The Art of Game Design : A Book of Lenses, Second Edition

Good game design happens when you view your game from as many perspectives as possible. Written by one of the world's top game designers, The Art of Game Design presents 100+ sets of questions, or different lenses, for viewing a game's design, encompassing diverse fields such as psychology, architecture, music, visual design, film, software engineering, theme park design, mathematics, puzzle design, and anthropology. This Second Edition of a Game Developer Front Line Award winner: Describes the deepest and most fundamental principles of game design Demonstrates how tactics used in board, c.;1. In the beginning, there is the designer -- 2. The designer creates an experience -- 3. The experience takes place in a venue -- 4. The experience rises out of a game -- 5. The game consists of elements -- 6. The elements support a theme -- 7. The game begins with an idea -- 8. The game improves through iteration -- 9. The game is made for a player -- 10. The experience is in the player's mind -- 11. The player's mind is driven by the player's motivation -- 12. Some elements are game mechanics -- 13. Game mechanics must be in balance -- 14. Game mechanics support puzzles -- 15. Players play games through an interface -- 16. Experiences can be judged by their interest curves -- 17. One kind of experience is the story -- 18. Story and game structures can be artfully merged with indirect control -- 19. Stories and games take place in worlds -- 20. Worlds contain characters -- 21. Worlds contain spaces -- 22. The look and feel of a world is defined by its aesthetics -- 23. Some games are played with other players -- 24. Other players sometimes form communities -- 25. The designer usually works with a team -- 26. The team sometimes communicates through documents -- 27. Good games are created through playtesting -- 28. The team builds a game with technology -- 29. You game will probably have a client -- 30. The designer gives the client a pitch -- 31. The designer and client want the game to make a profit -- 32. Games transform their players -- 33. Designers have certain responsibilities -- 34. Each designer has a purpose. Front Cover......Page 1 CONTENTS......Page 9 table of lenses......Page 29 Acknowledgments......Page 37 HELLO......Page 39 Chapter 1: In the Beginning, There Is the Designer......Page 47 Chapter 2: The Designer Creates an Experience......Page 55 Chapter 3: The Experience Takes Place in a Venue......Page 71 Chapter 4: The Experience Rises Out of a Game......Page 79 Chapter 5: The Game Consists of Elements......Page 95 Chapter 6: The Elements Support a Theme......Page 103 Chapter 7: The Game Begins with an Idea......Page 115 Chapter 8: The Game Improves through Iteration......Page 135 Chapter 9: The Game Is Made for a Player......Page 161 Chapter 10: The Experience Is in the Player’s Mind......Page 179 Chapter 11: The Player’s Mind Is Driven by the Player’s Motivation......Page 193 Chapter 12: Some Elements Are Game Mechanics......Page 203 Chapter 13: Game Mechanics Must Be in Balance......Page 247 Chapter 14: Game Mechanics Support Puzzles......Page 285 Chapter 15: Players Play Games through an Interface......Page 299 Chapter 16: Experiences Can Be Judged by Their Interest Curves......Page 325 Chapter 17: One Kind of Experience Is the Story......Page 341 Chapter 18: Story and Game Structures Can Be Artfully Merged with Indirect Control......Page 363 Chapter 19: Stories and Games Take Place in Worlds......Page 381 Chapter 20: Worlds Contain Characters......Page 391 Chapter 21: Worlds Contain Spaces......Page 413 Chapter 22: The Look and Feel of a World Is Defined by Its Aesthetics......Page 429 Chapter 23: Some Games Are Played with Other Players......Page 439 Chapter 24: Other Players Sometimes Form Communities......Page 445 Chapter 25: The Designer Usually Works with a Team......Page 459 Chapter 26: The Team Sometimes Communicates through Documents......Page 471 Chapter 27: Good Games Are Created through Playtesting......Page 479 Chapter 28: The Team Builds a Game with Technology......Page 495 Chapter 29: Your Game Will Probably Have a Client......Page 509 Chapter 30: The Designer Gives the Client a Pitch......Page 517 Chapter 31: The Designer and Client Want the Game to Make a Profit......Page 531 Chapter 32: Games Transform Their Players......Page 545 Chapter 33: Designers Have Certain Responsibilities......Page 563 Chapter 34: Each Designer Has a Purpose......Page 569 Goodbye......Page 573 Endnotes......Page 575 Bibliography......Page 589 Back Cover......Page 593 Good game design happens when you view your game from as many perspectives as possible. Written by one of the world's top game designers, The Art of Game Design presents 100+ sets of questions, or different lenses, for viewing a game's design, encompassing diverse fields such as psychology, architecture, music, visual design, film, software engineering, theme park design, mathematics, puzzle design, and anthropology. This Second Edition of a Game Developer Front Line Award winner: Describes the deepest and most fundamental principles of game design Demonstrates how tactics used in board, card, and athletic games also work in top-quality video games Contains valuable insight from Jesse Schell, the former chair of the International Game Developers Association and award-winning designer of Disney online games The Art of Game Design, Second Edition gives readers useful perspectives on how to make better game designs faster. It provides practical instruction on creating world-class games that will be played again and again. "Presents the fundamentals of game design from one of the world's top game designers. Exploring the unusual territory that is game design, the book demonstrates how the basic principles of psychology used in board games, card games, and athletic games also work in top-quality video games. The author gives readers 100+ sets of insightful questions to ask themselves to make their games better. These questions provide insight from fields as diverse as psychology, architecture, music, visual design, film, software engineering, theme park design, mathematics, puzzle design, and anthropology." -- Provided by publisher