The Art of Game Design a Book of Lenses Jesse Schell
c. 2008, Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. Jesse Schell
The Fine art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses is a game pattern manual written by game designer Jesse Schell in 2008. Though Schell'southward stated goal in writing the book is "primarily to teach you [the reader] how to be a better videogame designer" (xxiv), the principles he explores in the book may be (and are intended to be) applied to whatsoever type of game. He organizes the book around the somewhat abstract principles and rules of pollex he and other game designers accept come to rely on in their practice, perspectives he calls lenses. He puts forth 1 hundred lenses throughout the course of the book, supplemented by personal feel and thorough yet colloquial explanations of major concepts. To Schell, game blueprint is more of an fine art than a scientific discipline, only ought to be approached with both subjects in mind.
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Affiliate 1: In the Beginning, In that location is the Designer [ ]
The first chapter serves as an introduction which focuses on what a game designer does. Information technology begins with personal cocky-affirmation ("Merely say these magic words: I am a game designer," ane) before going into some of the skills whatever game designer needs, including a bones grasp on diverse subjects such every bit animation, business, and technical writing. However, the skill well-nigh of import to Schell is listening – the empathy and attention whatever good game designer needs to give to their design team, their audience, their games, their clients, and themselves (5-half dozen).
Chapter 2: The Designer Creates an Feel [ ]
Affiliate two sets out to examine what Schell believes to be the end goal of games: the experiences they create (ten). Game designers, like artists or writers, are concerned with creating artifacts that in turn requite people a specific experience. Notwithstanding, as games tend to exist non-linear experiences, the gap betwixt the object and the feel is much more pronounced (12). These experiences tin can exist examined through practical approaches (such as anthropology, psychology, and general design principles) and conscientious and objective introspection (which goes back to the concept of "listening" from the last chapter). Finding an essential experience for the game to try to emulate is thus 1 of the well-nigh important aspects of game design, and becomes his first lens.
Affiliate 3: The Experience Rises Out of aGame [ ]
Having established the link between the designer and essential experience, Schell begins to option apart the connection betwixt them: the game itself. In the procedure of looking at possible definitions of the term, (drawing from multiple theorists, designers, and popular conceptions), Schell touches upon the subjects of toys, fun, and play before finally coming to the conclusion that "a game is a problem solving activity, approached with a playful mental attitude" (37). Schell emphasizes that the definitions he comes upwards with are to be taken as guidelines, more than practical rules of pollex than ontologies.
Chapter iv: The Game Consists ofElements [ ]
Affiliate four breaks down "game" into its four major constituent elements: Mechanics, Story, Aesthetics, and Technology. Schell calls this the Elemental Tetrad (41), and holds that all iv elements are equally important to a good game, supporting each other every bit they work to achieve a common goal (43). To illustrate this, Schell examines the classic arcade game Space Invaders from all four perspectives: the technology, for example, sets the parameters for the game, while the aesthetics of the sounds in the game fabricated information technology much more intense than many of its predecessors (44-45). Schell ends the affiliate by emphasizing how a designer needs to have "holographic vision" while designing, and so that they tin see non simply these four perspectives and how they interact behind the scenes in a game, but also what the actor experiences direct.
Chapter v: The Elements Back up aTheme [ ]
Side by side, Schell explores the ideas of theme and resonance and how they tin can strengthen the essential experience backside whatsoever game. The kickoff half of the chapter is devoted to two simple steps: "Figuring out a theme and using every means to support that theme" (49). "Every means" includes every element in Schell's Elemental Tetrad: technology, mechanics, story, and aesthetics. To illustrate how these steps may be implemented, Schell explains the early development of a virtual experience he worked on for Disneyland called "Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gilt," a project he continues to bring up throughout the book. The best themes have what Schell calls "resonance," ideas that touch players deeply by fulfilling their fantasies (feel based theme) or affirming a powerful idea the role player holds to be universally true, similar "love conquers all" (truth based theme) (53). In the stop, finding a resonant theme that holds meaning for an audience will make any designer'due south game more than successful and impactful.
Affiliate 6: The Game Begins with an Idea [ ]
Chapter half dozen outlines the process of inspiration and idea formulation in general, providing tips on how to manage one's creative hidden ("Your Silent Partner," 63) and how to begin finer (68-74). Again, Schell puts emphasis on practice over theory.
Affiliate 7: The Game Improves ThroughIteration [ ]
After accumulating ideas using techniques from the last affiliate, Schell'due south next pace in the process is how to choose an idea worth implementing as a game. According to Schell, the well-nigh effective way of making a game ameliorate is through edifice a rough prototype and actually testing it out. He outlines a couple of methods for judging these iterations, especially his eight filters of design (76-78), examples of take a chance assessment, and software engineer Barry Boehm's spiral model of software evolution (82-83). All of the methods circumduct around the principle Schell calls "The Rule of the Loop: The more times you examination and better your design, the ameliorate your game will be" (eighty). To Schell, a gradual approach is key to any successful design, games or otherwise (95).
Chapter 8: The Game is Made for aPlayer [ ]
With the production side of the process roughly outlined, Schell moves on to focus on the games audition: the player. The chapter begins with a primer on demographics, primarily focusing on interests associated with historic period and gender. He takes a very businesslike approach to these issues, basing his lists of masculine and feminine interests in games on sales statistics and general psychological studies. The second half of the section is about game psychographics – what types of people play what types of games. Schell borrows ideas from game designers Marc LeBlanc and Richard Bartle to classify the different player types designers should be aware of in order for their game to take the right amount of bear on. "Knowing your players more intimately," Schell concludes, "is the primal to giving them a game they will savour," a topic he expands on in the next chapter (112).
Affiliate 9: The Experience is in thePlayer's Mind [ ]
Drawing heavily on psychology, Schell spends affiliate nine focusing on how a actor's mind works in the context of a game. The kickoff section, "Modelling", points out how the brain processes the complexities of reality through essentializing images and information, cut them down to their most basic elements in order to understand them. Games provide "pre-digested models that are piece of cake to absorb and manipulate," so the designer has a lot of power over what the actor sees as "reality" (117). The second part, "Focus", draws upon Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's concept of period as a model for finding the right rest between challenge and player skill in any given game, assuring the players do not quit out of boredom or frustration (121).
Adjacent, Schell spends time discussing empathy and imagination as ways of players immersing themselves in a game experience, and how designers can encourage these mental traits in their games. An interesting discussion on motivation follows this, in which Schell maps gaming's tendencies to connect people, boost self-esteem, and allow for creativity onto to third through 5th levels of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, elevating the fulfilling function of games in full general (126-127). Finally, Schell ends the affiliate with a brief emphasis on the fourth level of Maslow's hierarchy – self-esteem – and how games provide areas for safe and fair judgment that fulfill this innate homo need (128).
Chapter 10: Some Elements are GameMechanics [ ]
Schell returns to games themselves in this chapter, breaking them downwardly into the game mechanics at their core. Co-ordinate to Schell, there are six categories of game mechanics: infinite, objects, actions, rules, skill, and chance. This leads to a brief discussion of emergence – how elementary actions can combine to brand complex phenomena – and how to foster emergence in a given game. Included within this section is a list of tips for understanding mathematical probability, a useful reference for game designers.
Chapter 11: Game Mechanics Must exist inRest [ ]
Chapter Eleven is devoted to promoting game balance, a nuanced practice Schell describes as "the most artful part of game design" (172). As a mode to focus the act of game residue, Schell begins by listing the Twelve Nearly Common Types of Game Rest and how to implement them finer, peppering the list with examples and concepts to back up these types. A list of full general balancing methodologies follows, including how to improve i's intuitive sense by practiced guesswork and planning balancing alee of time. He also touches on the idea of game economies, and the issues to consider when deciding on currencies and resources for any given game. Finally, he ends with a statement on how balancing is more than about a game'south "feel" than whatsoever formulaic assessment, a theme he returns to throughout the book (205).
Chapter 12: Game Mechanics SupportPuzzles [ ]
As they are a key office of many games, Schell devotes a chapter to defining and examining puzzles. He defines a puzzle every bit "a game with a ascendant strategy" early on in the chapter (209), emphasizing how puzzles are solvable and lose their appeal later on they are solved (unlike most games.) Schell goes onto provide a brusk history of puzzles and video games before listing out x principles for making proficient puzzles that heighten rather than interrupt a game'southward experience.
Affiliate 13: Players Play Games Through anInterface [ ]
Ane of the most technical parts of the volume, affiliate 13 revolves around the interaction between the player, the game earth, and the real world. All video games have a physical interface (a control scheme/set of physical inputs and outputs) and a virtual one (the display, the pause screen, the visual aspects, etc.). Both of these interfaces piece of work together with the goal of being transparent and intuitive plenty that the player tin can immerse themselves in the game world without having to worry about fidgeting with clunky controls or bad display. To Schell, a good interface provides adept feedback, gives the player a lot of satisfying control (he calls this "juiciness"), and communicates all the information necessary to play the game. In full general, Schell encourages making the interface with the player in mind so that it does non detract from their feel of the game.
Chapter 14: Experiences Tin can be Judged past TheirInterest Curves [ ]
This affiliate focuses on interest curves, graphical representations of player interest over fourth dimension. A good game (or whatsoever good experience) has a dynamic interest curve, with peaks and valleys of interest leading to a climactic end, similar to the rising activity/falling action structure of many books, plays, or movies. After explaining the general gist of these curves, Schell goes on to interruption downwards "interest" into three constituent parts (inherent interest, verse of presentation, and project) showing how different entertainment experiences draw from these parts in different capacities to make equally engaging experiences. At the very finish of the chapter, Schell problematizes the concept of game involvement curves: since not all games are linear, how can a designer command a player's involvement (260)? He revisits this question in chapter sixteen, but first spends a affiliate on one of the most traditional amusement experiences: the story.
Chapter 15: One Kind of Experience is theStory [ ]
Schell'south chapter on story begins with a treatment of the story/game duality that has led to contend in the game manufacture. "Historically," co-ordinate to Schell, "stories have been single-threaded experiences that can be enjoyed past an individual, and games have been experiences with many possible outcomes enjoyed past a group" (262). This all changed with the advent of unmarried thespian computer games, which married story and gameplay and sparked an ongoing debate between which ought to accept precedence in game studies (game-centric ludology vs. story-centric narratology.) Schell puts the debate into perspective by reminding the reader that a game designer is actually after experiences, which have been near effectively accomplished by a combination of both (263). With this in mind, he delves further into controversies surrounding the medium.
Kickoff, Schell attempts to dispel the idea of "passive amusement" – that games, compared to literature or movie theatre, are "truly interactive" (263). While the histrion does interact in a game setting, whatsoever good slice of storytelling similarly fosters engagement with an feel and makes them question the outcome the story's events. Every bit such, both forms of storytelling ("traditional" and "new") are more alike than unlike, and would do well to learn from each other.
And then, Schell moves into the particular challenges and realities of stories within games. "The Dream," as he puts it, is to create a completely interactive world in which the role player has complete freedom to live out a story (264). Though this has fostered many fascinating experiments, Schell sees it equally unattainable, at least in the current country of things (264). Instead, there are ii major story-telling methods that have worked for video games: the string of pearls method (moments of freedom interspersed through a constant storyline) and the story machine method (relatively open up concluded worlds which players ascribe pregnant to) (264-266.)
The existent problems with the dream of a completely interactive story, Schell explains, have appeared in minor forms within both of these effective story methods. For one thing, game stories ofttimes exercise not have unity, partly because games thrive on having multiple meaningful choices. Secondly, the amount of time, free energy, and data required to make a completely interactive experience makes the idea unfeasible, and cutting corners by fusing together some plotlines defeats the purpose. Similarly, multiple endings are oftentimes disappointing to the thespian, who would have to spend fourth dimension and energy replaying the game to find new meaning in it. Structurally speaking, Schell holds that games are focused effectually a particular ready of engaging verbs – running, jumping, shooting – which brand more subtle storytelling elements difficult to portray. Finally, unless a game is to end completely upon the expiry of the avatar, salvage games, check points and other "time travel" make certain stories (like tragedy) almost impossible to recreate in game course. This all being said, Schell does not believe the dream should exist abased, just refocused on experiences over story (270).
The residual of the chapter details eight story tips for game designers to help design a story that supports the desired experience of their game.
Affiliate xvi: Story and Game Structures can be Artfully Merged withIndirect Control [ ]
Though Schell holds that freedom (or at least the illusion of it) is an of import attribute of games in general, he holds that designers can manipulate a histrion's feel through methods of indirect control. He spends the chapter detailing these methods, which include: limiting player choices with constraints; setting specific goals; designing an interface so it hints at a specific skill ready; visual design choices; and music that fits a given mood. He spends a good bargain of time on how to use not-player characters to lead players into specific situations in a method he calls "collusion." Used correctly, these methods can give the designer some control over the player's experience of the game, while all the same making the player experience as if they have a sense of liberty.
Chapter 17: Stories and Games Take Place inWorlds [ ]
Worlds, the focus of the seventeenth chapter, refers to the unabridged fiction surrounding a particular work. Schell borrows from theorist Henry Jenkins when he says that worlds are transmedial: they extended outward across the medium they were originally composed for through the strength of their artful and thematic depict (Schell 301). Schell puts forth Star Wars and Pokemon as examples of transmedial worlds. When viewed from this perspective, games are doorways into a "magic place that exists only in the imaginations of [the role player]," another aspect to consider when creating stories for games (307).
Affiliate 18: Worlds ContainCharacters [ ]
In this chapter, Schell examines the function and features of video game characters with an emphasis on how to make compelling characters. He begins with an analysis of major characters from 3 types of media (novels, films, and games) to determines what makes them unique. He concludes that, compared to the mental, realistic, and circuitous characters of novels and motion-picture show, many game characters tend to be involved in more concrete conflicts, tied to more fantastic worlds, and are often portrayed in more uncomplicated terms (311). Even so, Schell believes that game characters are not doomed to follow these models, and must exist made more meaningful to appeal to a maturing audience (311). Schell then goes on to examine the role of the avatar, a character that is often most successfully portrayed as an arcadian bare slate which the player tin can project themselves on (312-313).
The rest of the chapter is a list of tips for creating meaningful characters, which include defining their archetypical roles, giving them relationships with other characters, and making them face character-building challenges.
Chapter 19: Worlds ContainSpaces [ ]
Drawing heavily upon architecture (a field which, to Schell, is also almost "controlling a person's experience," 330), this affiliate focuses on the utilize of infinite in games. Schell begins by listing the five main ways of organizing infinite in games: linear (Monopoly or platformers like Super Mario Brothers); filigree (chess, Civilization); web (Trivial Pursuit, or games like Zork); points in space (bocce, or many large scale roleplaying games like Final Fantasy); and divided infinite (Risk, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time).
Schell then introduces readers to renowned architect Christopher Alexander'south approach to architecture: the search for a nameless quality of space that is among other things "free from inner contradictions" (334). He then applies Christopher'due south fifteen backdrop of living structures to game blueprint, emphasizing the same search for that nameless quality. The remainder of the chapter is most the differences between virtual architecture and real architecture. In a full general, designers have more liberty to create in a virtual earth, but run into troubles that come up from working with non-real materials such as inconsistent unit sizes and making things wait realistic in a third person or peak downwardly perspective.
Chapter 20: The Look and Feel of a World Is Defined by ItsAesthetics [ ]
Having spent a skilful deal of time on technical aspects of design, Schell turns to game aesthetics in his twentieth chapter. Schell holds that aesthetics are of import to game design for multiple reasons, including providing a hook, increasing immersion, and only providing pleasure to the role player (347). From a design standpoint, Schell advises the concept artist be active from the very early stages of the game's production in social club to create a product that looks unified. That being said, dissimilar in many other mediums, technical limitations must exist taken into account throughout the process and often the last artful arises from quirks in the technology.
Chapter 21: Some Games are Played withOther Players [ ]
In this curt chapter, Schell explores multiplayer games and why people like to play them. He provides v main reasons, all which may exist designed for: competition, collaboration, meeting up, exploring our friends, and exploring ourselves. Though multiplayer experiences tin fulfill many innate social needs through any of these methods, Schell cautions that calculation multiplayer features make any game project significantly more complicated, and should be approached with care.
Affiliate 22: Other Players Sometimes GradeCommunities [ ]
Because the gaming industry is becoming more attached to the cyberspace, community management is becoming an increasingly important attribute of game pattern. Schell explores this topic in this chapter, drawing from social psychology and his feel with the massively multiplayer game ToonTown Online.
Schell uses designer Amy Jo Kim'south succinct definition of community: "a group of people with a shared interest, purpose, or goal who get to know each other improve over time" (358). To Schell, a strong community is benign to a game because it fulfills a social need for players and keeps more people interested in the world for a longer amount of time. He then goes on to listing tips for creating a proficient gaming customs, with a particular focus on integrating different role player types into the community and preventing bad behavior among players (mainly through methods of indirect control.)
Chapter 23: The Designer Usually Works with aTeam [ ]
The residuum of Schell'southward book focuses on the product cycle, beginning with how to work in teams. This chapter is useful for designers interested in keeping their team cohesive, productive, and in advice, with tips on how to attain those ends.
Chapter 24: The Team Sometimes Communicates ThroughDocuments [ ]
Chapter Twenty-Iv is a primer on the technical writing that goes along with game design, from story overviews to concept fine art reviews to budgeting documents. Schell explains to the reader that there is no single format for a primary game blueprint certificate, so information technology is upward to each designer to ensure that the team receives documentation that keeps records in a clear and concise way.
Chapter 25: Good Games Are Created ThroughPlaytesting [ ]
Post-obit from the philosophy that the best games are tested through multiple iterations, chapter 20 5 gets into the specific considerations of playtesting – that is, watching others play a game in order to run across if it achieves the desired feel. Schell goes over tips on when and where a playtest should be held, whom it should be done by, and how to effectively evaluate testers without interrupting the experience.
Chapter 26: The Team Builds a Game with Engineering [ ]
The terminal office of the Elemental Tetrad to be treated, Schell spends this chapter exploring the issues that arise from Technology. There are two types of technology: foundational technology (which make new kinds of experiences possible) and decorational technology (which just make existing experiences better) (Schell 405). Schell gives multiple examples of games in order to distinguish the two before addressing the issues that come with trying to predict upcoming technologies. In general, Schell advocated for determining what technology is needed to create a given game feel before trying to integrate a new system surrounded by hype (i.eastward. motion controls), as this will ultimately lead to a more unified experience.
Affiliate 27: Your Game Will Probably Have a Client [ ]
This chapter explains the relationship between a game designer and the clients they will almost certainly take to work for at some betoken. In it, Schell provides tips for positive communication with those who may not understand the ins and outs of game design. Generally, it is good to make the client feel as though they are role of the creative process in some capacity, even if their ideas exercise not stop up getting implemented.
Chapter 28: The Designer Gives the Client aPitch [ ]
Similar the chapters immediately before it, this chapter provides tips for the concern side of game pattern, namely refining a curt, interesting pitch about the game to win over clients. Schell'south general piece of advice information technology getting to know the audition and tailoring the information to their needs and interests.
Chapter 29: The Designer and the Client Want the Game to Make aProfit [ ]
In the last purely marketing affiliate, Schell explains the economic science of game design: who is involved with game production, what proportion of the proceeds go to each producer, and how to approach business situations. The chapter includes a list of financial jargon to help would-exist designers seem more than capable in the boardroom (437-438).
Chapter 30: GamesTransform Their Players [ ]
One of the concluding chapters focuses effectually the transformative power of games, especially in a psychological and educational context. It begins with a discussion of the positive effects of games, which include emotional maintenance, social connection, and (for some games) reason to practice (442-443). He spends a great deal of time writing nearly the possible educational uses of games, peculiarly for conveying facts in an interesting way, fostering problem solving, providing hands-on opportunities, and encouraging marvel as students effort to explore the system itself.
He also spends time discussing potentially harmful aspects of games, namely the debates about games' fierce content and their potentially addicting natures. Schell indicates that games, taken independently, almost certainly do not encourage these behaviors, but that does not mean a designer ought to disregard these concerns. Instead, a designer needs to act responsibly and be aware of what impact they could be making. This responsibility is the subject of the last affiliate.
Chapter 31: Designers Have CertainResponsibilities [ ]
The second to last chapter is a phone call to all would-be game designers to take their intended profession seriously. Though games may not cause harm on their own, in that location is always the potential that any medium will be dangerous in some capacity. Office of being a game designer, to Schell, is trying to find the "subconscious agenda" lurking within each game (456). This is not an endeavor to dodge controversy, but an agreement that "games are not but trivial amusements" (456). They are impactful, and a designer is responsible for much of this impact.
Chapter 32: Each Designer has aMotivation [ ]
This final chapter is a personal send-off which encourages the reader to detect their ain motivation for making games and stick by it in order to attain their truthful potential as a game designer.
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