By 2023, the global gaming industry is expected to cross $225.7 billion by 2025 with a CAGR of 4.7% between 2022 – 2025. Additionally, newzoo suggests that gamers worldwide will reach a whooping number of 3.2 billion by the end of 2022. This cut-throat competition is why the gaming industry is hell-bent on the best game design tips to improve users’ gaming experience.
Game development and design are creative outlets for game developers. Creating an environment that triggers the players’ curiosity. The turnkey is to create a gaming experience that feels rewarding and fun for the player. As a result, game designers apply many game design principles that help perfect the players’ experience. In this guide, we collected five game design tips to help you develop games users would love to play.
What is Game Design?
Game design is the blueprint of how the game should be. It includes the technical and creative aspects of what the game will look like and how it works because no game has ever been made without a design, no matter how big or small. But what it all means is the question here. Let’s break it down:
Creative Side
Like everything else, it all starts with an idea. The idea can be anything long as it entices the potential player. For instance, our favorite game is Coffee Stack; we have a leaderboard. Hence, the idea can be simple.
- “I want to base my RPG game characters on Greek mythology.”
- “I will make a platformer game where my main character is a panda.”
To start the game design process, there is much more needed than just these ideas. Alternatively, it leaves us with a ton of questions.
- What will the panda look like? Will there be multiple skins?
- What will be the RPG game aesthetic look like?
- In what way can we display player choices?
- How would the character look?
- How many levels should there be?
It’s a long list! What needs help understanding answers to these questions is the most essential and significant part of game design. The nitty gritty, the character development, the plot, the color choices, different levels, the gameplay. As a result, it all comes together to make the game framework.
Technical Side
Technical aspects of game design are as important as creative ones. Most game developers do know programming, math, and computer science. Although, in large-scale teams, game designers are only expected to have basic knowledge about it to oversee the production process. For instance, if a programmer creates something which does not work well, it might be difficult for the designer to communicate the issues unless he’s familiar with the game’s backend creation tactics.
Game design is about doing the groundwork, knowing the process and tools to create a blueprint, and knowing how the game will come together.
Best Game Design Tips
Having clear system networks
Game systems are structured with three main elements: agents, networks, and layers. This is why game designers should consider each element’s role in game design. Furthermore, the system’s networks should be clear and legible to players so they can see how their characters move through these channels. To understand and build a good game design, designers need to be familiar with how most game work. How to do that? Pay attention to the details, the UX/UI, gameplay, flow, graphics, and design, and take notes. Play lots of games of the genre you wish to create, but with intention.
The rules should be simple.
Creating simple layers in the gameplay can derive unexpected results and help you build on something more complex. Approaching it from the players’ perspective, introducing stimulating outcomes helps create patterns that vary between game levels. This keeps the gameplay interesting for the players.
Intuitive gameplay
The gameplay controls are directly linked to the UX of your game. More importantly, it helps establish how easily the players can understand and play the game. Game controls should be as convenient as intuitive, creating something that the users can quickly get accustomed to, making the players stay longer to play as players prefer games with minimal instructions so they can dive right in and explore the game. We recommend that game designers focus on the gameplay mechanics the players enjoy and then build on the core elements to differentiate the game.
Stable or chaotic dynamics
A critical aspect of game design is understanding whether the actions result in determinism or utter chaos. Gameplay with high stability ends up boring the players. On the other hand, completely randomizing it can make the players feel like they have no control. Create a game plan that can have a good balance between the two dynamics to keep the players hooked.
Model and improve method
The model and improve approach is where you study successful games similar to what you wish to create. Identify the game areas and elements that need improvement and brainstorm ways to make a new game while improving on the targeted areas.
With the model and improve concept, game designers can leverage different aspects of popular video games and use them as inspiration. However, the key to using this concept is making changes and tweaks so that the game is not a replica.
Want to start your game design journey with Vimapps?
If you use these tips and walk away with one thing or another, it’s a good win. These game-design practices will help you improve your game-design plan. Although working with expert developers and designers will take the hassle out of your game development.
Vimapps has years of experience in the game design and development industry. We are an international team of digital solution providers, helping businesses be successful in today’s marketplace. Our global network of 30,000+ expert designers, engineers, and developers can deploy the best resources to help you build your products and services. We work with entrepreneurs to create a solid foundation for their companies’ long-term growth and success. Let us help you with game design and development needs.