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The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses

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  1. SAGE Group Overview
  2. Hello / In the Beginning, There Is the Designer / The Designer Creates an Experience / The Experience Takes Place in a Venue / The Experience Rises Out of a Game
  3. The Game Consists of Elements / The Elements Support a Theme / The Game Begins with an Idea / The Game Improves through Iteration
  4. The Game is Made for a Player / The Experience is in the Player's Mind / The Player's Mind is Driven by the Player's Motivation
  5. Some Elements are Game Mechanics
  6. Game Mechanics Must Be in Balance / Game Mechanics Support Puzzles
  7. Players Play Games through an Interface / Experiences Can Be Judged by their Interest Curves / One Kind of Experience is the Story
  8. Story and Game Structures Can Be Artfully Merged with Indirect Control / Stories and Games Take Place in Worlds / Worlds Contain Characters
  9. Worlds Contain Spaces / The Look and Feel of a World is Defined by its Aesthetics / Some Games are Played with Other Players / Other Players Sometimes Form Communities
  10. The Designer Usually Works with a Team / The Team Sometimes Communicates through Documents / Good Games are Created through Playtesting / The Team Builds a Game with Technology / Your Game Will Probably Have a Client
  11. The Designer Gives the Client a Pitch / The Designer and Client Want the Game to Make a Profit / Games Transform their Players / Designers Have Certain Responsibilities / Each Designer Has a Purpose / Goodbye

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The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses The Designer Usually Works with a Team / The Team Sometimes Communicates through Documents / Good Games are Created through Playtesting / The Team Builds a Game with Technology / Your Game Will Probably Have a Client
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The Designer Usually Works with a Team / The Team Sometimes Communicates through Documents / Good Games are Created through Playtesting / The Team Builds a Game with Technology / Your Game Will Probably Have a Client

Matthew Colon October 14, 2020
  1. What types of playtesting have you done in the past for your project? How did it affect your project’s development?

Lens #100: The Lens of Love

  • Do I love my project? If not, how can I change that?
  • Does everyone on the team love the project? If not, how can that be changed?

Lens #101: The Lens of the Team

  • Is this the right team for this project? Why?
  • Is the team communicating objectively?
  • Is the team communicating clearly?
  • Is the team comfortable with each other?
  • Is there an air of trust and respect among the team?
  • Is the team ultimately able to unify around decisions?

Lens #102: The Lens of Documentation

  • What do we need to remember while making this game?
  • What needs to be communicated while making this game?

Lens #103: The Lens of Playtesting

  • Why are we doing a playtest?
  • Who should be there?
  • Where should we hold it?
  • What will we look for?
  • How will we get the information we need?

Lens #104: The Lens of Technology

  • What technologies will help deliver the experience I want to create?
  • Am I using these technologies in ways that are foundational or decorational?
  • If I’m not using them foundationally, should I be using them at all?
  • Is this technology as cool as I think it is?
  • Is there a “disruptive technology” I should consider instead?

Lens #105: The Lens of the Crystal Ball

  • What will ____ be like two years from now? Why?
  • What will ____ be like four years from now? Why?
  • What will ____ be like ten years from now? Why?

Lens #106: The Lens of Utopia

  • Am I creating something that feels magical?
  • Do people get excited just hearing about what I am making? Why or why not?
  • Does my game advance the state of the art in a meaningful way?
  • Does my game make the world a better place?

Lens #107: The Lens of the Client

  • What does the client say he wants?
  • What does the client think he wants?
  • What does the client really want, deep down in his heart?