Game Design

Overview

Game design is the discipline of creating the rules, systems, and structures that make games work. It’s distinct from programming (implementation), art (visuals), and production (management). A game designer asks: What does the player do? Why is it engaging? How do systems interact? The field evolved from intuitive craft to academic discipline, developing vocabulary and principles that apply across all interactive entertainment.

Fast Facts

Aspect	Detail
Core question	What makes this fun?
Key figures	Miyamoto, Wright, Crawford, Meier
Academic study	From 1990s onwards
Design documents	Communication tool

Foundational Concepts

The MDA Framework

Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics:

Layer	Definition
Mechanics	Rules and systems
Dynamics	Emergent behaviour from mechanics
Aesthetics	Emotional response in player

Designers create mechanics. Players experience aesthetics. Dynamics connect them.

Core Loop

The fundamental repeated action:

Example	Loop
Platformer	Run, jump, land, repeat
RPG	Explore, fight, level up, repeat
Puzzle	Observe, deduce, execute, repeat

Everything else supports the core loop.

Feedback Loops

Type	Effect
Positive	Success breeds success (getting ahead)
Negative	Systems that help losing players
Balance	Combining both for desired experience

Design Pillars

Principle	Application
Player agency	Meaningful choices
Clear goals	Know what to do
Appropriate challenge	Not too easy, not too hard
Feedback	Know if you’re succeeding
Progression	Sense of advancement

Player Psychology

Understanding what drives engagement:

Drive	Design Response
Mastery	Skill-based challenges
Autonomy	Player choice matters
Relatedness	Social features, characters
Discovery	Hidden content, exploration
Completion	Collections, achievements

Flow State

Csikszentmihalyi’s concept applied to games:

Condition	Implementation
Clear goals	Know the objective
Immediate feedback	Know how you’re doing
Challenge matches skill	Dynamic difficulty
Focused concentration	Remove distractions

The “flow channel” between boredom and frustration.

Level Design

Spatial game design:

Principle	Purpose
Pacing	Intensity variation
Teaching	Safe introduction of concepts
Landmarks	Navigation and memory
Gating	Controlled progression

Balancing

Making systems fair and engaging:

Approach	Method
Numerical	Stats, damage, costs
Situational	Rock-paper-scissors dynamics
Economic	Resource flow
Time	Cooldowns, delays

Player Types

Type	Motivation
Achievers	Goals, completion
Explorers	Discovery, understanding
Socialisers	Interaction, community
Killers	Competition, dominance

Games serve different players differently.

Documentation

Document	Purpose
High concept	One-page vision
Game design document	Detailed specification
Technical design	Implementation details
Content design	Specific levels, quests

Historical Evolution

Era	Approach
1970s-80s	Intuitive, programmer-designers
1990s	Specialisation, design roles
2000s	Academic study, GDC growth
2010s	Data-driven, analytics
2020s	AI tools, procedural generation

Influential Designers’ Philosophies

Designer	Approach
Miyamoto	Prototype first, toy-like feel
Wright	Systems, emergence
Crawford	Interaction as art
Meier	”Interesting decisions”
Blow	Mechanics as metaphor

Common Pitfalls

Mistake	Problem
Feature creep	Too many systems
Unclear goals	Player doesn’t know what to do
Unfair difficulty	Frustration without learning
Lack of feedback	Can’t tell what’s happening

Legacy

Game design evolved from “what can we make the computer do?” to “what experience do we want to create?” The discipline’s vocabulary—core loops, feedback systems, player agency—spread beyond games into app design, gamification, and education. Understanding why games engage helps create better interactive experiences of all kinds.

See Also

• Shigeru Miyamoto
• Sid Meier
• Will Wright
• GDC