What is a game?

1. What is a game? CS 4730 – Computer Game Design

2. What makes a game “a game”? • Thoughts? 2

3. All games have… • Goals • Rules • Feedback • Voluntary participation (aka “players”) • “Playing a game is the voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles.” 3

4. “I play it for the story” • What drives you to play a certain game? • Do you play a game solely for the story/lore? • Or do you play the game for the mechanics/playstyle? 4

5. “I play it for the story” • Are games a vehicle for telling a story? • Or are games about how we empower the player to do things they don’t normally get to do? • Is it the author’s voice we care about, or is it the gamers? 5

6. “I play it for the story” • Name a game where the author’s voice is paramount – over that of the player’s. • Name a game where the player’s voice is paramount – over that of the author’s. • What characteristics do the two types of games have? 6

7. Beware the Extremes • Either extreme is dangerous. • Pure story often has poor mechanics, or is simply watching a movie. Why watch a movie holding a controller? • Pure mechanics often leads to lack of player motivation and interest. Why use your agency in a world you don’t care about? 7

8. The World of Balance • Games as wish-fulfillment • I want to ________ • The Adams Approach • What dream are you satisfying? • What goals does this dream create? • What actions achieve those goals? • What setting does this dream create? • What is the appropriate interface? • Use this to define your gameplay in your world 8

9. Start Dreaming • It’s not too early to start thinking about your game! • We will be building with MonoGame • Think about the scale of a really good Flash game, not Halo 4 • Think about building your game around a single idea/mechanic and then riffing on that • Example: light/dark, gravity flip, color matching 9

10. A Critical Eye • How can you begin to design games if you don’t know what’s out there? What’s possible? • You have probably played some games at some point, but most of us play games in a particular category or style. • This is your invitation to branch out. • More info can be found on the Quests page and on your Gamer Card. 10

11. The Written Word • Once you’ve played a few games, you’re ready to start dreaming. • Do some random drawings • Brainstorm • Write a short paragraph describing something • Pick an existing mechanic and modify it • The best ideas come from some weird places! 11

12. Speaking of Weird… 12

13. Speaking of Weird… 13

14. Speaking of Weird… 14

15. Ludic Structure of Games • Players – voluntary participation • Objectives - goals • Procedures – actions of play, limited by rules • Rules – define game parameters • Resources – valuable objects defined by rules • Conflict – hindrances to objective • Boundaries – setting apart the game world • Outcome – uncertainty toward ultimate goal 15

16. Narrative/Engagement in Games • Challenge – tension to resolve a problem • Play – “free movement within a structure” • Premise – context • Character – vessel for participation and interest • Story – narrative within a context • Dramatic Elements – climax of game element 16

17. Greater than the Sum • Games are all of these things, but are also greater than the sum of these parts. • We also have to look beyond these definitions to see where innovation is happening in gaming today. 17

18. A New Challenger Arrives! • Goals • Rules • Feedback • Players 18

19. A New Challenger Arrives! • Goals – Objectives, Resources, Outcome • Rules – Procedures, Rules, Conflict, Boundaries • Feedback – Communicating items above • Players – Player Modes and Interactions 19