Before taking this class, I had a shallow understanding of game design. I thought it was about making something fun for people to enjoy (or be competitive in). Over this quarter, I realized there is so, so much more to it. This class introduced me to a range of concepts to take from an idea and make a game around it. In particular, rapid iteration and playtesting were two ideas that showed me how crucial it is to constantly test and refine a game’s design.
One thing that stuck with me was the idea of game mechanics. These are the underlying rules and systems that govern a game’s behavior. I learned how to carefully design mechanics to create the desired player experience, and how to balance them to create a challenging and engaging game. We were asked, “Is your game balanced?” and it allowed me to deeply appreciate the choices game designers must make. To make these decisions, the creator of the game needs to have a foundational knowledge of game design and a good understanding of the game’s positioning in its genre (or broadly, how this design can fit into someone’s life). A key approach to the latter is, unsurprisingly, to play lots of games and then analyze them through the lens of game design concepts, which themselves are rooted in psychology and storytelling. Furthermore, a designer must acknowledge the inevitable truth: the team behind a game may have a different perception of the game than its users. For example, if I design a horror game where jump scares play a vital role, I probably will not get spooked since I know where the element of surprise is. One must learn to carefully balance two concepts: leveraging playtesters to gauge people’s perceptions and being careful to not defer all judgment to the playtesters.
I put everything I learned about game design into practice by making two games: a digital + analog escape room and a strategy courtroom card game. For the escape room, I focused on creating the challenges required to get out of each room of a high school in a zombie apocalypse. For the card game, I designed mechanics that would encourage players to make strategic decisions while also being creative to add fun to the table.
There were many challenges along the way. Firstly, we were a team of five people who were very different—both in terms of personalities and the types of games we enjoyed. Sometimes we clashed and choosing a pathway required effort. Also, there were a lot of moments of educating each other about different games. For example, in the final project, we made an escape room. I had never experienced an escape room before coming to this class, but eventually, by doing escape rooms in sections as well as through discussions with my teammates and online research, I learned enough about escape rooms out there to build one that is differentiated. I ended up creating or helping with most of the challenges of this game. These challenges helped me grow as a game designer and taught me the importance of perseverance in the design process.
In the future, I want to continue playing a lot of video games and try to make sense of them through the conceptual tools I gained from this class. I also want to continue incorporating playtesting in my design process, to create truly engaging and satisfying games or game-like experiences for any product or service I build.
One thing I appreciated about this class is the emphasis on team dynamics. By learning how to address differences of opinion, I was able to gain valuable insights into what was working well in my team and what needed improvement. Having a team with very dissimilar members helped us while we conducted different playtests and perceived feedback differently. This helped me make informed design decisions and create games that were ultimately truly enjoyable.
Another thing to note: I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of games we explored in class and the section. We made quick games and played so many more, covering genres from horror to restaurant management. This allowed me to gain experience with different types of games and learn how to design for a wide range of player experiences.
I feel like I’ve grown a lot as a game designer through this class. I’ve learned a lot of valuable skills that I want to keep applying to my life. I’m excited to continue creating games, however small, that some people will love.
