Read Chapter 5 of "The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses"

[zaphodb2002]

Chapter 5: The Game Consists of Elements

Four Basic Elements

1. Mechanics

• Procedures and rules of your game.
• Unique to games.

  2. Story

• The sequence of events that unfolds in your game.
• Intertwined with mechanics

  3. Aesthetics

• How it looks, sounds, smells, tastes, and feels.
• Most direct relationship to the player.

  4. Technology

• The tools that bring the game to life.
• Effectively the medium in which the game exists.

LENS 009: The Lens of the Elemental Tetrad
To 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 yourself these questions:
1. Is my game design using elements of all four types?
2. Could my design be improved by enhancing elements in one or more of the categories?
3. Are the four elements in harmony, reinforcing each other and working together toward a common theme?

Space Invaders Analysis

Technology: First game to feature an advancing army, required a custom motherboard. Mechanics:

• Players can shoot at enemies and enemies can shoot at players
• Player can hide behind shields and enemies can destroy shields
• Bonus points for shooting the saucer, which moves faster
• More points for killing enemies farther away, less for closer
• The more you destroy, the faster they get Story: Could have been just triangles and squares, or little army men, but aliens are fun! Aesthetics:
• Variety in alien types
• Marching animation
• Color overlays on the screen made possible by mechanics (UFO at top, enemy waves in middle, player at bottom) and is super clear
• Sound design, especially the marching sounds get faster and faster
• Also cabinet! Arcades were cool.

Skin and Skeleton

Don't forget about the player experience. Like missing the forest for the trees.

LENS 010: The Lens of Holographic Design
To use this lens, you must see everything in your game at ones: the four elements and the player experience, as well ashow 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 yourself these questions:
1. What elements of the game make the experience enjoyable?
2. What elements of the game detract from the experience?
3. How can I change game elements to improve the experience?