How to make a more Fulfilling Game?

• Some Games miss Critical elements.
• But it is not always clear.
• What is missing?
• How do we feel that these Games are incomplete?
• They may be lacking Innovation.

Summary – Which Elements are Missing?

1. What are the Core Things the Games you played Lacked?
   1. That’s the most important Question, and you could summarize this whole article to this.
2. How do you create a Sense of Evolution?
3. What should feel Familiar?
4. How Much should you Innovate?
5. How to make your World Clear?
6. Which Accessories do you need?

• Your Games should offer Novelty.
• Now, what needs to Change?
• How do you bring Novelty?
• And how much?



A Sense of Evolution

• What most Series Lack the Most
• Most Series present Little to No Evolution.
• There is Nothing Noticeably New from the original to the last 1.
• Some Games may even regress.
• How do they Regress?
• Some series choose to Remove Essential Mechanics.
• Defining Features are sacrificed to Balance.
• Incompatibility & Implementation Issues are often invoked, but then…
• Are Added Useless Mechanics.
• As well as Unbalanced Mechanics.
• Your Game will be Unbalanced to some point.
• What matter is to create Unique Features.

• Progressive Innovation
• New Mechanics Implementation requires Patience.
• Which is why they should be different.
• They should be defining.
• And implemented incrementally.
• Uniqueness is essential to ensure a Series Sustainability.
• And Delivering novelty which each new episode is Critical.
• But not as much as Keeping the Essential Features.

• Detailed Feedback
• Ask for Criticism.
• Polls may be the most effective way to get it.
• Ensure that you are offering the Public enough Choices.
• As well as Diversified Choices.
• Think about updating the Choices for them to be in concordance with the Public’s needs.
• Polls are effective, they may lack precision & identity.
• A dedicated Group, Server or Page would be more appropriate for the Public to leave detailed Comments.
• Ask for Procedures.
• Ask the Public how they would correct the issue.
• Expose them what other issues their process would cause.
• Ask for Detailed Input.
• Simple Advices would be Useless.
• Likes & Don’t likes are Useless as well.
• You need Procedures.

If you want to know more about Creating Games Fast.

Familiar & New at the same time

• Some Things that are familiar
• Your Game will evoke Familiarity.
• A sense of Belonging is Critical.
• Players should want to return to your game.
• It should feel safe.
• Even if the game’s difficulty is High.
• Presenting Familiar Structures & Concepts under a New Form is often the way to go.

• Species
• Keep the usual Species.
• And modify then.
• You’ll need Insects.
  • Arthropods more largely.
• You’ll need Fishes & Amphibians.
• You’ll need Birds & Reptiles.
• And You’ll need Mammals.
• You may modify them amply.
• You should also try to keep some of them as is.
• It’s quite rare to see regular animals in a Fantasy or Sci-Fi.
• Make use of the Context to define what’s Usual & what’s Otherworldly.

• Worlds & Adventures
• Same goes for the Environments & Stories.
• Your games needs some usual Storylines.
• Saving, Opposing, Collecting, Delivering or Investigating need to be part of your game.
• If that’s the level of diversity you’re looking for.
• Implement the same Story type in different environments.
• And the Story changes.
• Try different Rhythms.
• Different Menaces.
• Different Levels of Emergency.
• Place Danger in unexpected Environments.

If you want to know more about Familiarity & Novelty.



Focused Innovation

• Where should you Innovate?
• The Core Elements.
• What are the Core Elements?
• User Interface’s Accessibility & Clarity.
• Replayability & Player’s Experience.
• Core Rules.
• Characters.

• The Right level of Innovation
• The Right level of Innovation is more.
• Always look for Originality.
• As mention earlier, the only limit is to preserve defining Features.
• Which with time may erode.
• Don’t let this happen.
• You can Innovate by reinforcing your Core Values.
• Focus on creating an Original System.
• Transform something Critical, like Life points or Aiming.
• Focus on 1 or 2 Fundamental game mechanics.

• New Characters
• Create & Implement an Original Species.
• Focus your Attention on Characters.
• Clear & Contrasted Archetypes will your Game into a Story.
• Try a non-Humanoid Species.
• Try something truly Otherworldly.
• That may involve creating a Ridicule or Grotesque Creature.
• But it is not the only way to go.
• Any form of Exaggeration is valid.

If you want to know more about Testing Games.

A Clear World

• Contrasting Forms & Themes
• Try to Re-draw your World map.
• Add Contrast.
• Make Landmarks more visible.
• Make Essential cities more visible.
• Try to play your game without a Map.
• Make other test your Game without a Map.
• Get rid of the Plain when it is not needed.
• Focus on the Critical Forms.
• Create Settings that create Focus.
• Hide what needs to be hidden, Show what needs to be shown.

• Scale & Consistency.
• Diversity, Always.
• Large fields & Small Cities.
• You could have a Game which unfolds exclusively in an Urban environment.
• Balancing Diversity & Consistency will make your World Whole.

• Focal Points
• Define the essential Locations of your World.
• And Focalize the Public’s Attention on them.
• Create Landmarks that are visible that are visible from most Parts of your map.
  • That will surely force you to redesign your map.
• Make use of Directional Lines & Perspective.
• Make use of Light.
• Of contrasting Colors.
• Use Graphic elements to Frame Destinations.
• Frame your Atmosphere.

• Different Levels
• Create a embossed World.
• Make use of Elevation.
• Place smalls location on Heights.
• And large locations Lower.
• Reverse this rule on another point of the Map.
• Place locations Underground.
• Go Upper.
• Make a Map you want to Explore.

If you want to know more about how to create compelling Settings.