Elements of Game Design

Specifications

Book Description

A primer on the fundamental ideas behind game design, with a particular emphasis on the methods that are utilized in the production of commercial video games.
This textbook, written by a well-known game designer, provides an introduction to the fundamentals of game design. It covers the tools and strategies that are utilized by professionals in the production of commercial video games. This article provides a model for assessing game design in terms of three interrelated levels: mechanics and systems, gameplay, and user experience. Additionally, it discusses how rookie game designers can utilize these three levels as a framework to guide their method of design. Notable aspects of the literature include its emphasis on models and vocabulary that are utilized in industry practice, as well as its concentration on the creation of games as dynamic systems of gameplay.

The most fundamental concept and framework for analyzing and constructing games is presented at the beginning of the book. After that, it goes on to discuss the three levels in great detail, providing an explanation of the player experience and identifying the design goals; introducing a low-level structural analysis of gameplay in terms of fundamental mechanics; describing how mechanics build up into systems; and presenting concepts for understanding gameplay, which is defined as the dynamic behavior of players when they interact with mechanics and systems. In conclusion, the book provides students with guidance on development of game prototypes through the utilization of an iterative and user-centered process. In each chapter, there includes a collection of physical activities for individuals as well as design tasks for groups.