Game Design#

Some principles to keep in mind:

1. Create concrete, achievable, and rewarding [[goals]].
2. Design for nuanced emotion.
3. Create rapid and robust controls.
4. Make fun toys, and combine them into games.
5. Make the next action obvious.
6. Give clear and immediate [[feedback]] with no distraction.
7. Balance skills with challenge.
8. A game looking gorgeous is not enough, needs a good community

Fun Theory Insights#

• Flow state optimization: Fun exists in the sweet spot between boredom (too easy) and frustration (too hard). Design for perpetual flow state.
• Agency without overwhelm: Provide meaningful choices but not so many that decision paralysis occurs. Options should feel empowering, not burdensome.
• Joy in discovery: Don't give people answers they haven't figured out themselves. The process of discovery is often more rewarding than the solution.
• Challenge authenticity: Bypasses and cheats make challenges feel less real, even if unused. Maintain the integrity of difficulty.
• Environmental over mental changes: When designing systems, prefer changing the environment to changing how people think. Less invasive, more ethical.
• Interpersonal complexity: People making things difficult for each other prevents boredom. Social dynamics create endless variety.
• Sensual bandwidth: High-bandwidth sensory experiences (tactile, visual, auditory) are essential for engagement and meaning.