13 basic principles of game design. Direction and behavior

Game design is, by its nature, rather chaotic and controversial. Often the main requirement for game designers is to create a guaranteed successful project, and this forces designers to move in the direction of existing solutions, that is, to choose from those that have already been invented earlier.

But at the same time, the product must somehow stand out from the competition. Thus, the game designer immediately gets into a situation where he has to work in several opposite directions at the same time.
At the same time, any solution must correspond to the project resources. Not to mention the deadlines and strategy changes emanating from managers.
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Hey! No time to disassemble the previous paragraph! We have a release on the nose! Who cares what tools are missing? Stop whining!
Imagine that you are driving a ship and at the same time completing it. Something similar is happening in game design. To really feel this pace, you have to jump with a parachute, finishing it on the go. In game design, never harness a horse in front of a cart. Here they race, and we see who comes first.

With so many contradictions, uncertainties and urgency there must be some point of support. It may seem boring, but I am a supporter of careful preparation and well-established principles. They give me an understanding of which rules you can break, and which ones you should think twice about.

In college, I had a classic animation course, and on the very first day of class, the professor handed us “12 principles of animation” created by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. If they don't tell you their names, then these two are from the Nine Disney Old Men, the famous group of animators of Walt Disney's studio, which created such immortal classics like Snow White, 101 Dalmatians, Bambi, Sleeping Beauty and other cartoons .

At first, these 12 principles were hard to master fully. But by the end of the semester, I noticed that the more principles I apply in my work, the better the animation becomes. Recalling this experience, I once thought: “But there must be something like this in game design!”.

So, I combed the entire Internet. However, the mass of disconnected theories, strategies and approaches did not justify my hopes. Among other things, such complex topics as the theory of interest, the reward of players' choice, control over mental activity, mental multitasking ... and calls for "simplification" (whatever that means. I am a designer, damn it).

I also found the rules so taken for granted that Captain Evidence would roll his eyes: “know your audience”, “don't undermine the players' trust”, “give players a choice”, “know yourself”, “one mechanic in the engine is better than two in the sky". Well, okay, I thought up the last two myself, but nothing that I found really helped me.
I'm confused. None of what I found could really help the designer in their daily work. Therefore, Captain Obvious and I decided to contribute to this chaotic picture. (And soon! Until other fictional personalities appeared.)

“12 principles of animation” became my starting point. I collected all the main provisions and expanded them, relying on what I call the different sections of game design. You will notice that some of them have a similar description, and some even are called the same, but they all relate to the gameplay.
The purpose of these principles is to carefully prepare before submitting your projects. Perhaps you have already thought of everything in advance, and then this information may be useful to you a little later, when new opportunities will open up under the influence of certain circumstances. Look at everything stated here as a recommendation. So here we go.

Direction

The first 3 principles relate to the management and direction of the gameplay. Do not underestimate the importance of artistic direction. Just as a picture controls a person’s eyes, a book controls images, and a film controls a narration, so the game should control interactivity.

1. Spotlight
Never allow the players themselves to figure out what to focus on. Of course, minor points of focus are also needed, but the main work of the designer is to create a clear and clear focus of attention throughout the game. This applies to both visual and intuitive aspects of gameplay.

Example of level design: creating a distinct, visible field of view.
An example of a system design: well-defined plot tasks and goals throughout the game.

2. Lead
To let the player know that something will happen soon, it takes time. Always consider anticipation when designing and implementing events and behaviors.

An example of a level design: before seeing a train, the player hears the sound of its approach.
An example of a system design: before a lightning attack occurs, an energy charge is created.

3. Announcement of changes
Tell the player about all the changes. This small point should be performed between the lead and the event itself.
It is important to remember to keep the correct sequence of key changes.
There is a golden rule of rarity: if changes are repeated 100 times per hour, an announcement is not required. But if only 5 changes occur during the entire time of passing through the game, visual cues will be needed.
This principle is so obvious that it is taken for granted and sometimes it is not paid attention to. Be aware of what changes a player should be aware of and arrange them at the right time and in the right places.

An example of level design: the animation “Take off the mooring lines!” For an NPC when a player’s character rises aboard a ship.
An example of a system design: a notification appears on the screen after the conditions of the assignment are fulfilled (for example, “Kill 10 Goblins for Farmer Bob”).

Behavior

The following 4 principles address a very important issue of behavior. They relate to the problem of both conscious and unconscious waiting for the player. Here we will talk about the basic theories of design, such as player choice, reward, etc. You can go further and apply these principles to additional types of design, such as user interface or storyline.

4. Believable events and behaviors
Each event or behavior must follow the logic and match the expectations of the player. Every action, every reaction, every emotion should be checked to see if it corresponds to the subconscious perception of the players.

Example of level design: put destructible objects near explosive ones - this way the explosion will look more believable.
An example of a system design: weaker enemies run away from the player when he has an advantage in battle.
Interface example: critical damage to a combat vehicle changes the player’s HUD appearance.
Example of the plot: the peasants are more favorable to the player after he killed the dragon.

5. Intersecting events and behaviors
If there is only one change in the game at a time, then the dynamics are quickly lost. Find the optimal number of events that will occur at the same time.

Example of level design: allow the player to choose which buildings to build from the list.
An example of a system design: a winger runs along the flank, the defenders take a step forward, trying to set up an offside trap, the player signals a canopy to the far post, and the crowd roars louder because the last seconds of the match are coming. All this happens before the filing of the penalty.
Interface example: at the same time as the player hits the target, points are added to his account.
Sample story: several plot points at once in the forefront of the story. Example: the king is on his deathbed, he is to announce the heir; the war that he had unleashed was in full swing - and all this was happening while an unknown saboteur was organizing a military coup behind his back.

6. Physics
Human perception works within the known limits of physics. Consider gravity, weight, density, buoyancy, elasticity, resistance, and so on. Start from this, but do not limit yourself to this.

Example of a level design: make sure that the hole in the floor is the right size for the purpose you want, whether it is part of a level passage or just visual aesthetics.
An example of a system design: when a player’s car hits a concrete wall at speed, it cuts out a sheaf of sparks.
Interface example: the graphic interface is made in the style of an old photo album. In this case, the animated transitions, lighting, etc., must match the physical properties of the paper.

7. Sound
Ask yourself: “What sound is heard when _____?”, “Will it sound right?”, “Do you need sound here?”, “How will this sound affect the process of the game?”. If the players close their eyes, the desired effect should be achieved only through the audio sequence.
Many argue over whether to include this principle in the list, since sound design can be considered separately from game design. I still turn it on, because sound plays a crucial role in the game, but it is often not given due importance. The more attention is paid to the sound, the better the game is.

Example of level design: flies from a swamp level buzzing, flying close to the camera.
An example of a system design: the approach – distance system, when the volume of the sound effect fluctuates depending on the distance to the objects in the game.
Interface example: only visually distinguished objects are voiced so as not to create a mess of sounds.
Each of the following three principles separately affects the main components of game design.

The second part of the article will be devoted to progression, environment, method and basics.