Breaking Open the Black Box

The Secrets and Stories of Game Design

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Learning From My Past

by

  1. Preface – “Why is Game Design a Black Box?“
  2. Introduction – “Theft vs. Innovation“
  3. My Story – “The Simplest Thing First“
  4. Lessons
    1. Clarity – “Make it Clear”
    2. Care – “Make it Important”
      1. How? – “Tuning“
      2. How? – “Emotion“
    3. Response – “Give Players a Response”
      1. What Types? – “Reactions“
      2. What Types? – “Preparations“
      3. What Types? – “Recovery“
    4. Satisfaction – “Make the Response Satisfying”
      1. Why? – “Reward Good Behaviour“
      2. Why? – “Punish Bad Behaviour“
      3. Why? – “Pacing“
      4. Why? – “Ennui – How Repetition Reduces Satisfaction“
      5. How? – “Alternate Ways to Satisfy”
    5. Fit – “Make it Appropriate for your Game”
      1. When? – “Fit the Theme – Don’t put Aliens in Hamlet“
      2. When? – “Fit the Audience – Don’t Arm Wrestle during Chess“
      3. When? – “Fit the Game – Internal Consistency“
  5. Conclusion – “What was the point?“
  6. About Me
    1. “Who am I?“
    2. “Who were my teachers?“
    3. “How do you become a master?“
(I am updating every Saturday evening. Feel free to comment liberally.)