Videogames are a favorite pastime across the world. They bring fun and joy to many and even have become a sporting event of their own. Everything on the screen and in the console was programmed by a designer. The joy of playing drives some to learn the skill and develop their own. We have game design tips to bring your dream to reality.
The first step to bringing your skill to life as a videogame designer is learning to code. Next, follow your favorite developers and learn more about the field. Then, follow our tips about game design.
Follow these game design tips to get started with video game programming and put your skills to use:
Game Design Tips for Beginner Developers
1. Design with Your User in Mind
Find out who your target is and what they want in a game; that is the best game design tip. What makes them play their favorite games for hours on end? What are they passionate about? Take those answers and let them forge your design.
Your game needs players. Customize your design to fit your ideal player. Give them an experience that is enjoyable and user-friendly. They’ll keep coming back to a game they love.
Keep your design simple and users will appreciate frustration-free gameplay. One way to make it simple is to focus on intuitive controls. Keep controls doing what they normally do. You don’t have to reinvent them. Your game will have other elements unique to you so you can keep the common elements in place for the sake of your user. This prevents too large of a learning curve.
2. Follow Popular Trends
Things are popular for a reason; capitalize on this in your game. If there is a game you love, find out why you love it. Listen to your friends. What games are they playing? Why do they love them? What do they love about the games?
Take the elements and make them your own. Of course, you cannot copy direct elements due to ethics, plagiarism, and copyright laws, but you can use them as inspiration. Read on to see how.
3. Be Innovative
Part of making the ideas mentioned above your own is being innovative. Take currently popular game elements and elevate them. Play a game and if you start thinking, “I wish the game did this,” or “I wish you could…” in the game, that is where you start. Make it fit your game and bring the thought to reality. Let current ideas regenerate into new ideas and use these game design tips.
4. Focus on Fun
Fun is usually the purpose of video games. There are different avenues for fun in a game. Characters and storytelling are a path for fun. You can have characters with compelling storylines that unfold throughout the game. Another path is the thrill of the chase. These are objective-based games. Players cannot wait to reach the goal.
Whatever avenue you choose, create an experience for your player that captivates them. A captivated audience is one that won’t put down the controller.
5. Be Upfront With Success Criteria
It is nearly impossible to complete a goal if you don’t know what it is. Giving your players the endgame amps up the fun factor. If your game lays out what is to be accomplished, your players have a target to aim for.
Before the level begins, let your players know how they will be scored. Tell them if there is a bonus they are working toward. Highlight the reward. All of these build excitement and encourage gamers to continue on.
6. Reward Your Players
Rewards can give your players motivation to keep going. There are several reasons to reward your players.
Rewarding players after a boring task give the task a more pleasing hue. Points offer feedback. If the points are scaled and the player receives points based on performance vs completion, the player will know how well they did in comparison to how they could have done. Rewards garner excitement which translates to more gamers playing your game.
7. Organization
Without organization, you may become overwhelmed or not meet important goals. First, set goals. Next, have the plan to accomplish them. Monitor your goals and adjust as necessary throughout the process.
Because the organization is such a big part of accomplishing a goal, there are many tools available in the digital landscape to assist. Use organization tools such as HacknPlan which was developed for organizing game design. Other tools could be used such as Trello Boards or a simple calendar. Find what works for your brain and go with that along with all of our game design tips.
Game Design Tips: How Can I Design the Best Game?
If you follow the game design tips above, you will be off to a great start. Follow trends and your favorite designers for inspiration. Don’t be afraid to try and try again until you find what works. Enjoy the process. All of this will make way for your best game yet.
At WillDom, we specialize in end-to-end tech solutions. From web design to game design, our agile teams can support you through any tech project. You can check out these game design tips in action by utilizing our service. Learn more on our website or on our LinkedIn.
