Anatomy of a game

So you created your  very first game, but it didn't work as well as you wanted it to be. Or you are all set to create a good game, but do not know where to start from. Well, this post might solve your problem.
              Creating a good game might be difficult. You never know which element is liked by the players, and which element worsens the game experience for your players. But there are some basic things that a player wishes to see in a game; so here, I am going to walk through those elements, and that too in a practical game. Take a look at these images-

Dragon Slayer

Interstellar

These games are a part of my efforts as a part of an assignment on Coursera; and they have received full 100% grades in the process.

                   After having a close look at the games, let us discuss about the main elements that are a part of it.

Interstellar:

•  Balance: One of the most important things in a game is balance. Balance basically means maintaining a favorable balance between the different elements in a game. For example, a player might get a new and deadly weapon as the game progresses. Now if the new weapon has the same procedure of reloading etc. as the other weapons, then there will be no balance between the weapons and the player might use the new and more deadly weapon more frequently and carelessly. Thus it is important to have some major disadvantage with the new power-up that the player receives. In the game of Interstellar, the balance is maintained by utilizing the fact that those levels which advance the player and provide bonus are difficult to clear. By this, it is ensured that the player thinks out some way of overcoming that disadvantage; and it adds fun to the game.

• Rules: One of the most important things that distinguishes a game from simple play is the set of rules of the game. Rules are always essential, that describe the flow of the game. Rules come under three categories- documentation, narration, and in-game discoveries. Documentation involves writing the rules at the start of the game which can be read by the player. These are, however, not preferred these days as most players choose not to read any rules before playing the game. Narration has become a familiar concept. In this, there is some character that is in the game itself, and who narrates the different tasks- usually at the start of the game. Ex. Halo, Call of Duty etc. In-game discoveries involve discovering of the rules by the player as he plays the game. Ex.- In Need For Speed - Most Wanted, there is nowhere written that if you hit a cop car, it will chase you. But this rule is discovered by the player when he hits the car once; and he remains cautious next time. In the game of Interstellar, the documentation is used to describe the rules.

• Setting: Setting of the game is enough to engage the player. A simple game, in a very good setting, can be addictive. For ex. the famous game of Flappy Bird, is actually a very simple game, of moving boxes between cuboids. Now the box is replaced with a bird, and the cuboids are replaced with towers, and a background is included- which make the game immersing. The game of Angry Birds is in reality a physics based game; you can imagine throwing a ball and toppling down some sticks. Now that is replaced by modern graphics in a whole new setting; and before you lies the great game. In the game of Interstellar, the core game is the one of Snakes and Ladders; but it is set in the background of space, with some planets and asteroids around; and that makes the game more interesting.

• Varying Gameplay: One of the most important things is a varying gameplay. If a game presents the same difficulty level, it becomes quite boring when someone has played it for a while or so. But if the gameplay varies with time or with different attempts, then it becomes more immersing. For example, in the game of Interstellar, in different iterations of the game, different chances are possible. This is because the game depends on chance, and that may vary! One time, you may complete the game in five dice rolls; and at another time, you may get stuck at one level for a long time. 

• Goal: Goal is the most important aspect of the game. Without a goal, a game might seem 'meaningless'. If there is no goal for the player, he might think your game to be a drudge. For example- in Assassin's Creed series, it does get boring after a while to free roam without any goal to accomplish or a task to do. As long as there are side-missions, player indulges in free-roam; but when all the side missions get exhausted, player gives up the roam after a while. Similar is the case in the Free Roam of NFS-Most Wanted; driving through the lanes and hitting other cars seems boring after a while.

Dragon Slayer (contains all the above elements as well as one additional content)

• Story: [Refer to the game of Dragon Slayer]-  do you notice anything new in the game. Yes! The story is all set to steer the game. This is the most essential part of your game and your game won't work at all unless you wrote a good story for your game. This is said because the story keeps the player interested in the game. It motivates the players to play further and further through the game, just to find out what happens later in the game. A good story might make your game a big hit. When incorporating a story in your game, there are three ways in which you can develop your story- writer-driven, writer-led and player-led. In the case of writer-driven, you reveal the story at the very starting. For example, in NFS Most Wanted, the story is revealed in the starting- we know that the car of the protagonist is taken away, and we need to get that car back. It is a good option, but it just might let your player leave the game half-way saying- 'I already know the story. What's the use of trying hard to get through this difficult level just to know what happens later'. You might consider the option of writer-led, where the story is already decided, but not revealed all at once. As the player progresses, some part of the story gets revealed. This keeps the player interested; as well as offers a chance of a sudden twist in the story. The concept of player-led is the most involving of all. In this, the path that the player takes decides the flow of the story. The best example if Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. Here are various options for the player to choose from, and depending on these choices, the story progresses. In the game of Dragon Slayer, the mix concept of writer-led and player-led can be seen. This is because the story unfolds as the game progresses; as well as there are three different paths- so three different variations in the story of the game.

These are the basic requirements that a game-designer should keep in mind while designing a game. Hope they helped you as well !!!

About Nimish Mishra

Nimish is an avid lover of learning. Being a student, he himself takes up learning from the web. He is particularly interested in Sciences, Computers, and Research(researching in his little lab at his home). He has made a game on a non-programming interface, some android apps for his smartphone, and models on 3D modelling softwares. He has done sensible research on space-time and on applied mathematics. He has also written a novel.

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