Mechanics are the Message

Hello, I’m Alex.

• Game designer by desire

• Entrepreneur by necessity

Astroslugs (2009 – 2011) San Juan (2012) Das Tal (since 2013)

What I‘m going to talk to you about

Game criticism & its importance

How game systems talk to us

Fictional layer vs. mechanical layer

Game Criticism

“Game criticism happens when someone dissects and discusses a game that is no his own –

or talks about the medium games in general.“

my definition for this talk

Major sources of games criticism

The Press Media Critics

(Former) Designers Academia

Why games criticism is important

Common angles of criticism

• Technology & graphics

• The „fun factor“

• People & politics

• Story & narrative

• Characters & imagery

Are these really what make a game?

• Audiovisual quality? Real-time?

• Immersive settings, stories & characters?

• Digital graphics / technological prowess?

No. Actually it‘s ...

• Interaction & impact• With & on game systems

• With & on other players

• Decision making flow

• Emergent behaviour

Game Systems

Mechanics and systems

• Mechanics == rules • „press A to jump“

• actions

• restrictions

• Systems == combinations of rules & actors• Complex

• Often hard to predict

• Again: emergence!

The MDA model (simplified)

• Mechanics | dynamics | aesthethics

• Actions | behaviours | feelings

Designers make us feel things

1. Designers create rules

2. Combinations of rules create systems

3. Systems make us act in certain ways

4. Acting makes us feel things

• -> Designers make us feel things

Systems talk to us

• Systems talk to us through the way they make us act and feel

• Systems often talk about their creator, the game designer(s)

• The show us how the designer sees• His audience (the players)

• His work ethic

• Our common culture

• The path to success

Electronic Super Joy

Selected quotes

• „You made me stomp right into the dirt!“

• „Stop agreeing [...], game – I don‘t need your sass!“

• „I jumped right into it. I am so awful!“

• „Rah! Rah! Raaaw!“

Kinect Joy Ride

Selected quotes

• „I WONDER IF THIS GAME HAS AUTO-STEERING. WHAT DO YOU THINK?”

• „Yes. This really happened.“

• „In soviet Russia, gamez play you.”

Game Design

“The pinnacle of game design craft is combining perfect mechanics and compelling fiction into

one seamless system of meaning.“

Tynan Silvester: Designing Games – A Guide to Engineering Experiences

Fictional layer vs mechanical layer

• The fictional layer• Setting, Story, Characters, Narrative

• Graphics, Audio

• The mechanical layer• What you can do (Mechanics)

• What the systems make you do (Dynamics)

• -> The game experience (Aesthetics)

Do fictional and mechanical layer fit?

Both fictional and mechanical layer create emotions in the player

If those emotions fit together

the player‘s experience will likely be as the designer intended

If those emotions don‘t fit

we have a mental disconnect that damages the intended experience

Bioshock Infinite

Selected quotes

• „OK I don‘t even know what I just picked up. But I picked up something. I got 9 dollars. Sweet.“ & „I‘m just taking everything.“

• „Can I turn this off? ... Nope.“

• „Someone just really has bad parking.“

Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons

Selected quotes

• „If he drowns I‘m throwing the controller out the window and I‘m quitting.“

• „Oh no, he‘s gonna have to swim. [...] Tom‘s not here to help!“

• „I‘m still moving both sticks even though there‘s only one kid now. Oh why is that so terrible that I noticed that?“

• „He‘s growing up and becoming stronger [...]“

Take these sentences home with you

1. Game criticism is important to make better games

2. Spend time looking at game mechanics when criticising games

3. Game systems talk to their players and about their creators

4. Game designers should look at their system‘s messages

5. Create fiction and mechanics that fit together

Mechanics are the Message

Thank you & please get in touch

alexanderzacherl.de

alexander.zacherl@gmail.com

+49 (0)163 6852365