Game Design

The game design process is where the characteristics of a game such as the story, the gameplay and the overall setup are identified. A simple example would be to look at a standard board game, here the aspects of game design would include the number of players, the target age of the player, the theme etc. However the design of modern video games is much more complicated, aspects like storyline, player interaction and difficulty must also be taken into consideration. These design specifications are often documented in a design document which will be compiled at the start of a project and then used to aid the rest of the development process.

The constraints and design requirements set by the design document will depend on the genre of the video game that is being developed. For example a racing game will have a relatively brief design document outlining the course maps, vehicles etc. Whereas RPG or adventure games will require a much more complex design document with a greater focus on stories, characters and larger environments.




The design document will also highlight major aspects of the gameplay. Gameplay is basically how the player interacts with the game or how the character that the player is controlling reacts to its environment. Other aspects of gameplay design will include the changing state of objects within an environment, the changing of rules or difficulty throughout the game or the changing state of the environment as the game progresses.

To me gameplay is the most important aspect of a video game, when I play a game I expect it to primarily be entertaining and satisfying to play. It is also important for me to have a reason to continue playing a game, the prospect of unlocking new items by completing tasks will usually keep me playing, also a good storyline will give me a reason to continue playing.