The Art of Game Design – A Book

of LensesChapter 8-9

Mats Wouters

Chapter 8The Game is Made for a Player

Know your audience They themselves often don’t know what

they want-> Listen Thoroughly

The Game is Made for a Player

Project yourself Put yourself in their place Memories of being part of the target

audience= one of the most valuable tools

Not a part of the audience?-> talk, observe, imagine

The Game is Made for a Player

Demographics/ market segments◦ Age◦ Gender

The Game is Made for a Player

0–3: Infant/Toddler 4–6: Preschooler 7–9: Kids 10–13: Preteen or “Tween” 13–18: Teen 18–24: Young Adult 25–35: Twenties and Thirties 35–50: Thirties and Forties 50+: Fifties and Up

The Game is Made for a Player

Games are mainly played by boys-> due to male-oriented aesthetics?

Same mechanics, female-oriented aesthetics

-> failed Boys and girls play differently

The Game is Made for a Player

Five things males like to see in games:

1. Mastery2. Competition3. Destruction4. Spatial Puzzles5. Trial and

Five things females like to see in games:

1. Emotion2. Real World3. Nurturing4. Dialog & Verbal

Puzzles5. Learning by

Example

The Game is Made for a Player

Lens #16: The Lens of the Player

• In general, what do they like?• What don’t they like? Why?• What do they expect to see in a game?• If I were in their place, what would I want

to see in a game?• What would they like or dislike about my

game in particular?

Demographic = player on the outside Psychographic = player on the inside

◦ Audiences by lifestyle◦ Audiences by Game Pleasures

The Game is Made for a Player

8 primary Game Pleasures:◦ Sensation◦ Fantasy◦ Narrative◦ Challenge◦ Fellowship◦ Discovery◦ Expression◦ Submission

The Game is Made for a Player

4 Player Types:◦ Achievers◦ Explorers◦ Socializers◦ Killers

The Game is Made for a Player

Other Game Pleasures:◦ Anticipation◦ Delight in Another’s Misfortune◦ Gift Giving◦ Humor◦ Possibility◦ Pride in an Accomplishment◦ Purification◦ Surprise◦ Thrill◦ Triumph over Adversity◦ Wonder◦ …

The Game is Made for a Player

What pleasures does your game give to players? Can these be improved?

What pleasures are missing from your experience? Why? Can they be added?

Lens #17: The Lens of Pleasure

Chapter 9The Experience is in the Player’s Mind

Game designers create experiences-> takes place in the human brain

= very complex 4 principle mental abilities related to

gaming:◦ Modeling◦ Focus◦ Imagination◦ Empathy

The Experience is in the Player’s Mind

Modeling:◦ Mind deals with simulated reality, not reality itself◦ Subconscious◦ Reality is too complex -> simple model◦ Games are simple models

-> mind can relax-> fun to play

The Experience is in the Player’s Mind

Focus:◦ Mind can focus on one thing while ignoring

another◦ Game designers strive for flow

= complete focus and engagement without regard for surroundings◦ Needs for flow:

Clear goals No distractions Direct feedback Continuously challenging

The Experience is in the Player’s Mind

Does my game have clear goals? If not, how can I fix that?

Are the goals of the player the same goals I intended? Are there parts of the game that distract players to

the point they forget their goal? If so, can these distractions be reduced, or tied into the game goals?

Does my game provide a steady stream of not-too-easy, not-too-hard challenges, taking into account the fact that the player’s skills may be gradually improving?

Are the player’s skills improving at the rate I had hoped? If not, how can I change that?

Lens #17: The Lens of Pleasure

Empathy:◦ = the ability to project ourselves into the palce of

others◦ Can happen automatically◦ Mental models◦ Projecting yourself into a game character for

problem solving

The Experience is in the Player’s Mind

Imagination:◦ Knowing what to show the player, and what to

leave up to their imagination◦ Functions:

Communication Problem Solving

The Experience is in the Player’s Mind

On which levels of Maslow’s hierarchy is my game operating?

How can I make my game fulfill more basic needs than it already is?

On the levels my game is currently operating, how can it fulfill those needs even better?

Lens #19: The Lens of Needs

4th level is most connected to games:games are excellent systems for

objective judgment

The Experience is in the Player’s Mind

What does your game judge about the players? How does it communicate this judgment? Do players feel the judgment is fair? Do they care about the judgment? Does the judgment make them want to improve?

Lens #20: The Lens of Judgment