Game Design

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AI is transforming game design in numerous ways, enhancing both the creative and technical sides of development. Overall, AI is set to push the boundaries of creativity and efficiency in game design, making games more personalized, immersive, and expansive. As AI tools advance, game development will likely become increasingly collaborative, allowing designers to focus on creativity while AI handles procedural, adaptive, and responsive aspects of gameplay. Here are some key areas where AI is making an impact today and how it could shape the future of game design:

• Procedural Content Generation (PCG): AI algorithms can generate new game levels, characters, and storylines automatically, making games more dynamic and scalable. Games like *Minecraft* and *No Man’s Sky* use procedural generation to create vast, explorable worlds without developers manually crafting each element. PCG not only enhances replayability but also reduces development costs and time. In the future, AI-driven PCG may enable fully customized game experiences based on individual player preferences, creating unique worlds that adapt to how players interact with the game.

• Adaptive and Personalized Gameplay: AI is increasingly used to analyze player behavior and adapt the game to suit individual skill levels or preferences. For example, in *Left 4 Dead*, AI adjusts enemy difficulty and spawn rates to create a balanced challenge. AI can also personalize narratives, making the game storyline unfold differently depending on player choices, as seen in interactive story games like *Detroit: Become Human*. Looking ahead, AI-driven personalization might extend further, allowing games to learn from player habits over time, offering an experience tailored to each player’s strengths, weaknesses, and even moods.

• Non-Player Characters (NPCs) and Improved AI Behavior: NPCs have become more lifelike thanks to AI, enhancing immersion and complexity. Modern games use AI to give NPCs realistic, context-aware behavior, such as reacting to the player’s actions and the game environment. *The Last of Us Part II*, for instance, uses advanced AI for enemies and allies, enabling them to communicate and strategize in real time. Future developments could lead to NPCs that remember player interactions over multiple sessions or even across different games, creating a deeper, ongoing relationship between players and characters.

• Automated Testing and Quality Assurance (QA): Game testing is labor-intensive, but AI can automate bug detection and playtesting. Machine learning models are being trained to recognize potential glitches, graphical errors, and other issues faster than human testers. This accelerates the development process and reduces costs associated with manual QA. In the future, AI testing tools could evolve to predict and address player frustrations by simulating real user behavior, catching issues that would impact gameplay enjoyment and balancing.

• Narrative Generation and Interactive Storytelling: AI can also generate dialogue, plot twists, and branching storylines dynamically, creating more interactive and complex storytelling. Tools like OpenAI’s GPT models have been used to generate contextually relevant responses, allowing game writers to co-create with AI. AI-driven storytelling could eventually create interactive novels or RPGs that adapt narratives in real time based on player choices and emotional cues. As AI continues to evolve, it may become capable of crafting entire story arcs and dialogue that align seamlessly with a player’s past choices, making narratives feel more personal and responsive.

• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Integration: AI is essential in AR and VR, where it helps render realistic environments and respond to user movements. AI can manage object interaction, track movements in real time, and adjust experiences based on user focus and behavior. Future applications might include virtual game worlds that adapt as players move through them, creating an experience that feels like a living, responsive environment.

• Game Design Assistance and Prototyping: AI tools are also assisting game designers with prototyping and brainstorming, helping them visualize concepts rapidly. For example, tools like Unity’s AI-assisted tools can suggest assets or mechanics based on project requirements. This enables faster iteration during early development phases and allows designers to experiment without extensive programming knowledge.

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Identify the fun, incentivize the fun. - Peter C. Hayward

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Craft Fundamentals

Enjoying Games

People often buy and enjoy games based on three key elements:

• theme
• mechanics
• components

These aspects play a crucial role in shaping gameplay, player engagement, and strategy, catering to varied preferences and play styles. Whether drawn to the immersive narratives of thematic games or the strategic depth of abstract games, players are ultimately guided by how these three elements resonate with their gaming desires.

In the realm of tabletop gaming, several unique components play pivotal roles in shaping the experience. Dice are essential, introducing an element of chance that can dramatically influence outcomes. Figures, often intricately designed miniatures or tokens, represent players or characters, adding visual and thematic depth to gameplay. Transparent sleeves offer an intriguing advantage; not only do they protect cards and enhance their longevity, ensuring that the game can be enjoyed for years to come, but they also allow players to easily identify card states. For instance, players can use different colored sleeves or organize cards by their condition, indicating whether they are in play, discarded, or yet to be drawn. Tokens serve as versatile pieces that represent resources or points, while game boards often feature intricate paths or grids that dictate player movement and strategy. Player boards provide individual spaces for managing resources and actions, fostering a sense of personal strategy. Together, these components create a rich tapestry of interaction and engagement, making each gaming session a unique adventure.

Game Types: Thematic vs. Abstract

Understanding the different types of games can significantly enhance the player experience. Two prominent categories that often emerge in discussions are thematic games and abstract games. Each type offers a unique approach to gameplay, player engagement, and strategy, catering to varied preferences and play styles.

• Thematic Games
  • Definition: Thematic games are designed around a specific narrative or setting, where gameplay mechanics closely align with the theme. These games often immerse players in a rich story and utilize components that reflect the thematic elements of the game world.
  • Examples: Catan, Gloomhaven, Twilight Imperium
  • Key Elements: Narrative Focus: Strong storytelling and thematic coherence enhance player immersion. Component Design: Artwork, components, and mechanics reflect the game’s theme, contributing to the overall experience. Player Engagement: Players often feel a connection to the game world, influencing their decisions and strategies. Varied Objectives: Gameplay often includes different goals that align with the theme, such as completing quests or achieving specific thematic objectives.

• Abstract Games
  • Definition: Abstract games are characterized by their focus on strategic gameplay without a specific theme or narrative context. They often feature simple rules and mechanics, emphasizing pure strategy and player interaction over thematic elements.
  • Examples: Chess, Go, Azul
  • Key Elements: Strategic Depth: Emphasis on tactics and decision-making, with players often engaging in direct competition. Minimal Theme: The absence of a strong narrative allows for a focus on mechanics and player interaction. Simple Components: Typically features straightforward components (e.g., boards, pieces, cards) that highlight the gameplay rather than a story. High Replayability: The lack of thematic constraints often leads to varied gameplay experiences, encouraging strategic experimentation and exploration.

Mechanics

Mechanics shape how the game is played and what strategies are possible. Each mechanic brings unique strategic layers and possibilities, making them the foundation of diverse and engaging game designs. These mechanics can be mixed and matched, leading to complex and engaging gameplay experiences where players can experiment with various strategies and interactions. Each mechanic brings unique dynamics to a game, influencing everything from player choices to the flow and tension of the gameplay. Here are some popular mechanics:

• Engine Building
  • Definition: Engine building involves creating a system or "engine" within the game that allows for increasingly efficient actions or resource generation, often allowing a player to accelerate their strategy.
  • Examples: Terraforming Mars, Wingspan, Splendor
  • Key Elements: These games are typically about compounding benefits, where players start with limited resources but build toward a point where their engine produces rewards efficiently.

• Worker Placement
  • Definition: Players place "workers" (tokens) on specific spots on the board to claim actions or resources. Once a space is occupied, others might not be able to use it until the next round.
  • Examples: Agricola, Lords of Waterdeep, Viticulture
  • Key Elements: Strategic choices on which spots to claim are critical, as timing and competition for limited resources or actions shape the game’s outcome.

• Drafting
  • Definition: Players choose items (cards, tiles, etc.) from a limited selection in turns, which limits others’ options while allowing players to shape their hand or resources strategically. Drafting often involves choosing items from a shared pool, either one at a time or based on specific criteria, allowing players to tailor resources or abilities.
  • Examples: 7 Wonders, Terraforming Mars, Isle of Cats, Blood Rage, Magic: The Gathering, UNO, Exploding Kittens.
  • Key Elements: Drafting requires balancing immediate needs with long-term goals while considering opponents’ likely choices. Random chance, planning based on new draws, often introduces randomness to strategy, reshaping plans with new information.

• Push Your Luck
  • Definition: Players take risks to try and maximize their rewards, but they may lose it all if they push too far.
  • Examples: Can’t Stop, Incan Gold, Port Royal, Pickomino
  • Key Elements: Players must balance risk and reward, knowing when to stop before losing everything they've accumulated.

• Deck Building
  • Definition: In deck-building games, players start with a small, weak deck of cards and improve it over time by acquiring new cards that get shuffled into their deck.
  • Examples: Dominion, Clank!, Ascension
  • Key Elements: Resource management (such as money or actions) is crucial to buying better cards, and deck management strategies are often needed to keep the deck balanced.

• Bag and Pool Building
  • Definition: Players draw from a randomized set of resources (like tokens or cards) that they have chosen to place in a pool or bag. As the game progresses, they add, remove, or alter items in this pool to improve their odds of drawing beneficial pieces.
  • Examples: Orléans, Quacks of Quedlinburg, Undaunted series.
  • Key Elements: Random draws, customizable resource pool, strategic decisions on what to add/remove, management of risk vs. reward in draws.

• Set Collection
  • Definition: In set collection games, players try to gather specific groups or combinations of items, often to complete objectives or earn points.
  • Examples: Ticket to Ride, Rummy, Sushi Go!, Pickomino
  • Key Elements: Efficiently acquiring the right cards or items to complete sets, while often competing with others for limited resources or pieces, adds depth.

• Tableau Building
  • Definition: Players build a collection or "tableau" of cards or items in front of them, typically to unlock abilities or accumulate resources.
  • Examples: 7 Wonders, Race for the Galaxy, Terraforming Mars
  • Key Elements: Success depends on assembling an efficient and synergistic tableau that enhances the player’s capabilities or point generation.

• Hand Management and Optimization
  • Definition: Players optimize their hand of cards or resources, deciding the best way to use them based on their goals or constraints. Players are limited by the cards or resources in their hand and must decide how and when to use them effectively to maximize their impact or mitigate loss.
  • Examples: Race for the Galaxy, Ark Nova, 7 Wonders Duel, 7 Wonders, The Crew
  • Key Elements: Strategic planning and timing of actions, often managing a limited number of options, while considering what others might play - balancing between short-term gain and setting up for future opportunities.

• Trick-Taking
  • Definition: Players aim to win specific rounds or "tricks" by playing cards of the highest value or in specific sequences.
  • Examples: Hearts, Spades, The Crew
  • Key Elements: Players must balance taking or avoiding tricks, reading opponents' intentions, and strategically playing cards to gain points or avoid penalties.

• Pattern Recognition
  • Definition: Identifying patterns within game elements, which may involve spotting sequences, sets, or hidden clues.
  • Examples: Set, Spot It!, Qwirkle.
  • Key Elements: Speed of recognition, visual acuity, ability to spot sequences or similarities quickly, often real**time competition.

• Matching
  • Definition: Players look for identical or complementary items, often connecting or collecting them to achieve points or objectives.
  • Examples: Go Fish, Memory, Azul.
  • Key Elements: Recognition of patterns, speed (in some cases), memory, sometimes a race to collect sets or pairs.

• Pattern Building
  • Definition: Players arrange components (tiles, cards, tokens) into specific patterns to score points or achieve objectives.
  • Examples: Azul, Sagrada, Patchwork, Blokus
  • Key Elements: Requires spatial planning, foresight, and occasionally blocking opponents from forming their patterns.

• Pattern Movement
  • Definition: Moving pieces on the board in specific patterns to accomplish goals, often avoiding obstacles or optimizing paths.
  • Examples: Onitama, RoboRally, Hive.
  • Key Elements: Planning movement sequences, anticipating opponent moves, spatial reasoning, managing piece movement constraints.

• I Cut, You Choose
  • Definition: One player divides a resource (cards, points, etc.), and another player chooses their preferred portion. This ensures both players get a say in the outcome.
  • Examples: Piece o’ Cake, New York Slice, Straw.
  • Key Elements: Fair division strategy, incentive to make balanced cuts, equalizing player control over resources, decision tension.

• Tile Placement
  • Definition: Players place tiles on a board to build patterns, complete objectives, or create strategic positions.
  • Examples: Carcassonne, Azul, Suburbia
  • Key Elements: Spatial awareness and long-term planning are crucial, as each tile must fit within the larger game strategy.

• Area Control / Area Influence
  • Definition: Players compete to control areas of the board, often by having the most units or influence in a region. Controlling an area usually grants victory points or other benefits.
  • Examples: Risk, El Grande, Blood Rage
  • Key Elements: Balancing aggression, strategic positioning, and timing, since direct confrontation with other players is common.

• Mind-Mapping
  • Definition: Players create a visual or conceptual map to connect ideas, tasks, or strategies, often used to solve complex problems or generate creative solutions.
  • Examples: Concept, Mysterium (to some extent with visual clues)
  • Key Elements: Encourages creative thinking and abstract reasoning, as players must draw connections between seemingly unrelated elements to achieve objectives or solve puzzles.

• Network / Route Building
  • Definition: Players build connections between locations, aiming to create efficient routes or networks on the board.
  • Examples: Ticket to Ride, Brass, Tsuro
  • Key Elements: Strategic placement and competition for limited spaces are crucial, with players optimizing routes to control regions or maximize resource delivery.

• Point-to-Point Movement
  • Definition: Movement is restricted to specific points or connections between points, limiting players to paths or networks. Players create connected paths or networks across the game board, often for efficiency, resource collection, or strategic advantage.
  • Examples: Ticket to Ride, Brass: Birmingham, Power Grid
  • Key Elements: Careful planning of movement or route-building is essential, as players navigate a network that often grows tighter over time.trategic placement and connection of routes are crucial, as players often try to maximize points, connect key locations, or block opponents.

• Pick-up and Deliver
  • Definition: Players pick up items from one location and deliver them to another to gain points or rewards.
  • Examples: Merchants & Marauders, Firefly: The Game, Merchants of Venus, Wasteland Express Delivery Service
  • Key Elements: Route planning, balancing risks and rewards, resource management, efficient delivery strategy.

• Hidden Movement
  • Definition: Some players move in secret, while others try to track or locate them, creating tension and strategy around hidden information.
  • Examples: Scotland Yard, Letters from Whitechapel, Fury of Dracula
  • Key Elements: Stealth, deduction, and timing are central, with pursuers attempting to predict or deduce where the hidden player might be.

• Hidden Roles
  • Definition: Players have secret identities or roles that influence their actions and objectives, leading to deduction and social interaction.
  • Examples: Werewolf, The Resistance, Secret Hitler
  • Key Elements: Players must deduce others' roles while concealing their own, adding layers of strategy and deception.

• Hidden Goals / Objectives
  • Definition: Players receive secret objectives to complete, often earning points or bonuses for achieving them without revealing their intent.
  • Examples: Scythe, Lords of Waterdeep, Clank!
  • Key Elements: Encourages players to work subtly toward their goals, potentially misleading others or disguising their strategies.

• Secret Unit Deployment
  • Definition: Players place units secretly, revealing their positions later to surprise or mislead opponents.
  • Examples: Root, Cyclades, Memoir ’44.
  • Key Elements: Hidden information, strategic placement, surprise or deception, often leads to bluffing or outguessing opponents.

• Programming
  • Definition: Players plan a series of moves in advance, which are then executed in sequence, often leading to unexpected interactions and outcomes.
  • Examples: Robo Rally, Colt Express, Mechs vs. Minions
  • Key Elements: Anticipating opponents' moves and accounting for chaos is key, as players must balance flexibility with calculated risk. Anticipating opponents and maintaining flexibility are essential, as the sequence often creates unintended interactions and requires adaptive thinking.

• Rule Modification
  • Definition: a game mechanic where players have the ability to change, add, or remove rules during gameplay encouraging creativity and adaptability, allowing players to influence the structure of the game and tailor the experience to their preferences or strategies. One twist, the game encourages players to bend rules and play creatively and adapting its gameplay through informal, flexible rules.
  • Examples: Fluxx, We Didn’t Playtest This at All, The Metagame
  • Key Elements: Empowering players to make choices about the rules fosters engagement and investment in the game - with players able to alter rules can lead to unpredictable and varied game sessions, enhancing replayability.

• Action Selection / Rondel System
  • Definition: Players select actions from a limited set, often following a sequence or cycle (a "rondel") where each action space is only accessible at certain times.
  • Examples: Concordia, Trajan, Navegador
  • Key Elements: Timing and anticipation are key, as players often need to plan multiple turns in advance to maximize their moves within the constraints of the rondel.

• Action Queue / Action Selection
  • Definition: Players plan out a series of actions in advance, but the order of actions can change based on other players’ actions or game events.
  • Examples: Robo Rally, Colt Express, Mechs vs. Minions
  • Key Elements: Players must anticipate their opponents' moves and adapt their plans dynamically, creating a layer of strategic depth and potential chaos.

• Simultaneous Action Selection
  • Definition: All players secretly choose their actions and then reveal them at the same time, creating a mix of planning and unpredictability.
  • Examples: Puerto Rico, Galaxy Trucker, Captain Sonar
  • Key Elements: Balancing prediction of others' choices with careful planning is crucial, as each reveal can lead to unexpected conflicts or synergies.

• Racing
  • Definition: The objective is to reach a target or complete a set of requirements before opponents. Victory is typically awarded to the first player or team to finish, rather than based on points accumulated over time. This mechanism encourages fast, optimized decisions and may involve multiple approaches to reach the goal..
  • Examples: Snow Tails, The Really Nasty Horse Racing Game, The Quest for El Dorado, Formula One
  • Key Elements: Goal-Oriented Victory: Players compete to complete objectives before others, such as reaching a location, gathering resources, or fulfilling specific conditions. Time Pressure; the game may incorporate limited resources or actions per turn, driving urgency in decision-making. Players might hinder others' progress or use strategies to boost their own position while slowing down competitors.

• Race Against Time
  • Definition: Players must complete tasks or achieve objectives within a limited timeframe, adding urgency to gameplay. Actions are taken within a set time limit, adding pressure and encouraging quick decision-making.
  • Examples: Escape: The Curse of the Temple, Captain Sonar, 5-Minute Dungeon
  • Key Elements: Speed and rapid planning are vital, as players must think quickly, often making trade-offs or coordinating under time pressure as players balance speed with strategy.

• Catch the Leader
  • Definition: Mechanics are in place to prevent a single player from getting too far ahead, allowing others to stay competitive.
  • Example: Mario Kart (blue shell), Monopoly (when players collect rent from opponents)
  • Key Elements: Balance, player competition, game pacing.

• Time Track / Turn Order Manipulation
  • Definition: Players take turns according to a timeline, with actions costing variable time units. Players spend "time" as a resource, with their position on a time track determining turn order and allowing for tactical choices. e.g. whoever is furthest back on the track takes the next turn, even if it's consecutive.
  • Examples: Patchwork, Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar, Thebes, Tokaido
  • Key Elements: Efficiently managing time costs is key, as players must balance short actions with high-value moves while maximizing turns.

• Time Travel Mechanics
  • Definition: Players can manipulate time within the game, allowing them to revisit previous turns or alter past actions to affect the current game state.
  • Examples: Chrononauts, That Time You Killed Me, Time Stories, The Big Book of Madness
  • Key Elements: This mechanism introduces complex strategic planning, as players must consider the consequences of their time manipulation and how it impacts both their own strategies and those of their opponents.

• Action Point Allowance System
  • Definition: Players are given a set number of action points to spend on their turn, choosing from a range of possible actions.
  • Examples: Tikal, Pandemic, Arkham Horror
  • Key Elements: Requires players to make strategic trade-offs, as they often can't do everything they want in a single turn.

• Investment / Economic Management
  • Definition: Players invest in assets or resources with fluctuating values, managing funds to maximize profits.
  • Examples: Acquire, Power Grid, Stockpile
  • Key Elements: Financial risk management, market forecasting, and timing are key, as players must decide when to invest, sell, or hold assets.

• Resource Management
  • Definition: Players must carefully manage limited resources like money, materials, or energy, making trade-offs to achieve their goals effectively.
  • Examples: Catan, Puerto Rico, Power Grid
  • Key Elements: Decision-making about when and how to spend resources often drives the game, and shortages or bottlenecks require planning and adaptability.

• Resource Conversion
  • Definition: Players convert resources from one type to another, often enhancing their capabilities or enabling new actions in the process.
  • Examples: Agricola, Stone Age, The Castles of Burgundy
  • Key Elements: Efficiently managing and converting resources is essential, as players must balance immediate needs with long-term strategies.

• Auction / Bidding
  • Definition: Players bid or compete in auctions to acquire resources, items, or actions, with the highest bid typically winning but at a cost.
    • • English Auction: Players bid progressively higher amounts.
      • Dutch Auction: Starts high and decreases until someone claims the bid.
      • Blind Bidding: Players submit bids secretly, with the highest winning.
  • Examples: Power Grid, Ra, Modern Art, The Estates
  • Key Elements: Balancing the amount of resources spent versus their value and understanding how much competitors may be willing to pay is essential. Understanding the value of resources and managing risk within an auction format adds dynamic competition to resource acquisition.

• Negotiation / Trading
  • Definition: Players negotiate terms, trade resources, or form alliances to gain advantages, often leading to shifting dynamics in the game.
  • Examples: Catan, Chinatown, Cosmic Encounter
  • Key Elements: Players must balance persuasion, deal-making, and trust, as the outcome can depend on forming and breaking alliances or agreements.

• Bluffing / Social Deduction
  • Definition: Players try to deceive or deduce information from each other, often hiding their true intentions or identities.
  • Examples: Werewolf, The Resistance, Secret Hitler
  • Key Elements: Emphasizes reading opponents, strategic deception, and sometimes alliances, adding a psychological layer to the game.

• Deduction
  • Definition: Players use clues to logically deduce hidden information or outcomes. This often involves eliminating possibilities to narrow down the answer.
  • Examples: Clue, Deception: Murder in Hong Kong, Cryptid.
  • Key Elements: Logical reasoning, observation, elimination of possibilities, often involves a hidden answer or secret that players reveal progressively.

• Deduction - Visual Investigation
  • Definition: Players study detailed illustrations or maps to uncover clues and solve mysteries. These games typically require players to find hidden objects, track characters, and connect visual evidence to piece together stories or solve puzzles. The goal is to use observation skills and deductive reasoning to solve a series of cases or mysteries.
  • Examples: MicroMacro: Crime City, Where’s Waldo?
  • Key Elements: These games often feature large, densely packed illustrations with numerous characters, objects, and events that contribute clues. Players need to carefully observe the scene, looking for hidden details, patterns, or character paths to connect the dots in each case. Each game or scenario typically has a narrative element, with players piecing together events or character motives as they uncover clues. Beyond simple object-finding, players use deduction to interpret clues, determine character actions, and construct a timeline of events. Players explore freely, analyzing the scene and clues in any order. This allows for open-ended problem-solving and exploration.

• Induction
  • Definition: Players make educated guesses and formulate rules or patterns based on observed data, testing and refining hypotheses.
  • Examples: Mastermind, Alchemists.
  • Key Elements: Formulating patterns from observations, testing hypotheses, adapting to new information, refining guesses.

• Risk Management
  • Definition: Players must make decisions based on assessing risks and potential rewards, often involving gambling mechanics or uncertain outcomes.
  • Examples: The King’s Dilemma, The Mind, High Society
  • Key Elements: Players weigh the benefits of taking risks against the potential costs, fostering a dynamic and often tense decision-making environment.

• Memory
  • Definition: Players must remember information revealed earlier in the game to make strategic choices later on.
  • Examples: Memoir '44, Hanabi, Concentration
  • Key Elements: Recall and strategic planning are crucial as players try to remember hidden or revealed elements to optimize future decisions.

• Push-Pull Dynamics
  • Definition: Players compete to shift a marker or control in opposite directions along a track, with the aim of bringing it entirely into their own territory.
  • Examples: Star Wars: Rebellion, 13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis, Watergate, Tug of War, Balance of Power
  • Key Elements: Players must balance offense and defense, often pushing and pulling for control in a high-stakes setting.

• Multi-Objective Scoring
  • Definition: Players earn points in a variety of ways, allowing flexibility in strategy and rewarding different play styles.
  • Examples: Point Salad, Castles of Burgundy, Scythe
  • Key Elements: Players have diverse options to score, requiring them to balance immediate gains with long-term point potential across multiple areas.

• Multi-Use Cards
  • Definition: Each card can serve multiple purposes, giving players flexibility in how they use them (e.g., as currency, resources, or actions).
  • Examples: Race for the Galaxy, Innovation, Glory to Rome
  • Key Elements: Players must make strategic decisions about how to use each card, often balancing competing needs for different functions.

• Sandbox
  • Definition: Players are given a large degree of freedom to explore, make choices, and pursue their own objectives within the game world. Unlike games with structured objectives or linear progression, sandbox games are often open-ended, encouraging creativity, experimentation, and player agency.
  • Examples: Western Legends, Minecraft, The Sims, Animal Crossing: New Horizons
  • Key Elements: Sandbox games typically have no single, overarching objective. Players can set their own goals or simply explore. Players have control over their actions, decisions, and how they engage with the game world; offer a world or environment that encourages exploration and discovery, with hidden elements or features that reward curiosity.

• Scenario-Based
  • Definition: Games include unique scenarios or missions, each with distinct rules, objectives, or winning conditions.
  • Examples: Gloomhaven, Mansions of Madness, Arkham Horror
  • Key Elements: Each scenario adds variety and replayability, often requiring players to adapt to new rules or storylines in each playthrough.

• Dice Pool Management
  • Definition: Players roll and manage a pool of dice, using results to take actions or achieve objectives.
  • Examples: Roll for the Galaxy, Quarriors!, King of Tokyo
  • Key Elements: Managing luck and strategy as players allocate dice to maximize efficiency, sometimes needing to reroll or sacrifice dice to optimize outcomes.

• Simulation
  • Definition: Players engage in games that simulate real-world scenarios, systems, or experiences.
  • Examples: SimCity: The Card Game, Twilight Struggle
  • Key Elements: Understanding the mechanics of the simulated environment often requires strategic thinking and long-term planning.

• Market / Economic
  • Definition: Players buy and sell items or manage an economy within the game, with prices fluctuating based on supply and demand.
  • Examples: Food Chain Magnate, Brass, Monopoly
  • Key Elements: Timing, resource allocation, and predicting opponent actions are critical, as players must adapt to changing market conditions.

• Stacking / Building Structures
  • Definition: Players construct towers or structures by stacking or arranging game pieces, with stability and precision being vital.
  • Examples: Rhino Hero, Junk Art, Menara
  • Key Elements: Spatial awareness, dexterity, and balancing skills are needed, as players carefully position pieces without toppling structures.

• Modular Board
  • Definition: The game board changes or is arranged differently each time, providing varied experiences and strategies.
  • Examples: Catan, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Carcassonne, Eclipse
  • Key Elements: The modular setup creates new strategies in every game, requiring players to adapt as the board evolves based on their actions.

• Narrative / Story Progression
  • Definition: The game progresses through a series of events or narrative points, with the story influencing gameplay and player choices affecting future events. The game may include random events or scenarios that change the gameplay each time, influencing player strategies and outcomes.
  • Examples: Forgotten Waters, Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective, Tales of the Arabian Nights, Gloomhaven
  • Key Elements: Immersive storytelling with player-driven outcomes, where decisions influence the game’s direction and players shape the story. Players must adapt to new challenges and opportunities presented by these events, fostering replayability and unpredictability.

• Grid Movement
  • Definition: Players move their pieces across a grid, often with limitations on direction or range, to achieve goals, capture pieces, or control regions.
  • Examples: Chess, Onitama, Tsuro
  • Key Elements: Strategic positioning and spatial awareness are crucial as players plan moves to optimize position and block or counter opponents.

• Majority Control / Influence
  • Definition: Players aim to have the most influence in specific regions or over specific elements in the game, often for points or control benefits.
  • Examples: El Grande, Small World, Ethnos
  • Key Elements: Balancing when to invest resources to gain control while keeping an eye on opponents’ actions, as majority bonuses can sway game outcomes.

• Technology Tree / Tech Progression
  • Definition: Players unlock advancements or new abilities by progressing along a technology tree or skill path, enhancing their options as the game goes on.
  • Examples: Sid Meier's Civilization, Eclipse, Through the Ages
  • Key Elements: Balancing immediate needs with long-term investments is key, as each advancement opens new strategic possibilities and boosts capabilities.

• Survival
  • Definition: Players face resource scarcity and challenging conditions, focusing on keeping their character or group alive while achieving objectives.
  • Examples: Robinson Crusoe, Dead of Winter, This War of Mine
  • Key Elements: Resource management and risk mitigation are crucial as players often face tough choices to balance immediate needs with long-term survival.

• Puzzle Solving
  • Definition: Players solve puzzles or riddles as part of the gameplay, often tied to advancing the storyline or unlocking key components.
  • Examples: Exit: The Game, Escape Room Games, Unlock!, Chronicles of Crime, Unlock!
  • Key Elements: Problem-solving and critical thinking are central, requiring players to combine clues, observe patterns, or decode messages to succeed.

• Resource Production and Upkeep
  • Definition: Players produce resources at set intervals (such as each round or turn), but they may also need to pay upkeep costs to maintain those resources.
  • Examples: Through the Ages, Gaia Project, Civilization
  • Key Elements: Balancing production, managing costs, and planning for future expenses require efficient and forward-thinking gameplay.

• Roll and Write / Flip and Write
  • Definition: Players roll dice or flip cards, then use the result to mark off or fill in a sheet, often aiming to complete patterns or sets.
  • Examples: Welcome To..., Ganz Schön Clever, Railroad Ink
  • Key Elements****: Players make quick, tactical choices as they aim to maximize points with limited options, often adapting to randomness.

• Advantage Token
  • Definition: A token or marker that gives a player a benefit or advantage, often temporary, which can be spent or traded.
  • Example: Terraforming Mars (first player to complete a milestone)
  • Key Elements: Resource advantage, limited use, competition for token.

• Acting
  • Definition: Players use physical or verbal mimicry to communicate clues or perform actions, often without directly stating the answer or intention.
  • Example: Charades, Dixit
  • Key Elements: Improvisation, non-verbal communication, creativity.

• Drawing and Guessing
  • Definition: Players draw images to convey a word, phrase, or concept for teammates or opponents to guess within a limited timeframe. These games rely on quick thinking, creativity, and interpretation, often with humorous results due to the abstract nature of drawings.
  • Examples: Pictionary, A Fake Artist Goes to New York, Telestrations
  • Key Elements: Creativity and quick thinking where players need to be able to visualize and quickly sketch ideas, sometimes simplifying complex concepts. Using their communication through art clearly enough for others to guess, despite time and artistic skill limitations. Guessers need to interpret incomplete or abstract drawings, often reading between the lines to deduce the intended concept.

• Singing / Music
  • Definition: Players sing or hum tunes as part of gameplay, often involving guessing or creativity.
  • Examples: Spontuneous, Encore, Name That Tune.
  • Key Elements: Creativity, music or rhythm knowledge, entertainment value, often humorous or light**hearted interaction.

• Voting
  • Definition: Players cast votes to influence game outcomes or decide player actions, often creating alliances or signaling intentions.
  • Examples: Survivor (board game), Werewolf, The Resistance.
  • Key Elements: Group decision**making, social dynamics, strategy in forming alliances, often creates tension and player influence over results.

• Player Judge
  • Definition: A player judges responses or actions of other players, often in creative or humor**based games.
  • Examples: Apples to Apples, Cards Against Humanity, Superfight.
  • Key Elements: Subjective decision**making, player creativity, aligning responses to the judge’s tastes, encourages social interaction.

• Words / Terms / Spelling
  • Definition: Players create, spell, or guess words to score points or meet objectives.
  • Examples: Scrabble, Boggle, Codenames.
  • Key Elements: Vocabulary, word**building, spelling accuracy, creativity in word use, often involves both skill and knowledge.

• Fantasy Team / League
  • Definition: Participants form a team by selecting real-life players from professional sports leagues. These players’ real-world performances contribute to the participant’s fantasy team score. Participants typically compete in a league of other players, with weekly head-to-head matchups or season-long points accumulation to determine standings and, ultimately, league champions.
  • Examples: Fantasy Sport Leagues; football, baseball, basketball, cricket
  • Key Elements: Drafting players as season often starts with a draft where managers choose players. Scoring system where points are awarded based on real-life statistics. Roster management where managers make decisions about which players to start. Managers can trade players to strengthen their team or meet specific needs.

• Questions and Answers
  • Definition: Players ask and answer questions to advance in the game, with correct answers yielding rewards or progression.
  • Examples: Trivial Pursuit, Jeopardy!, Wits & Wagers.
  • Key Elements: Knowledge testing, player memory, often time**bound, sometimes involves bluffing or betting on answers.

• Dexterity / Physical Skill
  • Definition: Dexterity games require physical skill, often involving flicking, stacking, or balancing components.
  • Examples: Jenga, Flick 'em Up!, Rhino Hero
  • Key Elements: Coordination, control, and hand-eye precision are essential, as actions impact the game directly through physical interaction. Adds a tactile, skill-based layer, where players need steady hands, quick reflexes, or strategic placement.

• Alliances
  • Definition: Players form temporary or permanent partnerships to achieve a common goal, often with the potential for betrayal.
  • Example: Diplomacy, Game of Thrones: The Board Game, Who's the Boss
  • Key Elements: Negotiation, strategy alignment, potential conflict.

• Campaign / Battle Card Driven
  • Definition: Card play is central to gameplay, often defining player actions, battles, or story progression.
  • Example: Twilight Struggle, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game
  • Key Elements: Card-based tactics, long-term strategy, story advancement.

• Asymmetric Abilities / Factions
  • Definition: Each player has different rules, abilities, or objectives, creating varied gameplay experiences within the same game.
  • Examples: Root, Scythe, Cosmic Encounter, Twilight Imperium
  • Key Elements: Players must understand their unique abilities and adapt their strategies while considering the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents.

• Variable Setup and Objectives
  • Definition: Each game session begins with different initial conditions or end goals, creating varied experiences and strategies.
  • Examples: Scythe, Robinson Crusoe, Eldritch Horror
  • Key Elements: Replayability is increased as players adapt to new objectives, and strategies must shift each game.

• Role Playing (RPG) / Role Selection / Variable Player Powers
  • Definition: Players select roles or powers that give them unique abilities, influencing how they interact with the game's systems and other players. layers assume fictional roles, making decisions and performing actions based on their characters’ abilities, motives, or traits.
  • Examples: Puerto Rico, Root, Cosmic Encounter, Vikings on Board, Dungeons & Dragons, Gloomhaven, Fiasco
  • Key Elements: Maximizing one’s role or power effectively is key, and understanding others' roles can provide strategic insight.

• Storytelling / Narrative Choices
  • Definition: Players make choices that affect the narrative of the game, often leading to branching storylines and character development.
  • Examples: Gloomhaven, Betrayal at House on the Hill, T.I.M.E Stories
  • Key Elements: Emphasis on immersion, story and character development, and consequences of actions that shape the overall experience and outcome.

• Progressive / Campaign Play
  • Definition: A series of games or scenarios that build on each other, with players carrying over elements like character development or resources.
  • Examples: Pandemic Legacy, Gloomhaven, The Campaign for North Africa
  • Key Elements: Long-term strategy is crucial, as decisions have lasting consequences, and players often evolve over multiple sessions.

• Progressive / Complexity
  • Definition: Games present a series of distinct challenges and objectives that evolve over multiple sessions, often tied together by an overarching narrative. Each scenario introduces unique rules, setups, and goals, providing players with a diverse gameplay experience that keeps them engaged and challenged.
  • Examples: That Time You Killed Me, Descent: Journeys in the Dark
  • Key Elements: New rules and mechanics are introduced gradually, allowing players to build on their understanding and skills over time, ensuring that the game remains accessible yet deep..

• Progressive / Legacy
  • Definition: Legacy games change over time, with permanent alterations to the board, components, or rules, carrying forward choices from session to session.
  • Examples: Pandemic Legacy, Risk Legacy, Charterstone
  • Key Elements: Emphasis on long-term strategy and choices, as players know that their actions will have ongoing consequences in future games.

• Variable Game End Conditions
  • Definition: The criteria for ending the game can change based on player actions or specific in-game events, leading to dynamic gameplay where players must adapt their strategies to shifting goals.
  • Examples: Cosmic Encounter, The End of the World, The King’s Dilemma
  • Key Elements: This mechanism adds unpredictability and strategic depth, as players must stay alert to changing conditions that could abruptly alter their paths to victory.

• End Game Bonuses
  • Definition: Players receive additional points at the end of the game based on certain criteria met during gameplay, which can significantly impact final scores.
  • Examples: Terraforming Mars, 7 Wonders, Viticulture.
  • Key Elements: Encourages long term strategies, rewards specific accomplishments or collections, often influences player choices toward endgame goals.

Modes of Play

Encompasses different gameplay dynamics that shape how players interact within a game. Each mode presents unique challenges and collaborative or competitive elements, influencing player experiences and strategies:

Competitive Play

• Definition: Players are motivated by the challenge of outsmarting or outmaneuvering their opponents, fostering excitement and dynamic interactions..
• Examples: Catan, Chess, Ticket to Ride, Forbidden Island
• Key Elements: Players strive to achieve specific objectives, whether that’s accumulating points, eliminating opponents, or completing tasks..

Cooperative Play

• Definition: Players work together to achieve a common goal or defeat the game itself, instead of competing against each other.
• Examples: Pandemic, Spirit Island, Forbidden Island
• Key Elements: Requires coordination, role specialization, and shared problem-solving as players make decisions for the benefit of the team.

Semi-Cooperative Play

• Definition: Players work together towards a common goal, but there are elements of competition, with one or more players possibly betraying the group.
• Examples: Dead of Winter, Battlestar Galactica, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – The Board Game
• Key Elements: Balancing trust and strategy as players must cooperate to achieve objectives while remaining wary of potential betrayals. Players navigate both teamwork and competition, creating complex interactions and strategies.

Team-Based Play

• Definition: Players are divided into teams, working together to achieve shared objectives against opposing teams.
• Examples: Capture the Flag, Codenames: Duet, Galaxy Trucker (team variant)
• Key Elements: Coordination and communication among team members are crucial for success, with strategies often tailored to group dynamics.

Solitaire / Solo Play

• Definition: A game designed for individual play, where the player competes against the game itself or specific scenarios.
• Examples: Friday, Spirit Island, Gloomhaven: Solo Scenarios
• Key Elements: Players must develop strategies to overcome challenges set by the game, often with varying difficulty levels to enhance replayability.

Resources

The following are resources for game design and play:

Development Tools for Games

Tabletop

Include board games, card games, role-playing games, miniature wargames, where players interact with physical components on a table:

• nanDECK: designing and printing deck of cards
• The Game Crafter: make a board game, card game, or custom playing cards

Tabletop Simulation

• Simulation ... Simulated Environment Learning ... World Models ... Minecraft: Voyager
  • Tabletop Simulator: offers a 3D, physics-based environment that allows users to create, manipulate, and customize nearly any board game. Its open sandbox nature supports a wide variety of games and user-created content, making it highly versatile.
  • Tabletopia: provides a polished, web-based platform for officially licensed digital versions of board games, preserving their authentic rules and artwork. Its focus on official partnerships with game publishers ensures high-quality, accurate game experiences.
  • Board Game Arena (BGA): delivers a highly accessible browser-based platform, offering real-time or turn-based play with built-in rules enforcement for a wide range of popular board games. The focus on rules automation and user rankings enhances both competitive and casual play.
  • VASSAL: is a free, open-source platform that supports virtual adaptations of complex, often long out-of-print wargames, enabling fan communities to play and preserve them. Its flexibility allows detailed customization for games with complex rules and systems.
  • Screentop: offers a lightweight, browser-based environment where users can easily create and share custom games using simple drag-and-drop tools. Its straightforward interface caters to both novice creators and players looking for a quick setup.
  • Zillions of Games: is a unique, AI-driven platform supporting over a thousand abstract games and variants by running them on a customizable game-playing engine. The system allows users to experiment with and create their own rule sets for AI gameplay.
  • Ludii: specializes in modeling and playing abstract strategy games, with a comprehensive game description language for easy creation and analysis of new games. It’s also a research tool for studying cultural and historical games, combining AI and game design.
  • Air Board Game: is a free, browser-based platform focused on simplicity, providing a virtual space to play games with basic components like cards and dice. It offers straightforward tools for creating and sharing games without complex programming.
  • VirtualDesktop.io: is designed to create interactive, immersive gaming environments for role-playing games with customizable 3D graphics. Its compatibility with virtual reality headsets makes it a novel choice for a truly immersive tabletop experience.
  • Roll20: Browser-based, primarily designed for tabletop RPGs, Roll20 includes tools for maps, character sheets, dice rolls, and more. It’s particularly suited for D&D, Pathfinder, and similar games with a strong narrative and role-playing component. Best for: Role-playing games, customizable campaigns, collaborative storytelling.
  • Tableplop: Free browser-based lightweight, and easy-to-use tool designed for quick setup of RPG sessions and board games. It offers a streamlined experience without requiring downloads or installations, focusing on fast and accessible game setup. Best for: Quick, simple tabletop sessions, especially RPGs.
  • PlayingCards.io: Browser-based straightforward simulation tool for card and board games. PlayingCards.io lets users create custom games with simple drag-and-drop tools and provides a library of classic games like Poker, Uno, and more. Best for: Simple card games and party games, custom card setups for light gameplay sessions.

Video

Played on a digital screen, requiring a computer or console to run; desktop, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®, Xbox®, Meta Quest, web, Apple Vision Pro

• GameMaker: 2D Game Engine
• Unity:

Game Prototyping and Playtesting

Tools like assets or mechanics based on project requirements enabling iteration during early development phases and allows designers to experiment.

• Break My Game in person playtesting

Newsletters

• Board Game Quest
• Game Developer

Podcasts

...Google search for Podcasts

• The Game Design Round Table – This podcast has been a staple for both digital and tabletop game designers since 2012, discussing various game design aspects and industry trends. It’s hosted by professionals who delve into real-world challenges in game design.
• Board Game Design Lab – Perfect for board game designers, this podcast explores the intricacies of creating board games, featuring interviews with designers and publishers.
• Indie Game Development Podcast – Aimed at indie game creators, this show covers industry insights, tools, and strategies specific to independent developers.
• Fun Problems - offer insightful tips and tricks on game design, covering everything from how to get started on a design to deep insights into the fun problems that come with developing a hit board game.
• Think Like A Game Designer - speaks with world-class game designers and creative experts

Games about Games

• Game Dev Tycoon:

This game lets you experience the ups and downs of running your own game development studio. You'll make decisions about game design, marketing, and financial management.

• Game Builder Tycoon:

Similar to Game Dev Tycoon, this game focuses on building and managing a successful game development studio.