Practical Game Design

Design accessible and creative games across genres, platforms, and development realities

Key Features

• Implement the skills and techniques required to work in a professional studio
• Ace the core principles and processes of level design, world building, and storytelling
• Design interactive characters that animate the gaming world

Book Description

If you are looking for an up-to-date and highly applicable guide to game design, then you have come to the right place! Immerse yourself in the fundamentals of game design with this book, written by two highly experienced industry professionals to share their profound insights as well as give valuable advice on creating games across genres and development platforms.

Practical Game Design covers the basics of game design one piece at a time. Starting with learning how to conceptualize a game idea and present it to the development team, you will gradually move on to devising a design plan for the whole project and adapting solutions from other games. You will also discover how to produce original game mechanics without relying on existing reference material, and test and eliminate anticipated design risks. You will then design elements that compose the playtime of a game, followed by making game mechanics, content, and interface accessible to all players. You will also find out how to simultaneously ensure that the gameplay mechanics and content are working as intended.

As the book reaches its final chapters, you will learn to wrap up a game ahead of its release date, work through the different challenges of designing free-to-play games, and understand how to significantly improve their quality through iteration, polishing and playtesting.

What you will learn

• Define the scope and structure of a game project
• Conceptualize a game idea and present it to others
• Design gameplay systems and communicate them clearly and thoroughly
• Build and validate engaging game mechanics
• Design successful business models and prepare your games for live operations
• Master the principles behind level design, worldbuilding and storytelling
• Improve the quality of a game by playtesting and polishing it

Who this book is for

Whether you are a student eager to design a game or a junior game designer looking for your first role as a professional, this book will help you with the fundamentals of game design. By focusing on best practices and a pragmatic approach, Practical Game Design provides insights into the arts and crafts from two senior game designers that will interest more seasoned professionals in the game industry.