While doing my platformer game, I realise that the game isnt fun. It was fun when I was thinking it but on actual game its just boring. Right now I cant design anything that is fun at all. Say for example, if I want to design a puzzle game, do the designer anticipate every move a player can do? Do the designer have to know every posible solution on the puzzle? If not, how can you design this kind of game where you dont have to worry about the solution? For a platformer, does every placing of platform means something? or does the designer randomly place such things? How do you design a fun and engaging game yet the mechanics are simple? As a designer how can you limit your game in your desired scope yet make it fun? How to make the game move from easy to hard for example level 1 is easy yet still fun to play until level 20 hard, challenging and fun.
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How do desginer design their game to be fun?
This is a subjective topic and varies from person to person. I think that this is a skill that must be developed over time and some people are better at it than others... but largely I can tell you the following:
1. Remove the unfun parts of the game. A lot of times what makes a game not fun is if there are boring/frustrating/annoying aspects to the game that take away from the enjoyment. For example having to switch control schemes, overly complicated control schemes, buggy game mechanics, sloppy collision detection, annoying sound effects... Imagine if your platform game has a platform that requires you to jump "perfectly" to land on it... and it takes lots of attempts which makes the game very difficult for no reason... this would make the game less fun.
2. Get other people to play test the game. Often people are good at telling you what they don't like. You need to find people who are willing to be honest with you and let you know what they think. You don't want the play testers to feel like they can't let you know what they honestly think even if it is very negative.
3. Remove repetition and add detail. If your game has the same elements that repeat over and over then this will get boring. You also want to add variety to your levels. In a lot of games you want your levels to tell a story... you want each level to advance the plot/progression of the player and for the level itself to be unified. For example if you have a game set in a jungle then you would want the elements of the level to convey this setting. If you are fighting giant spiders in the jungle then you would want the spiders to emerge from a logical place in the level and you would want a way to avoid/hide from the spiders to be built into the level. If a giant invincible spider was to spawn from no where and kill you in one hit with you unable to avoid the spider, then that would be frustrating and not fun.
4. You need to playtest the game and balance the game elements. There are many parameters you need to tweak when developing a game. You need to adjust speeds, gravity, hit points, etc so that everything is well balanced.
Essentially your game will likely not start off fun. Fun emerges when you remove the boring/annoying/repetitive parts and add mechanics that balance well with each other.
I hope this didn't ramble too much :).
This is a subjective topic and varies from person to person. I think that this is a skill that must be developed over time and some people are better at it than others... but largely I can tell you the following:
I guess this is the hardest part of game development. Its making the game fun. I dont have anyone to play test my game not because I dont have friend but because most of them doesnt even enjoy playing computer games. And im pretty sure if you are the one developing your game you dont find it fun. Same like when you are drawing something you think its not good :D
1. While doing my platformer game, I realise that the game isnt fun. It was fun when I was thinking it but on actual game its just boring. Right now I cant design anything that is fun at all.
2. Say for example, if I want to design a puzzle game, do the designer anticipate every move a player can do?
3. Do the designer have to know every posible solution on the puzzle?
4. For a platformer, does every placing of platform means something?
5. or does the designer randomly place such things?
6. How do you design a fun and engaging game yet the mechanics are simple? As a designer how can you limit your game in your desired scope yet make it fun?
7. How to make the game move from easy to hard for example level 1 is easy yet still fun to play until level 20 hard, challenging and fun.
8. I guess this is the hardest part of game development. Its making the game fun.
9. I dont have anyone to play test my game not because I dont have friend but because most of them doesnt even enjoy playing computer games.
10. And im pretty sure if you are the one developing your game you dont find it fun. Same like when you are drawing something you think its not good
1. Don't kick yourself like that. Don't exaggerate so much. You took one small failure and horriblized it to "I am such a failure." That's no way to live life.
2. You should try to anticipate those moves, yes. But people will surprise you.
3. You should know every correct solution, so you don't unfairly prevent a player from completing the puzzle.
4. Yes. There should be a reason for placing each platform. Put some thought into the player's experience. Some platforms should be easy to reach, some platforms could serve to mislead the player (not lead the player to the goal), and platforms that lead to bonus items should be harder to reach but attainable. It's called "level design."
5. No, random placement shows that the designer is not putting work into the design, and is not being considerate of the player or the player's enjoyment.
6. Most beginner designers are guilty of the opposite of simple - adding unnecessary complications. Simple is best. Imagine players playing it. Play it yourself.
7. Layer on the difficulty while making the goal attainable.
8. Yes, and this is why a professional team is very picky about who they trust to design the game.
9. You shouldn't use friends as playtesters anyway. You should recruit strangers to playtest your game.
10. Not true. Not all artists think all their work sucks. Not all musicians think all their original music sucks. One of the greatest joys for a game designer is to get the chance to play his or her design for the first time, to discover what works and doesn't from his/her perspective.
If you don't have many friends who are willing to play test it, make some new friends. Friends aren't limited just to people you know IRL. There's a whole community of people here. I'm sure some people here would be willing to help test your game and give you advice.
And i'm pretty sure if you are the one developing your game you don't find it fun.
if you don't find it fun, what makes you think anyone else will?
It was fun when I was thinking it but on actual game its just boring
what you want to do is prototype the most basic gameplay. if that's not fun, move on to the next game idea.
the first time i dropped bombs in AIRSHIPS! and accidentally blew up my own hangar, i knew i had fun game on my hands.
by contrast, Armies of Steel II sits unfinished on my hard drive, cause its just not that fun yet for some reason. until i figure out why, there's no sense working on it.
Q: Say for example, if I want to design a puzzle game, do the designer anticipate every move a player can do?
A: Yes.
Q: Do the designer have to know every posible solution on the puzzle?
A:Yes.
Q: If not, how can you design this kind of game where you dont have to worry about the solution?
A: Make it so fun that the player is still having fun even if they can't solve it.
Q: For a platformer, does every placing of platform means something?
A: Yes, it means something your players will do and expect to be fun.
Q: Or does the designer randomly place such things?
A: Only if random placement is fun.
Q: How do you design a fun and engaging game yet the mechanics are simple?
A: This is the billion dollar question. A great answer will give you Mario or Megaman, a poor answer will give you a cheap flash game. Most of this comes down to 'feel.' Responsive controls and satisfying visuals make up the bulk of this.
Q: As a designer how can you limit your game in your desired scope yet make it fun?
A: You learn your limits. Do this by starting with the smallest game possible, and then growing from there.
Q: How to make the game move from easy to hard for example level 1 is easy yet still fun to play until level 20 hard, challenging and fun.
A: A million different ways, some which will fit well with your skill level and tools, and others that are far outside your time and resource budget. Everything from increasing the speed to adding new mechanics. It depends on what game you're trying to make and what game you can make.
As people have been explaining, there are many ways to go about making a game more or less fun, and a lot of thought needs to be put into the mechanics and level design of your game, whether it's a puzzle game, a platformer, an RPG, shooter, whatever.
As an example of some topics that you may wish to explore further, I recommend that you review the following articles/videos as I have found them EXTREMELY helpful in answering these exact questions (when I started studying up on game design a couple years ago).
The "Trinity" system of game design that helps you to identify what the "range" of the mechanics of your game are, what choices they present to the player, and how to structure a level and its choices to exploit and bring out the potential of those exact mechanics. This has like 7 parts or so (maybe more?). It's pretty extensive and very helpful.
Vlambeer's (developer of Nuclear Throne, an exquisitely designed twin-stick shooter for PC) video presentation on how to make "game juice", or in laymen's terms, how to make the game feel good by ADDING fun elements to otherwise plain gameplay.
Doucet's article on how to make "game oil", or in laymen's terms, how to improve the gameplay experience by REMOVING detracting elements from otherwise fun gameplay
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/LarsDoucet/20160810/279009/Oil_it_or_Spoil_it.php
Pretty much every "Game Design" video made by Extra Credits on YouTube.
"Differences in Kind" is especially good. Any video involving the word "Choice". "The Magic Circle". There's tons of goodies in there that can be applied to your game design.
As an example of some topics that you may wish to explore further, I recommend that you review the following articles/videos as I have found them EXTREMELY helpful in answering these exact questions (when I started studying up on game design a couple years ago).
Just wanna know how long did you study for game design? :D The response here is awesome and I realize I really have to study game design. I found a book about game design and thanks for the links :D
