Patterns in game design By: Staffan björk & Jussi holopainen

Introduction Purpose of book is to give a tool for understanding and creating games. - Help to make design choices when creating game. Book focuses on the most essential part: Gameplay. - Gameplay: Structures of player interaction with the game system and other players.

What are game design patterns? Collection of possible design choices in games. - Example patterns: Boss monsters, levels, weapons etc. Simply put, they are recurring themes that occur throughout all games - Storyline, social interaction, handicaps, etc Applies to card games, board games, computer games, etc

And why should I care? Provides a “scientific” way to analyze gameplay flaws - “Why isn’t this game fun?” “I dunno lol.” Can allow one to draw fun elements from other genres - Gambling games -> Minigames in RPGs Possible common language for game design −Need a vocabulary for talking about games −Describe and compare games while focusing on the interaction provided in games Tool for −Inspiration −Structured creative design −Problem-solving −Communication and Analysis

Game component framework −Book presents a framework for describing games based on the activities of the player −The framework provides the concepts about the physical and logical components of game design −These components are used to describe the game design patterns −Framework is based on an idea that player makes quantitative changes in the state of the game

Component categories Holistic −Determine how the activity of playing the game is divided Boundary −Limit the player activities by allowing certain actions and making some activities more rewarding Temporal −Describe the flow of the game play and define the changes in the game state Structural - Define the parts of the game which are manipulated by the players and the

Pattern template in the book Book has the large collection of patterns  ~300 patterns Pattern template: Name - Specific, idiomatic Description - Definition, how it affects the structural framework (if it does),  examples of games in which the pattern is found Using the pattern - What components from the framework are required to use the game, patterns that can be used to instantiate or modulate the pattern Consequences −What effects the pattern has on game play, other patterns the pattern supports, potentially conflicting patterns and why Relations − Instantiates/instantiated by, modulates/modulated by, potentially conflicting patterns References −To descriptions of the phenomena not using patterns, games exemplifying the pattern, patents

A quick rundown of the book Chapter 2: Framework Framework is based on an idea that player makes quantitative changes in the state of the game Chapter 3: Game design patterns All patterns are related to each other in some form. Instantiates, Modulates, Instantiated by, Modulate by, Conflicting with Chapter 4: Using Design Patterns Structural analysis, Play testing, Idea generation, Development of game concepts, Problem solving, Communication

A quick rundown of the book Chapter 6: Resource & Resource Management Pattern Resources are for players to evaluate their situation and to turn into actions in the game. Chapter 7: Information, Communication, and Presentation Pattern What information is available, the quality and reliability of the information, how to distribute and access the information Chapter 8: Actions and Events Patterns What are the common patterns in actions and how they’re performed?

A quick rundown of the book Chapter 9: Narrative Structures, Predictability and Immersion Patterns How the game design can support immersion and commitment to the game by the players. Chapter 11: Game Design Patterns for Goals Goals give players objectives to aim for when playing games but even if all the goals in games can be described by few patterns, they take on many different specific forms and affect gameplay differently. Chapter 12: Game Design Patterns for Goal Structures Relations between goals. Hierarchy of goals, how goals of different players in one game can be related. What’s the difference between goals.

A quick rundown of the book Chapter 13: Game Design Patterns for Game Sessions How game session can be organised. How time goes. How player actions affect in-game time. Chapter 14:Game Design Patterns for Game Mastery and Balancing Multiplayer or player-computer balance and how it can achieved. What makes game Complex and Difficult, level of those characteristics. Chapter 15: Game Design Patterns for Meta Games, Replayability, and Learning Curves Way of achieving games replayability, inside-games, non-game ways of enjoying game.

Game patterns in real world Consumers in PacMan - Resource and Resource Management Pattern

Game patterns in real world Imperfect Information in Mahjong - Information, Communication, and Presentation Pattern

Summary Game patterns occur throughout all kinds of games A game doesn’t necessarily need all patterns in order to be called a game