Before taking this class, I had a narrow view of what constitutes a game. I mostly associated gaming with complex mechanics, especially in genres like first-person shooters that many of my friends enjoyed. However, I was always more drawn to games with strong narratives and stories. This class opened my eyes to the incredible diversity that exists in game design. I realized that there are many valid types of games and players with different preferences and motivations.
Throughout the course, I had the opportunity to critically play a wide range of games that impacted me in various ways. I especially connected with the games in the second half that focused more heavily on storytelling, like Edith Finch, Gorogoa, and Florence. These narrative-driven experiences gave me special emotional journeys. Analyzing them from different designer-type perspectives also led me to re-evaluate my own game narratives and strive to give players and characters more agency.
Some core concepts that resonated with me were the MDA framework, the eight types of fun, and the importance of weaving together mechanics and narrative in a cohesive way. For example, although I had thought of a game as “fun” before, I didn’t really take the time to think about what that actually meant. Now, with the tools and definitions I learned in class, I specifically implemented mechanics and dynamics with the intent of instilling specific fun in the players. For example, in my Project 1, my team and I wanted to emphasize fellowship and challenge while creating a game centered around shows like Chopped and Top Chef, which in turn led us to create a recipe-guessing game.
However, implementing these concepts had some challenges. As someone who tends to focus on the narrative, I struggled at times to make sure that the mechanics of my games were as strong and engaging as the story elements. Balancing the different aspects of a game to create a cohesive experience was a constant learning experience. For example, with my Project 2 game, the story that we eventually came up with was engaging but we had to evolve the mechanics from a chatbot to multi-branch preset options for the main player to a single-choice preset option to make the game experience better.
Another area of growth for me was understanding the importance of playtesting and iteration. In the past, I was too attached to my initial ideas and was hesitant to make significant changes based on feedback. However, through the playtesting sessions organized in class, I saw how valuable outside perspectives could be in identifying issues and suggesting improvements. For example, in Project 2, several players pointed out that the puzzle mechanics were too complex, distracting them from the emotional core of the story. By simplifying the puzzles and adding more environmental storytelling, my team and I were able to create a more engaging and impactful experience.
As I continue my journey as a game designer, there are several key areas I want to focus on. First, I want to further explore the concept of emergent gameplay and how it can be used to create unique and unpredictable experiences for players. Games like Breath of the Wild and Minecraft have shown the power of giving players the freedom to explore and experiment within a carefully crafted world, and I would like to try to design systems that enable that kind of player agency.
