Max Nichols' Game Design blog
In the first article, I discussed game design patterns, and called them the brushstrokes of game design. In the second article I discussed game genres, and described how they were organic groupings of design patterns that had, over time, been given names. In the third article I discussed game design choices, and how we make them.
It’s time to finally talk about what a personal game design aesthetic is!
Let’s talk about making choices. Full-time game designers typically make hundreds of choices every day. Most are tiny, some are more substantial. Most are made unconsciously or with only a second of thought, and most of the rest are decided quickly. These quick daily decisions are the engine of our game design aesthetic: they showcase it and refine it.
We can all list genres of games: FPS, action-adventure, roguelike, otome, hidden object, and so on. When someone uses these terms we (mostly) know what they mean, and they help to quickly summarize a lot of information. Developers use them as shortcuts to answer a lot of design questions, retailers and award shows use them to categorize, gamers use them to describe games to their friends, marketing uses them to set expectations. Everyone loves to argue about where exactly to draw the lines between them.
As a game designer, maybe you’ve got some high-level goals for a [system/level/feature], but how you achieve them is a blank slate. Too blank.
Earlier in my career this meant undirected brainstorming until something clicked. Agonizing.
Here’s my top-down strategy for this kind of brainstorming.
For years I’ve pondered a paradox:
1) The fact that crunch is poisonous to creative work.
2) The fact that many of my favorite games were made with crunch.
My answer:
Crunch allows a team to naively reach a crucial creative state, at high personal cost.
It can be reached without crunch.
A team can get really paralyzed waiting for things to be Decided™.
One of the most valuable things a senior can do on a team during production is make quick decisions to “put stakes in the ground” even on topics that are not yet 100% confirmed or aligned, and then document/broadcast those decisions.
Sometimes there are big unknowns or a lot of things that still need to fall into place, and while waiting, team members are blocked, or feel unsure, or like they need to make Plans A, B, C.
Cut the Gordian Knot: make a call and let people keep moving.
“What’s your number one personal game design principle? And even better – does it have a cool name?”
The best games are made by centering the humans making them.
I thought about my answer to this for a few hours today, some folks may have seen me post and delete some replies, hahah.
But if I need just one? That truly encapsulates all my #1 priorities? This is it.
A drum I want to beat:
Overwork starts with management and planning, but half of why it happens is team culture.
Nobody has more impact on team culture than senior team members and lower-middle managers
If you are in the trenches and someone folks look to, then your example defines team culture.
After 9 years–fully half of my adult life–I was let go from Bungie this morning, along with MANY other amazing folks.
Getting to work on a game like this, where I made and helped make experiences that are enjoyed by millions of people, was a huge privilege.
But I don’t want to leave this off with a simple “it was a privilege, thank you Bungie”.
Unicorn Overlord’s Tactics (unit AI) system is a masterstroke of systems design.
It elevates the game far beyond just being the spiritual successor to Ogre Battle that it seemed at first, and catapults every element to greater heights.
I am intrigued by the way that younger players from outside the core “AAA” gaming bubble seem to respond super well to games that are… social, lofi, watchable, and “janky”.
Lethal Company, Palworld, everything in Roblox, Five Nights at Freddy’s, even Minecraft.
The “janky” part is the most interesting bit to me. Why is this appealing, why does it work well for this audience in particular?
This week let’s talk about an important skill: Prioritization.
In a large studio environment, the ability to prioritize –
triage – every task or problem that comes your way is crucial, especially if
you’re in a role where you may be randomized or need to react to sudden pivots,
changes, or requests.
Let’s do some quick vocabulary. These are all terms that we use at Bungie. I can’t promise that they use these same definitions everywhere, but they’ll help us talk about these concepts: