Game Design:
Designing the Solution

Introduction

After analyzing other games/mediums, holding in-depth conversations on the problem, and brainstorming, you should have identified a few top ideas that might work out. Now it's time to expand these ideas into designs. As stated earlier, ideas can't be part of the game until turned into mechanics, systems or rules.

I've seen amazing ideas go to prototype that had major holes in how they interacted with other systems. These resulting prototypes can lead to weeks of wasted effort only to create bigger issues than they resolved. This step-designing the solution is what separates game design from ideation. When you begin the process of designing solutions you should follow three steps.

Ask yourself, “What problem am I trying to solve?"

Never forget that this is the number-one question to keep in mind when designing. It's surprisingly easy to lose sight of this goal and the other goals you've built.

Understand the complexity of what you're thinking of adding to the game.

Is this idea a rule, mechanic, or system and how will it interactwith the other rules mechanics, and systems that already exist in the game?

• New rules can end up clashing with existing rules or altering how mechanics and systems function.
• New mechanics need to fit into existing systems and loops without creating holes. Make sure each connection makes sense, especially if a new mechanic is replacing an old mechanic.
• New systems can do the most damage and generally require the most development time typically because they require a host of additional rules and mechanics to be added. All of these added rules and mechanics must work in harmony while bridging to existing systems in the game.

Again, the goal is to understand the idea's complexity and to identify the primary systems and mechanics the new design will interact with. Don't worry yet about all the secondary interactions that aren't related to the problem or your goals. It can take a while to fully design a feature and fill all the holes. We don't want to go too far until we've proven the main components of the design are successful via prototyping and testing.

Design the gameplay experience in a quick, easily presentable format.

This is where we finally plan how fantasy, mechanics, rules, systems, challenge and the player's goal all come together within our gameplay loops. Each designer will have their own approach in how to bring all of these together depending on their priorities and the focus of the game.

Every design must start somewhere. There is no wrong approach and the more we allow every designer to embrace their own perspective, the more success we'll see in the designs.

• Do you prefer to start with a focus on the player experience?
• Do you start with the emotions you want to push?
• How does this new design fit into the overall game
  structure or loops?
• What does it add to the long-term player goals?
• What challenges will the player use this design to overcome?