Book Image

Practical Game Design

By : Adam Kramarzewski, Ennio De Nucci
Book Image

Practical Game Design

By: Adam Kramarzewski, Ennio De Nucci

Overview of this book

If you are looking for an up-to-date and highly applicable guide to game design, then you have come to the right place! Immerse yourself in the fundamentals of game design with this book, written by two highly experienced industry professionals to share their profound insights as well as give valuable advice on creating games across genres and development platforms. Practical Game Design covers the basics of game design one piece at a time. Starting with learning how to conceptualize a game idea and present it to the development team, you will gradually move on to devising a design plan for the whole project and adapting solutions from other games. You will also discover how to produce original game mechanics without relying on existing reference material, and test and eliminate anticipated design risks. You will then design elements that compose the playtime of a game, followed by making game mechanics, content, and interface accessible to all players. You will also find out how to simultaneously ensure that the gameplay mechanics and content are working as intended. As the book reaches its final chapters, you will learn to wrap up a game ahead of its release date, work through the different challenges of designing free-to-play games, and understand how to significantly improve their quality through iteration, polishing and playtesting.
Table of Contents (22 chapters)
Title Page
Copyright and Credits
Packt Upsell
Contributors
Preface
Index

Game content


In the context of scope and structure, game content refers to games that are designed to be experienced (or consumed). This would include things such as game levels, items, characters, abilities, vehicles, achievements, weapons, missions, and storylines. Since the main gameplay mechanics and rules are the essential foundations upon which everything is built, you generally do not treat them as parts of the game content. Instead, you focus on anything that builds upon your foundations, adds value, and increases the lifetime of your game.

In the case of a simple racing title, the content would include all of the tracks, cars, and car parts (including cosmetic items such as paint colors and stickers you can put on your car), as well as the breadth of available game modes (such as time-trial, single-race, tournament, multiplayer head-to-head, and so on). Sounds, music, and the story would also be included, but these components are admittedly less likely to make or break the product...