game loops Combat systems Game’s model and player’s mental loops Interactive loops Designer’s loops Progression systems Progression systems provide pace to the game Progression systems provide variety 123 123 123 126 126 126 127 How to design a combat system Combat depth Teaching game features How to design a tutorial Tutorials in free-to-play games 129 130 132 135 135 136 Summary137 Making Prototypes What is a prototype? Why a prototype? 139 139 140 Prototyping techniques Paper prototyping 141 141 ix Index FreeMind 83 freemium currency 328 Free to Play (F2P) games 27, 28, 361 problems 118 functional level design 187 funnel 329 G gacha 50, 370 desirability 372 duplicate handling 372-374 player capacity 371, 372 quantity and quality 370, 371 sustainability 372 gacha box 328 game concept 17, 18 competition, knowing 28, 29 game concept document age rating systems, for audience 25 audience 24, 25 business models 26, 27 description 21 elevator pitch 20 genre 26 hook 20 key feature set 21, 22 platform 23, 24 structure 19, 20 game content 44, 45 content burn 46 content furnace, avoiding 46 depth and possibility space 46-48 procedural generation 51 randomization 49, 50 user-generated content 52 game design elegance 90, 91 game design document (GDD) 6, 38, 67 acceptance criteria 72 characteristics 69-76 purposes 68 writing techniques 87 writing tools 77 game designers and QA 403, 404 economy designers/monetization specialists generalists level designers mission/content designers narrative designers specialization 3, systems designers tasks 6, technical designers T-shaping game design idea development game feature building, from players 118 gameplay problems, solving with design 117, 118 innovation 117 into experience 114-116 game difficulty 244, 245 automatic difficulty adjustment 248 static difficulty settings 245-247 game economy audience, evaluating 380 box gacha 376 bundles and targeting 377, 378 consistency, maintaining 375, 376 establishing 365 gacha 370 kompu gacha 376 limited budgets, of players 380, 381 monetization strategy, establishing 366, 367 411 412 Index offering, adjusting based on individual player spending 379 packaging and opening 375 player progression, balancing 367 rationalization, purchasing 379, 380 weight-based loot tables 374 game features 101 evolving 188 free-to-play games tutorials 136 teaching 135 tutorial, designing 135, 136 game ideation process 29 creativity, through constraints 31 familiar mechanics, twisting 31 fantasy, defining 33 fantasy, through game mechanics 34 fun factor 32 ideas, coming up for future new games 30 mood, defining 34 prototyping 32, 33 prototyping, iteration 33 game loops 123 designer’s loop 126 game’s model loop 123 interactive loop 123 player’s mental loop 123 game mechanics 96 designing, approaches 102 examples 97, 100 feedback 105, 106 right reference, deconstructing 109, 110 right reference, finding 107-109 rules 104 Schell’s taxonomy 102-104 gameplay 95, 187 gameplay balancing 233, 234 methods and tips 235-239 game, polishing 398 audio and visual factors 400, 401 design polish 401 stability and performance 398, 399 game project closing, tips 404, 405 games failing, to monetize 385, 386 game scope 37 game skills mental skills 104 physical skills 104 social skills 104 game spaces 103 divided 103 graph 103 grid 103 linear 103 points 103 games publisher role 14 game structure 40 considerations 44 endless 43 evolution 39 linear games 40 open nonlinear games 42 sandbox 43 structured nonlinear games 41, 42 game system pacing examples 258 game systems best practices 301-303 in-game teaching techniques 298-300 teaching 298 teaching, outside gameplay 300, 301 gating 126 generalist Index generative AI tools 86 ChatGPT 87 Midjourney 86 globals 243 Globals sheet 241 Gold Master status 11, 403 Google Docs 77 Google Drive suite 76 Google Presentations 80 Google Sheets 84 gray box 182 grayboxing 182-184 greenlight gate 10 Gutenberg Principle 290, 291 H hands-on game designer 148, 149 hard currency 328 health points (HPs) 214 height 196 factors 196 high-performing season pass tips 383, 384 hook 19, 20 I illustration tools 84-86 implicit complexity 134 pace 134 tutorials 135 user interface (UI) 134 in-game monetization models, vectors 362 difficulty 363, 364 in-game advertisements 365 non-playable content 365 playable content 364 time 363 in-game teaching techniques 298-300 installs 326 intellectual property (IP) 14, 29 interactive loop 123 core loop 124 extended loops 125 K keep it short and simple (KISS) 91 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 13, 324 k-factor 326 killers 120 Kishōtenketsu, story segments conclusion 188, 191 development 188, 189 introduction 188, 189 twist 188, 190 knockout events 345, 346 kompu gacha 376 L Layered Modifiers 240, 241 Character Archetype sheet 242 Character Classes sheet 241, 242 Globals sheet 241 Troop Level Data sheet 242 Upgrade Path sheet 242 Lazzaro, Nicole 121 Lazzaro’s types of fun 121, 122 fundamental human emotions 121 Left Dead (Multiplayer FPS) - No Mercy Campaign 177 less-is-more principle 92, 93, 396 413 414 Index level design 175, 176 art implementation 184 final polish 185 grayboxing 182-184 premise 176 sketch 177, 178 storytelling, integrating into 185-187 level designers lifetime value (LTV) 13, 325, 366 lighting effects 198 utilizing, in context of level design 198-200 linear game structure 40 linear narrative 166, 167 with extended action space 167 live operations 331, 332 content treadmill, managing 334 efficient live ops 333, 334 live-game balancing 334-336 planning 337 release cadence 338 staffing 332 tools and setup 339, 340 live operations manager 332 live ops calendar 337 localization 304 lock and key design 192, 193 M Mana 99 marketing and analytics click-through rate (CTR) 326 cost per install (CPI) 326, 327 cost per thousand impressions (CPM) 327 dolphins 327 installs 326 k-factor 326 minnows 327 organic uplift 326 return on ad spend (ROAS) 327 session stats 327 virality 326 whales 327 marketing manager 333 massively multiplayer online (MMO) 26, 367 massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) 169 MBT balancing 239, 240 mechanics 101 mental and sensory stimulation 253, 254 Microsoft PowerPoint 80 Microsoft Whiteboard 81 Midjourney 86 mind maps 81, 82 minimum viable product (MVP) 64, 337 Miro 76 mission/content designers MMO first-person shooter (MMOFPS) 367 modal dialog 287 modular narrative 167, 168 graph structure 168 open structure 169 world state 169, 170 monetization, live games tips and tricks 386-391 monomyth 163 monthly active users (MAU) 324 multiplayer level design 202 tips 202, 203 multiplayer matchmaking 249, 250 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) 26, 47 Multi-User Dungeon (MUD) 119 Index N narration 187 narrative 160 designing, for video games 166 linear narrative 166, 167 modular narrative 167, 168 narrative designers natural mapping 264 nonmodal dialog 287 Non-Playable Characters (NPCs) 116, 187, 209 note organizers 81 O Office suite 76 OneNote 81 open nonlinear game structure 42 organic uplift 326 P pace of game 191, 192 pacing 252, 253 approaching 255 linear content 255-257 via rules and mechanics 257 pacing, tips actor removal, investigating 259 high intensity and storytelling 259 multiplayer pacing and level design 260 threat and anxiety, utilizing 260, 261 Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) 25 paper prototyping 141, 142 advantages 142, 143 case study 149-154 limitations 143, 144 Pareto principle 393 pay gate 329 pay to win (P2W) 330 piggy bank feature 386 PlanetSide example 367-369 playable characters 209 player input, UX 264 analog input 265 complex analog input 266 control types 265 digital input 265 touchscreen controls 266, 267 Player versus Player (PvP) 22 playtesting 305, 306 candidates, sourcing 310 formats 307, 308 group playtesting 308 high-level playtesting plan, of fictional AAA action-adventure game 306, 307 individual sessions 308 public testing 309, 310 questionnaires 319-321 remote playtesting solutions 310 sessions, running 314 supervised individual sessions 314 polishing 397 Portal mechanic 111 premise 176 examples 177 premium currency 328 presentation 80 advantages 80 disadvantages 80 prestiging totalizers 343, 344 production milestones schedule 415 416 Index production phase, milestones alpha 11 beta 11 gold candidate 11 pre-alpha 11 release 11 production process progress bars 286 progression-driven difficulty 250-252 progression mechanics 354 combined progression system 357 objective-based progression 354-356 passive and engagement-based progression 354 quest cadence and delivery methods 356 progression systems 126 game pace, providing 126 variety 127 prospect-refuge theory 193-195 emotional significance of exploration 197 examples 194 space, manipulating 195 prototype 32, 139 need for 140 prototyping digital prototyping 144 exercise 148 mistakes 144-146 paper prototyping 141, 142 step-by-step process 146-148 techniques 141 public test realms (PTRs) 307, 340 Q quality assurance 403 and game designers 403, 404 R Rainbow Road 177 realism 188 real-time combat system 131 real-time strategy (RTS) game 83, 234 real-world examples, content lifespan 53, 54 player progression flow 54 unlock matrix 56, 57 reloading 97 retention funnel 329 retention stats 324 return on ad spend (ROAS) 327 rock-paper-scissors (RPS) 150 role-playing games (RPGs) 26, 234 roosters 286 rubberbanding 249 rules 104 and game mechanics 104 S sandbox game structure 43 Schell’s taxonomy, of game mechanics 102 actions 103 attributes 103 chance 104 objects 103 rules 104 skill 104 space 103 states 103 scoping practices 53 content lifespan 53 game flow 58, 59 menu flow example 59-61 Index scored leaderboards 344, 345 Scrum season pass 351-353 cadence 353 for monetization 381-383 key objective 353 premium rewards and perks 358, 359 previous passes, accessing 357 tips 338, 359, 360 self-balancing system 236 session stats 327 Shadow of the Colossus 93 shooting 97 sketch 177, 178 sketch, examples Call of Duty 4, Modern Warfare (FPS) - Pripyat assassination 180-182 imaginary playthrough 180 Water Temple 179, 180 written sketch 178, 179 socializers 119 social media manager 333 soft currency 328 software development models Agile waterfall space 103 enclosed areas 196 manageable areas 196 manipulating 195 open area 196 split testing 330 spreadsheet 83 advantages 84 disadvantages 84 stability and performance, game polishing 398, 399 perceived performance 399 staffing, live operations 332 community and customer support (CCS) lead 332 data analyst 332 live operations manager 332 marketing manager 333 social media manager 333 State Machine 169 static difficulty settings 245-247 mono-difficulty, embracing 248 stories 161 Story Machine 161 storytelling integrating, into level design 185-187 story villains 225 String of Pearls storytelling method 166 structured nonlinear game structure 41 subtractive game design 110 Super Hexagon 92 Supermassive Games 28 supervised individual sessions 314 introduction 314-316 playtesting session 316, 317 post-session interview 317 System 113 systems designers T technical design document (TDD) 38 technical designers terms of engagement 323, 324 basic stats 324 economy and balancing 327 marketing and analytics 326 test environments 340 417 The hero’s journey 164 departure 164 initiation 164, 165 return 165 third-person perspective (TPP) 272 behind game character 272, 273 isometric projection 274 side view 274, 275 top-down perspective 273 three-act story 162 Toast notification 287 tools and setup, live operations asset streaming 340 content management system (CMS) 339 customer relationship management (CRM) 339 dashboards 339 test environments 340 tools, for writing GDD 77 digital whiteboards 81 generative AI tools 86 illustration tools 84-86 mind maps 81, 82 note organizers 81 presentation 80 spreadsheet 83 Wikis 78 word processors 77 totalizers 342 touch interface 266 traditional milestone structure concept phase 10 post-release 11 preproduction 10 production 11 traditional narrative models 162 monomyth 163, 164 three-act story 162 Troop Level Data sheet 242, 243 T-shaping turn-based games 131 TWiki 79 U UI mockups 282 animated and interactive prototypes 285 digital wireframes 285 paper sketches 285 wireframe mockup 282-285 UI, tips and tricks contrast, using 288 different screens 289 fitting state and progress indicator selection 286 movement, using 288 notification badges, using 286 popup, matching with context 287 risky action, confirming 289 saturation, using 288 style and execution 289 style guide 288 text labeling 288 time counting 289 tooltips, using 287 unified unit (UU) 237 unintuitive mechanics 396 Unique Selling Point (USP) 19, 22, 23, 108 unsupervised group playtesting 317 feedback, gathering 319 objective, setting 318 Upgrade Path sheet 242, 243 user experience (UX) 263, 293 camera systems 267 design 84 feedback 278 improving 396, 397 player input 264 Index user interface (UI) 84, 263, 293 user interface (UI) designing contextual information 281 critical information 281 information, listing 280 information, prioritizing 281 objectives 280 supportive information 281 V validation funnel in-game development 11-14 alpha 13 beta 13 ideation 12 internal prototype 13 live operations 14 market sizing 13 preproduction 12 release 14 soft launch 13 vertical slice/first playable 10 VFX (visual effects) video game characters abilities 215 attributes 213-215 enemies 209 evolution 206-208 Non-Playable Characters (NPCs) 209 playable characters 209 statistics 213, 214 video game characters, design 216, 217 abilities 219-223 deep knowledge, acquiring of game 217 design pillars, writing 217 final implementation 224 high concept, writing 218 iterate 224 prototype 224 stats, defining and balancing 218 weapon stats 218, 219 video game characters, function 209 allies 211 antagonist 212 boss 211 competitor 213 friend/assistant 210 hostage 212 lover 210 mentor 210 minions (enemies) 211 quest giver 213 vendor 212 video games 105 viewing perspective 270 first-person perspective 271 third-person perspective 272 villains 224 boss villains 225 story villains 225 Visio 83 vision mechanics 200-202 completely blank 200 examples 201 heavily dimmed 200 W waterfall Water Temple 179, 180 Wikia 76, 79 Wikis 78, 79 advantages 79 disadvantages 79 wireframes 84 419 420 Index word processors 77 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