How to Improvise a Scalable Game?

• You can Create a Game in a Day.
• And then Expand in a Week.
• Or in a Month, depending on your Attachment to this game.
• Scalability is all about your will to Develop your Game.
• All you need to provide in the 1st Day are the Essential Tools.

Summary – 6 steps to a Scalable Game

1. Define up to 10 Core Rules.
2. Create 4 Characters.
3. Give them a Goal, a Behavior & a set of Skills.
4. Create 3 to 6 Levels.
5. Define each Level’s Function & Atmosphere.
6. Associate 1 to 2 Adventures to each Level.

• Games you are creating are Homes.
• Games Players want to return to.
• Start with a Simple System.
• Make your Game Short & Stimulating.
• And then, Expand it.



Your 10 Core Rules

What are the Essential Rules of your Game?

• 3 Rules for Satisfaction from Struggle
• Provide Clear ways to Outsmart the System.
• Create Multiple ways to Defeat Enemies.
• Allow Players to Learn from Failure by clearly exposing the Reasons.

• 4 Rules for Satisfaction from Exploration
• Present Dense Territories.
• Create a clear Map.
• Make Locations of Interests visible.
• Define clear Limits to your Map.

• 3 Rules for Crafting a Collective Story
• The Players’ Decisions make the Story.
• Give Players up to 3 clear Choices for each Situation.
• Decision are limited by a pre-set of Skills.

You can start by copying the 10 Rules provided here & then refine them through your Games.

If you want to know more about Fulfilling Rules.



Your Characters

• 4 Characters
• 4 Characters = 4 Roles.
• These Characters will need a degree of Complementarity.
• Complementarity is essential for a Coherent Story & a Balanced Game.
• The 4 Characters do not need to be part of the same Team.
• And they cannot evolve in isolation.

• Character’s Identity
• Each Character needs a Goal.
• Give each players up to 3 Skills.
• A Main Skill, a 2ndary Skill & eventually a minor Skill.
• Players can develop their Skills through the Story.
• They can eventually acquire more.
• Give them a Quirk.
• Quirks are often Accessories.
• It can be a Hairstyle.
• It can be a piece of Clothing.
• It can be a Tool.
• They will need Behavior traits.
• It can be 1 Strength & 1 Weakness.
• Behavior traits allow the Player to know how the Character will act in a specific Situation.
• There are 2 main types of Situations: Comfort & Crisis.
  • How will this Character act when she feels Comfortable?
  • How will this Character act when she feels in Danger?

• Adding more Characters
• A new Character arises when a new Need arises.
• It may be a New Conflict.
• Your Players may Need help.
• Your Characters may Need help.
• Help them through a Character.
• She could be:
  • Presenting a New Level.
  • Presenting a New Game mechanic.
  • Or a New Rule.
• Start by Picking 4 Roles out of the 6 Presented below.
• And then, Introduce the 2 other Characters later in the Game.

Role	Trait 1	Trait 2	Trait 3	Name	Goal	Main Skill	2nd Skill	Minor Skill	Quirk	Comfort	Crisis
Enticer	Entertaining	Confident	Generous
Manager	Empathetic	Individualist	Providing
Strategist	Competitive	Curious	Learning/Sharing
Reliable	Assertive	Relentless	Protective
Advisor	Pondering	Temperate	Self-Aware
Exemplar	Dedicated	Participative	Leading

If you want to know more about creating more Characters.

Your Settings

• 3 to 6 Setting
• There are 6 main types of Levels:
  • Rest/Comfort
  • Pondering/Recollection
  • Investigation/Research
  • Combat/Racing
  • Trial/Puzzle/Riddle
  • Non-Violent Conflict/Negotiation
• You can combine functions in a same level.
• In the early stage it is easier to separate the 6 Functions in 6 different Levels.

• Uniqueness
• Your 1st Level needs to be Memorable.
• How to make it Memorable?
• You need 2 elements: Atmosphere & Quirks.
• Give each level a specific Atmosphere.
• A different Color.
• A specific Climate.
• Specific Forms & Shapes.
• Integrate Quirks.
• Quirks can be Landmarks.
• They can be Items.
• They can be the Inhabitants of this World.
• Place different living creatures in each Level.

• Expanding your World
• Display all your Core Rules in the 1st Level.
• Then, add 1 new Rule in every new level.
• The most durable way yo expand a World is to introduce new Characters.
• Characters make a World alive.
• They create Complexity.
• As you may want to keep your Game simple, in the early stages, be parsimonious.

Level	Function	Atmosphere	Color	Climate	Forms	Quirk	Inhabitants	Plants	Landmarks	Items
Rest
Pondering
Research
Combat
Game
Negotiation

If you want to know more about Levels & Character’s Growth.



Your Stories

• Conditional Stories
• Create Conditional Stories.
• Customizable Stories.
• Create Possibilities for your Players to Play with.
• Offer Choices to the Players.
• 3 Choices Maximum for each Situation.
• Display Consequences after they’ve chosen.
• Display the Affinities of the Character they’re interacting with.
• Offer a minimal level of Predictability.
• Players should be able to predict the result of their Choices to some point.

• 8 Stories
• All your Trials are focused onto the Characters’ Survival.
• Here are 8 Stories types you can use in any game:
  • Discover New Information/Item
  • Collect
  • Transport
  • Defeat
  • Protect
  • Escape
  • Investigation
  • Negotiation

• Cycles
• Start by creating the last Level.
• Then design the 1st Level.
• You need to display a clear relationship between 1st Level & Last Level.
• All your Adventures will follow this Structure:
  • The Players come across an Issue.
  • It is Resolved.
  • The Outcome.
  • A New Issue is revealed.

Stories	Issue – Discovery	Resolution – Discovery	Outcome – Discovery	I – Development	R – Development	O – Development	I – Conclusion	R – Conclusion	O – Conclusion
Discovery
Collect
Transport
Defeat
Protect
Escape
Investigate
Negotiate

If you want to know more about the 8 Stories types.