Gameplay Design PatternsA language to support game design

Staffan Björk

Interactive Institute & Gothenburg University

Takeaway

The idea behind Gameplay Design Patterns

How these can be used to externalize your knowledge

How these can be used to develop game concepts

Who am I?

Associate Professor, Gothenburg University

Senior Researcher, Interactive Institute

Gamer Not so much game

designer Made one game – a paper-

rock-scissors pancake game where all game components are eatable…

What do I do?

The need for a Gameplay Design Language

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Differences between Design and Craftwork

Knowledge transferal Crafts are primarily learned

by imitation Practitioners can not

motivate why one does things one way

Unintentional trial-and-error experiments

Information about designs are only recorded in the produced artifact

Challenges in Gameplay Design

Exploit new platforms and technologies Understanding differences between games Explore value of different design

possibilities Explain values of novel game concepts Gain understanding within teams Communication between developers and

stakeholders Depersonalize intended gameplay Describe gameplay problems Specify foci of gameplay evaluations

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Design is typically a Wicked Problem

Characteristics of Wicked Problems Not understood until after solutions are found Have no stopping rule Solutions are not right or wrong Every problem is essentially novel and unique Every solution is a 'one shot operation' Solutions have no given alternatives

How to Mitigate Wicked Problems? Methods Language to discuss aspects or parts of the problem

Design Languages

Convey meaning In design process In product

Components Collection of elements Principles of

organization Qualifying situations

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Gameplay

The goal-driven activities related to a game system whose values are solely described in direct relation to that game system

Boundaries Not Diegetic Aspects Not Interfaces Aspects Not Narrative Aspects But these are often interrelated in game designs

Gameplay Design Patterns

Gameplay Design Patterns

A way to describe reoccurring design choices Offers possible explanations to why these design

choices have been made Codify unintentional features so they can be

intentional choices in later designs A guide of how to make similar design choices in

game projects What is required to make a pattern emerge What consequences do a pattern have? Not only problem solving

Gameplay Design Patterns a way to describe components on all levels within the design language

Gameplay Design Pattern Examples

Power-Ups Game elements that activate time-limited advantages when

collected

First Person Views Players are shown the game world as if they were inside it

Aim & Shoot The act of taking aim at something and then shooting at it

Cut Scenes Sequences of storytelling where players cannot act

Parallel Lives Game elements that when individually lost do not interrupt

gameplay, but do so when all are lost. High

High Score Lists The storing of scores after games have finished so the they

can be compared

But what about Game Mechanics?

“methods invoked by agents, designed for interaction with the game state” (Sicart, 2008) Inspired by OO-programing

“game mechanics are best described with verbs” (Järvinen, 2008) Move, Attack, Climb, Take, Push, etc.

Agents not only players

What is the difference?!?

Basically, relations Sicart does talk about the need to trace

relationship but does not argue for documenting general relations Only specific ones found in specific games

Patterns includes more abstract phenomena Not only verbs Observable features and experiences

Gameplay Design Pattern Relations

Small changes in a game can have large effects on gameplay and overall game experience This due delicate balances, risk/reward, meaningful choices, etc.

Patterns related to each other Explains effects of having a pattern Proposes possible causes for a pattern to be in a design Provides alternatives how to make a pattern emerge in a design Suggests ways of modifying patterns Alerts of possible incompatibilities

Types of relations

Can Instantiate α→β Parallel Lives → Attention Swapping

Can Modulate β(α)→β⃰ Game World ( First-Person Views ) → Game World ⃰

Can Be Instantiated By α←β Cut Scenes ← Dedicated Game Facilitators

Can Be Modulated By α(β)→ α⃰ High Score Lists ( Tiebreakers ) → High Score Lists⃰

Potentially Conflicting With α≠β First-Person Views ≠ God Views

Relations between GDPs

Randomness Luck

Limited Foresight

Cards

Fixed Distributions

Drawing Stacks

Surprises

Analysis Paralysis

D6 D8D4 D10 D12 D20

Dice

Mechanics, Dynamics, Aestheticshttp://algorithmancy.8kindsoffun.com/

Marc LeBlanc(Ultima Underworld II, System Shock, Flight

Unlimited, Terra Nova, Thief I-II, Deus Ex, NFL 2K2, NBA 2K2, Oasis, Field Commander)

The MDA model

“Fun”

Rules

Game Sessions

Code

Processes

Requirements

Mechanics

Aesthetics

Dynamics

MDA - Eight Kinds of "Fun"

1. SensationGame as sense-pleasure

2. FantasyGame as make-believe

3. NarrativeGame as drama

4. ChallengeGame as obstacle course

5. FellowshipGame as social framework

6. DiscoveryGame as uncharted territory

7. ExpressionGame as self-discovery

8. SubmissionGame as pastime

Different Levels of Patterns

Patterns fit into the MDA framework Mechanical gameplay patterns

E.g. Power-Ups, Aim & Shoot, Cut Scenes

Dynamic gameplay patterns E.g. Red Queen Dilemmas, Choke points

Aesthetical gameplay patterns E.g. Player Adaptability, Camaraderie

Tension

Enemies

Levels Permadeath

IrreversibleEvents

CharacterDevelopment

Talenttrees

Increased statisticsFog of War

Uncertainty of Information

Luck

Combat

Randomness

LingeringEffects

TimeLimits

Loss ofControl

Helplessness

Transferof Control

Instakills

ChallengingGameplay

DifficultyLevels

StimulatedPlanning

Save-LoadCycles

ProgressEvaluations

PositiveFeedback

Loops

AvalancheEffects

SpectacularFailure

EnjoymentReplayability

ThematicConsistency

Higher-LevelClosures as GameplayProgresses

Stealth

Movement

Poison ExplodingObjects

BudgetedActionPoints

2-phaseActions

Risk/Reward

IncompatibleGoals

Achievements

Trade-offs

Ironman Mode

Micro-management

Inventories

EquipmentSlots

Equipment

SurpriseAttacks

RoamingEnemies

Line ofSight

PrivilegedAbilities

EmotionalEngrossment

TechnologyTrees

RotateIn Place

Time UnitSystem

Most patterns mention from X:EU and X:UD (Green indicates presence in both games, red only in X:UD, and blue only in X:EU). Solid lines indicate instantiating relations and

dashes lines modulating ones. Boxes without outlines are mechanics.

Examples of other uses of patterns

Identify Design Spaces within Games

Basically analyzing games to see how well they contain features some theory describes Identifies specific design possibilities Lacking features are also design possibilities

Examples Designing believable NPCs

Own agenda, Dissectible bodies…

Social NPCs Dialogue systems

Classify Games Based on Patterns

Pervasive Games 120 game examples a set of 75 possible

patterns

CRPGs genres using combat patterns

40 games/series 300+ patterns…

Four main categories Ubiquitous Cluster Distinguishing Flavor Meta

Iteration #4

Dark Patterns

“Patterns used intentionally by a game creator to cause negative experiences for players which are against their best interests and likely to happen without their consent.”

Examples Grinding Playing by Appointment Pay to Skip Pre-Delivered Content Monetized rivalries Social Pyramid Schemes Impersonation

Advantages of Design Languages

Explain values of novel game concepts Understand differences between games Gain understanding within development teams Communicate with stakeholders Exploit new platforms and technologies Depersonalize intended gameplay Describe gameplay problems Specify foci of gameplay evaluations

Thank you!

Questions?