Introduction
Something that gets often glossed over when creating games is the importance of testing. It is sometimes talked about, but there is a lot more than just playing the game when it is complete. Thinking about and implementing good game design and testing is something I love to do.
Good Game Design?
What exactly is good game design? Naturally, it depends on the game, but there is one golden rule that should always apply no matter what; is the player having fun/enjoying the game? Game design that is unnecessarily frustrating to the player should be passed over, especially if high difficulty is not for the target audience. For example, a lack of save points or extreme unfairness to the player, such as punishment for innocently examining an object. When creating a game, a developer should always have these things in mind. There should also be a way to teach the player about things, either through tutorials or good game design, which I will talk about in a moment.
Proper Testing and Process
When creating, a game designer should be putting themselves in the shoes of the player; what would or should they do in each situation? Every possible action should be accounted for. When testing, a tester should attempt everything they can. Move where they shouldn’t, do things in incorrect order, do things in an alternate way, etc. This way, the game developer can see what needs to be done, and what preventative measures they can take. If a player is able to do too much, it becomes quite difficult for a designer to account for everything. This is why there are many barriers to prevent players from doing whatever they want in many games, because of how much work it would take to implement many different things. In terms of game design, a game designer should be thinking about how each new element should be implemented, and how a player will react to them. Another good example would be a spring in a platformer. It allows the player to reach new heights they could not before. There should be a short introductory section where the player can experiment with the timing and height given by the spring, with no consequences to failure. Then, the game developer can start using the spring with actual risks involved, or combine it with previous elements to create new ones, such as moving platforms or moving springs. There doesn’t need to be a tutorial that breaks the game flow, as long as the player gets time to comprehend each new element. This is why a player can be overwhelmed when starting new games, because of the sheer amount of information.
Thanks for reading.
