What Are Games Made Of?

Vinod SrinivasanVIST/CSCE 489, Spring 2010

Adapted from “Art of Game Design” by Jesse Schell

Four Basic Elements

Aesthetics

StoryMechanics

Technology

More visible

Less visible

The Elemental Tetrad

Elemental Tetrad Mechanics

Procedures and rules of your game Describe the goal of your game, how players can

try to achieve it, and what happens when they try Main differentiator between games and linear

entertainment experiences (books, movies, etc.) Choose technology that can support your

mechanics, aesthetics that emphasize them clearly and a story that allows your mechanics to make sense.

Elemental Tetrad Story

Sequence of events in your game May be linear and pre-scripted or branching and

emergent Choose mechanics that strengthen your story and

allows your story to emerge Choose aesthetics to help reinforce ideas of your

story and technology that is best suited to the story

Elemental Tetrad Aesthetics

How your game looks, sounds, smells, tastes and feels.

Most direct relationship to the player’s experience Choose technology that will amplify and reinforce

your aesthetics Choose mechanics that make players feel

immersed in the world that the aesthetics have defined

Choose a story that allows your aesthetics to emerge at the right pace and have the most impact

Elemental Tetrad Technology

Doesn’t just refer to “high technology” but any materials and interactions that make your game possible

Paper and pencil, plastic coins, etc. The choice of technology enables your game to

do certain things and prohibits other things Technology is the medium in which the aesthetics

take place, the mechanics will occur and through which the story will be told.

Elemental Tetrad None of the 4 elements are more important

than the others Technological elements tend to be the least

visible to players; aesthetics are the most visible.

Other ways of organizing the tetrad Technology and mechanics are “left brain”

elements Aesthetics and story are “right brain” elements

All four elements are essential to a game

The Lens of the Elemental TetradTo use this lens, take stock of what your game is truly made of. Consider each element separately, and then all of them together as a whole.

Ask these questions: Is my game design using elements of all four types? Could my design be improved by enhancing

elements in one or more of the categories? Are the four elements in harmony, reinforcing each

other, and working together toward a common theme?

Skin and Skeleton

Player’s experience – skin of the game Elements that make up the game – skeleton You must focus on both simultaneously. If you focus only on the skin, you will not

understand why the game feels a certain way and how to improve it.

If you focus only on the skeleton, you can make a game structure that is beautiful in theory but horrible in practice.

The Lens of Holographic DesignTo use this lens, you must see everything in your game at once: the four elements and the player experience, as well as how they interrelate. It is acceptable to shift your focus from skin to skeleton and back again, but it is far better to view your game and experience holographically.

Ask these questions: What elements of the game make the experience enjoyable? What elements of the game detract from the experience? How can I change the game elements to improve the

experience?