Fun and faith

Ian at Gamasutra has compiled a list for game designers. Here are the key points I picked up for myself.

1. Do play your game to ensure the fun
2. Do keep design documentation up to date
3. Do make prototypes with fun gameplay to remind the goals
4. Do use placheolders
5. Do use peer reviews
6. Do play other games to learn from them, combine the ideas yet also use your own imagination
7. Do add a good story in order to avoid tech demo status or just keep it simple and short

Have you also read this cool article – Bad Game Designer, No Twinkie! II?

But what makes a game actually fun or even worth playing? This is discussed by Mark at Gamasutra. Here is a summary for future reference.

1. Do keep the player motivated to advance in your levels.
   1. Significant threat from behind will keep player moving
   2. A dangling carrot on the field ahead sure looks like an objective
   3. Impose a time limit for the player not to hang around
   4. Provide guidance or simply limit the possible routes the player can choose from
   5. Provide something of interest of the player to motivate him
   6. Use architectural pressure trigger movement via psychology including long corridors and junctions
   7. Taking away the object of interest will make him chase it down
2. Make the player believe they are under a threat – actual danger.
   1. External – caused by an enemy
   2. Internal – caused by players mistakes
3. Keep the player believing in an unknown danger which would build up tension – perceived danger.
4. Tempo is described by the level of intensity of action.
   1. Explorative
   2. Puzzle
   3. Combat

Update:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/lang/eng/dan_ariely_asks_are_we_in_control_of_our_own_decisions.html

Why are dumb hit points of any fun? A blog post over at rampantgames has the anwser.

1. It is intuitive
2. Players get a sense of a warning system
3. It balances the game
4. It is appealing to see the growth of hitpoints