When asking experienced developers and game design professors what every aspiring designer should know, you’re bound to get a variety of tips. We’d expect no less when talking about one of the most creatively and technically demanding professions in the world. Below you’ll find three game design principles that successful game designers consider while creating their games. Even following one will increase player engagement and appreciation.

More Rewards than Punishments, More Power-Ups than Obstacles

The top designers in the world know just how powerful positive reinforcement can be in keeping us engaged and excited. We, of course, want challenging experiences that test our skills and keep us on our toes, but it’s no fun if we don’t get anything out of it. Just like athletes like winning medals and dogs like getting a treat for not ruining the carpet, gamers are also motivated by praise and reward.

Earlier games were limited to things like levels and scoring systems in order to give players something to gloat and boast about. These days game designers have a wide arsenal of tools they can use to reward players and make them feel like it’s worth moving forward. This doesn’t just include collectibles like new power-ups and abilities, but also secret areas, cutscenes, and optional bosses.

Even storytelling can be used as a reward where players see a different dialogue scene or ending based on their in-game accomplishments. A good example is the Metroid games that have always offered a better ending depending on how much the player completed. The original Metroid’s big reveal that Samus was actually female could only be unlocked by the best.

Start With A Core Mechanic And Build From It

Good game designers analyze and deconstruct every game they play. In doing so you will realize that most games can be narrowed down to a few key mechanics, if not one. If this core mechanic were to be changed or removed entirely from the game, the experience would fall apart and be a complete mess.

The reason it’s important to build up from one or a few game mechanics is because games tend to change during development. By focusing on one main idea that you know is fun, you’re less likely to end up with a Frankenstein game that tries to combine multiple cool ideas that don’t work well together. Show us a game that’s boring and derivative and we’ll show you a game that didn’t follow through on the initial game mechanic.

All it takes is one look at some of the best games of all time to see strength of this principle. The original Super Mario Bros. was a hit because Nintendo focused on mobility, which meant jumping and moving forward. It wasn’t until the platforming aspect of the game was nailed down that they started adding power-ups, different enemies, secret pipes, and more. Minecraft is another excellent example where Notch focused on one thing— building. If he hadn’t stuck to this core mechanic, perhaps his creation would not be the phenomenon it is today.

Easy to Learn, Hard to Master

Every designer strives to make a game that is accessible and easy to start playing. Great game designers also want their players to remained engaged and keep coming back. The ultimate is when the game is easy to learn but hard to master. This is the reason a game like chess, which has been around for over 1500 years, is still enjoyed today. While anyone can learn how to play and what each piece does, those who want to master it can continue learning new strategies for a lifetime.

With the abundance of casual games, this principle becomes more important than ever to making a game successful. The mobile market has become rife with poorly made or direct copies of existing games. Because of this, it is common for gamers download a game and play it for a few minutes before deleting it and moving onDesigners who want to cut through the clutter work to make games that hook players quickly (easy to learn) but keeps them engaged and telling their friends (hard to master).

We’re not saying there isn’t room for games that immediately toss you into a brutal world, as Japan’s FromSoftware has shown us with their titles such as their King’s Field series and Souls series. However, most popular game series are filled with titles that people of any skill level can get into and eventually see a reason to stick around. Call of Duty has maintained its dominance for years because it’s easy to learn how to move, switch weapons, shoot, etc. At the same time, skilled players can hop into the multiplayer and get better and better.

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Of all the perks that come with being a video game developer, playing lots of video games is near the top of the list. While most people play them for relaxation and entertainment, designers play to study the artistry of their peers in order to craft better play experiences themselves. To do this a designer doesn’t have to be a highly skilled player to glean information you can incorporate. All it takes is an eye for identifying what works, what doesn’t, and why during your gaming sessions.

Tabletop games likewise can be an amazing source of knowledge and inspiration – particularly in the realm of play mechanics. The following are three kinds of tabletop games that can provide invaluable insights and lessons to digital designers.

Thinking Ahead with Strategy Games

Examples: Chess, Risk, Warhammer 40,000, Diplomacy

Tactical and real-time strategy have become two of the most popular game genres. From Fire Emblem and Starcraft to Total War and X-COM, there’s just something about planning a strategy and executing it to earn a victory. But before all these amazing video game titles existed, players waged war with only cardboard boards and plastic game pieces.

Tabletop strategy games have remained popular for decades because they require strong decision-making skills and situational awareness to win. A player who jumps into a game of Chess without considering each decision carefully will be quickly defeated by an opponent who thinks ahead and has a plan. The games that provide players autonomy and creative problem solving via choices and tactics they can employ tend to be the most fulfilling.

Tabletop strategy games can also use player-to-player social interaction as a key component. Diplomacy, for example, has players negotiating to form alliances and attack other players. This type of play (which is hard to incorporate into multiplayer online games for interface and technical reasons) represents but one example of how a table top game can inspire digital designers to innovate. For example, a digital designer may be exposed to player to player deal making via Diplomacy and then be inspired to figure out the interface and technology to bring this to a networked multiplayer game.

Telling A Story with Tabletop RPGs

Examples: Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, Numenera

Role-playing games have always played a prominent role in the video game industry. Franchises like Final Fantasy and Pokemon are known across the globe as hundreds of RPG titles release each year. Dragon Age: Inquisition, Skyrim, Mass Effect 3, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are all titles with RPG elements that happened to win numerous Game of the Year awards.

Of course, it’s likely that the RPG genre would be very different if it weren’t for the tabletop RPGs that came before them. Dungeons & Dragons, for example, blew everyone away back in the day with its fictional settings and ability for players to take on the role of a fantasy character. Tabletop RPGs did more than just introduce things like experience points and character classes—they showed us that games can be a powerful storytelling tool.

If you’re an aspiring RPG designer looking to create breathtaking characters, stories, and worlds, definitely play at least one of the many great tabletop RPGs out there today. You’ll find yourself having a memorable role-playing experience as you participate with others and use your imagination more than you ever would playing a video game.

Simple Rules with Paper-and-Pencil Games

Examples: Connect 4, Tic-tac-toe, Dots and Boxes, Hangman, Battleship

Although it isn’t the most fun or exciting way of looking at them, video games are essentially a huge collection of rules. Glitches and technical bugs aside, every game has an arrangement of restrictions and laws. For example, in a Mario game you can only ever jump as high as the programmers allowed you to. Mario’s jump height is a rule with a specific number programmed by the developer but not disclosed explicitly to the player.

That is what makes paper-and-pencil games so great. Thanks to well-designed rules, fun can be had from drawing Xs and Os on a 3×3 grid (Tic-tac-toe) or taking turns calling out grid space (Battleship).

Since making rules is part of being a game designer, playing paper-and-pencil games is common in college game design courses. They offer the most bare-bones example of how rules serve to make a game, and how changing them can make the game better or worse. Being able to prototype early game design ideas with only a paper and pen is also a huge skill every game designer needs.

[su_note]Learn the skills you need to succeed as a game designer at the Game Design School at the New York Film Academy by clicking here.[/su_note]

If there’s one thing that the internet and social media have shown us, it’s that people really like expressing their feelings and opinions. Take a look at the page of a struggling sports team and you will likely see a legion of fans presenting their infallible ideas for making the team great. And although many of them do, in fact, love the sport, it’s safe to say that few (if any) of them have any sports management experience at all.

Even though more people than ever are playing video games today, only a small percent know what goes on behind the scenes. Perhaps this is why many gamers believe some of the following misconceptions surrounding the industry.

You Need A Programming Background To Be A Great Game Developer

Since video games are digital and thus created with the use of computers, programming is a useful skill to have. There’s great value in a game designer who not only presents ideas but also understands the technical aspects of implementing them. The late Satoru Iwata himself, who rose to become the president of Nintendo, got his start as a programmer. But the truth is, there are plenty of game designers working in our industry that have little to no programming knowledge.

In fact, some of the best game developers of all time did not study computer programming before breaking into the industry. For example, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto and Eiji Aonuma were hired by Nintendo as graphic artists before moving up to bigger roles. Hideo Kojima and Hironobu Sakaguchi, the men who helped turn Metal Gear and Final Fantasy into powerful franchises, studied scriptwriting and film directing.

Everyone Who Works In The Video Game Industry Is Rich

It’s easy to see why people think that everyone who makes games for a living owns mansions, yachts, and sports cars. News sites and social media pages talk about the giant franchises like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, including the millions of units sold and billions of dollars made.

The reality is that only an elite few who participate in the revenues from hit titlesup with enough cash to swim in. That said, game developers do in fact get paid pretty well. While you may not be able to buy a Lamborghini or private island, you will likely make a fine living while doing what you love— creating fun for others.

Good/Bad At Video Games = Good/Bad At Game Design

One common misconception among gamers is that because we are very good at a game, we automatically think we’d be good at making them. In turn, those who stink at games worry about their ability to make something great. Either way, the average gamer rarely understands the demanding process that goes into turning an idea into a fully-functioning game. So if you’re someone who wants to make games one day but aren’t as good at playing them as all your friends, fret not!

Of course, it does happen that pro players are sometimes hired to be designers. For example, Halo 5 developer, 343 Industries, hired Eric Hewitt (GH057ayame), one of the top Halo players in the world, to help design the new title’s multiplayer portion. Also Blizzard Entertainment hired pro Hearthstone player, Ryan Masterson (Realz), as an Associate Game Designer late last year. It is extremely rare. The norm is for people who build their skills making games (not necessarily playing them) to rise to the top in the game industry. Plenty of game developers can freely admit that although they’ve created some fantastic experiences, they suck at playing games themselves!

[su_note]Learn the skills you need to succeed as a game designer at the Game Design School at the New York Film Academy by clicking here.[/su_note]

Gamers are a blessed bunch. Each year, countless titles on numerous platforms release to help us have fun and escape from reality for a while. Of course, only a few end up being the best-selling games that everyone ends up talking about. Whether we like it or not, these games tend to have the most influence when it comes to where the industry is headed next.

That is why a year ago we talked about some things we learned from the top selling video games of 2014. Now we’ve taken a look at top titles of 2015 to see how the industry has grown as well as areas in need of serious improvement.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt—Worlds Are Only Getting Bigger And Better

In 1998 a little game called The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was released. While its gameplay and graphics (at the time) were impressive, it was the world that captivated us. Never before had we entered a place expansive enough to explore for hours on end, hoping to run into yet another secret around every corner. And while Ocarina of Time is still a game everyone should play, its world is nothing compared to the landscapes and settings of today’s adventure games.

The winner of numerous awards, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt blew us away last year with one of the most stunning video game worlds we’ve ever encountered. You could potentially spend hundreds of hours visiting every area of the game. Thanks to advancements in technology, we’re now adventuring through places that aren’t just big but also filled with more detail than ever before.

Batman: Arkham Knight—PC Gamers & Broken Versions Of AAA Titles

Rocksteady has made a name for itself with the Arkham series, which is why Batman: Arkham Knight was one of the most anticipated titles of 2015. Although it didn’t feel as big a leap forward as Arkham City was, it was still praised for its fantastic combat, excellent storytelling, and memorable level design. But while PS4 and Xbox One players smoothly sped through Gotham in the Batmobile, PC gamers were being bombarded by a ridiculous number of technical issues.

The winner of numerous awards, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt blew us away last year with one of the most stunning video game worlds we’ve ever encountered. You could potentially spend hundreds of hours visiting every area of the game. Thanks to advancements in technology, we’re now adventuring through places that aren’t just big but also filled with more detail than ever before.

Star Wars Battlefront / Halo 5—We Like Multi AND Single Player

There are a number of ways Star Wars Battlefront and Halo 5: Guardian are alike. They’re shooters, were highly-anticipated titles, employ similar sci-fi elements, etc. Both games, especially Halo 5, even provided some of the best multiplayer experiences of the year. Unfortunately, these two great games also made the same mistake of releasing with a lackluster single-player experience.

To be fair, Halo 5’s campaign was OK. The problem is that the story was hyped up to result in an epic showdown between two Spartan teams led by arguably the best of the best—Master Chief and Spartan Locke. Instead we got a convoluted narrative that required reading the tie-in books to understand. As for Battlefront, we got a few decent game modes and no single-player campaign whatsoever. Gamers have made it clear that while we love multiplayer, there will always be a desire for an awesome story-driven campaign as well.

Super Mario Maker—Gamers Really Like Making Things

If there’s one thing Mojang’s game showed us, it’s that players enjoy using their own creativity to build things from time to time. Minecraft is just that—a game that skips the storylines and next-gen graphics and instead lets people go wild with their imagination. Such is the demand for this game that it has even arrived on a console that was said would never support Minecraft.

We’re of course talking about the Wii U, which had a pretty poor year in 2015 but still managed to land a few hit titles. One of them was Super Mario Maker, a Nintendo title that had a bigger reception than any of us could have imagined. For weeks it was impossible to visit a gaming news site that wasn’t talking about making and playing courses. While it would be great to see other similar Nintendo titles release, other game developers should also realize that gamers are always up for modes where they can build their own levels, worlds, etc.

[su_note]Learn the skills you need to succeed as a game designer at the Game Design School at the New York Film Academy by clicking here.[/su_note]