Basics of game design

Introduction 

We all like playing games, but how are they actually created? How do you describe a game? What are the types of games? I am going to explain what is required when designing a game

What are games?

Games are where people venture into for fun. Games have been around for thousands of years. Games were made by taking inspirations from every field and Cultures like card games, board games, physical games. More genres have been developed all through history like first person games, puzzle games, role-playing games, online games.

Inspiration

How does inspiration come to a game designer?

Inspiration can be obtained from all kinds of fields like movies, theatres, architecture, Mathematics.

Exposure to other types of domains will also lead to developing ideas. Learning about the other fields like physics, Nature, Handcraft, psychology and others.

The ability to learn continuously and develop prototypes of games that help to elicit feedback from others and our own mistakes, helps to improve the designer.

Factors

A designer has to look at all the factors of the game such as functions, finance.

What set of skills would be required, what type of team would be required, how much It will cost, the designer has to maintain the balance of it all.

The design can be developed through while working with the team (what kind of game we are making, how will it be played, what kind of colors will be used, how the assets of the game will be made)

Testing with prototypes of the game will help to direct the way of the design path.

The tests and feedback will help to realize the soft point game which makes the game pleasant.

Limitations

Designing around the limitations of the game engine, graphics, hardware or the psychology of the player (what the player can do, what skills they can perform, what will lead them further into the game)

Understanding these boundaries will help you find out what you can do with them.

Objective to win

Winning/losing the game can be either set by you or you can let the player decide, Win states - The objective conditions that must be achieved for a player to win a game.

Types of win states can be

Zero Sum games like - A game with clear winners and losers. The gains of one player are balanced exactly by the losses incurred by another State earning objective.

The winning state for themselves - which a player seeks to accomplish as creation or customization, social progress, storytelling, the creation of their empire, the exploration of maps.