A Game Design Vocabulary: Exploring the Foundational Principles Behind Good Game Design

Master the Principles and Vocabulary of Game Design

Why arent videogames getting better? Why does it feel like were playing the same games, over and over again? Why arent games helping us transform our lives, like great music, books, and movies do?

The problem is language. We still dont know how to talk about game design. We cant share our visions. We forget what works (and doesnt). We dont learn from history. Its too hard to improve.

The breakthrough starts here. A Game Design Vocabulary gives us the complete game design framework we desperately needwhether we create games, study them, review them, or build businesses on them.

Craft amazing experiences. Anna Anthropy and Naomi Clark share foundational principles, examples, and exercises that help you create great player experiences…complement intuition with design discipline…and craft games that succeed brilliantly on every level. Liberate yourself from stale clichés and genres Tell great stories: go way beyond cutscenes and text dumps Control the crucial relationships between game verbs and objects Wield the full power of development, conflict, climax, and resolution Shape scenes, pacing, and player choices Deepen context via art, animation, music, and sound Help players discover, understand, engage, and talk back to you Effectively use resistance and difficulty: the push and pull of games Design holistically: integrate visuals, audio, and controls Communicate a design vision everyone can understand