11 game design goals I wanna hit with the next game
Summary
TLDRIn this video script, the speaker discusses their game design philosophy, emphasizing the importance of 'obvious pleasures' and 'brain food' to create satisfying player experiences. They delve into the concept of 'gut calls' for decisions that are complex but not random, highlighting the appeal of rogue-like games due to their high content-to-fun ratio. The speaker also stresses the value of combinable content that keeps players engaged through surprises and variety. They reflect on past games like 'Gunpoint' and 'Heat Signature', and how they've applied these principles, while also outlining their vision for future projects, focusing on creating a strong core fantasy and expressive play style choices.
Takeaways
- 🎮 The speaker emphasizes the importance of 'obvious pleasures' and 'brain food' in game design, highlighting how satisfying mechanics like breaking glass or knocking enemies through windows can be enjoyable without needing complex implementation.
- 🛠️ The concept of 'Gut Calls' is introduced as decisions in games that are complex enough to not have a clear right answer, but not so random that there's nothing to think about, creating a sweet spot for engaging the player's brain.
- 🧠 'Brain food' refers to game elements that challenge the player's intellect, with the speaker noting that even games perceived as simple can have more depth, like Candy Crush having more than just obvious pleasures.
- 🔄 The speaker discusses 'Shuffle Game Design' as a method for creating variety and replayability in games, particularly in roguelikes, by shuffling different game elements to create new challenges and solutions.
- 💡 'Combin, explode in the mind' is a term used to describe the excitement of combining different game elements, which is a core part of the speaker's game design philosophy and a feature they aim to include in their future games.
- 📚 The speaker values writing in games and seeks game structures that support rich storytelling and character development, as evidenced by the regret of limited writing opportunities in 'Heat Signature'.
- 🛑 The 'Failure Spectrum' concept is mentioned, which is about having a range of outcomes between perfect success and game-over failure, allowing players to feel the tension of potential loss without the frustration of actual failure.
- 🔄 'Roguelike' games are highlighted as an efficient format for game development, providing a high ratio of content creation to player enjoyment, and allowing for a wide variety of combinations and replayability.
- 🧙♂️ 'Breach Wizards' is presented as an example of trying to create a new fantasy for players, offering a fresh experience of being a wizard in a Tom Clancy-style game.
- 🎨 The speaker advocates for 'expressive play style choices' in games, allowing players to express their identity through their choices in gameplay, which should go beyond just expressing a preference but who the player wants to be in the game world.
- 🔧 The speaker reflects on the importance of 'tunability' and 'risk' in game design, allowing for fine-tuning of difficulty and a sense of potential for improvement on subsequent attempts, respectively.
Q & A
What is the speaker's game design philosophy during the time of 'Gunpoint' and 'Heat Signature'?
-The speaker's game design philosophy during the time of 'Gunpoint' and 'Heat Signature' was centered around 'obvious pleasures' and 'brain food'. They aimed to create games that were inherently satisfying and mentally stimulating.
What makes breaking glass in video games satisfying according to the speaker?
-Breaking glass in video games is satisfying because it mimics a real-life experience that is inherently gratifying. The implementation work required is minimal, such as a good breaking sound effect and particles, which makes the interaction enjoyable without much finesse.
Why did the speaker decide to include knocking people through windows in 'Heat Signature'?
-The speaker included knocking people through windows in 'Heat Signature' as an obvious pleasure. It was a way to break windows that didn't require shooting the enemies, which aligned with the game's focus on guns being a significant element.
What does the speaker mean by 'brain food' in the context of game design?
-'Brain food' is a term used by the speaker to describe game elements that stimulate the player's mind. It refers to aspects of the game that require thought and strategy, beyond just the immediate gratification of 'obvious pleasures'.
How does the speaker describe the importance of 'gut calls' in game design?
-The speaker describes 'gut calls' as decisions that are complex enough not to have a clear right answer given the information at hand. These decisions are not so complex or random that there's nothing to think about, creating a sweet spot for the brain to chew on without providing clear answers.
What is the speaker's view on the role of polish and implementation in making a satisfying game interaction?
-The speaker believes that while polish is good, it's not everything. What matters most is if the interaction itself is inherently satisfying. If it would be satisfying to do in real life, less work is needed to capture that satisfaction in the game.
Why does the speaker favor 'Roguelike' format for future game development?
-The speaker favors 'Roguelike' format because it offers an incredibly efficient way to create games. The amount of content made versus the amount of fun the end user gets is unparalleled, and the work put in pays off repeatedly as elements can combine in new ways.
What is the speaker's approach to game design in terms of making games about combining things?
-The speaker's approach involves creating games where players can combine different abilities or elements. This is seen in games like 'Gunpoint' where players can wire connections in various ways, leading to a rich combination of strategies and solutions.
What does the speaker mean by 'Shuffle game design' and why is it effective?
-'Shuffle game design' refers to the method of combining different game elements in various ways to create new challenges and solutions. It is effective because it allows for a wide variety of gameplay experiences without the need for complex level design.
How does the speaker define 'expressive play style choices' and why are they important?
-The speaker defines 'expressive play style choices' as options that allow players to express who they are within the game world, not just their preferences. These choices are important because they allow players to embody different identities and explore various aspects of the game's fantasy.
What is the speaker's view on the importance of writing in games?
-The speaker views writing as an integral part of game development that can be straightforward and efficient. They believe that writing can enhance the game by adding flavor, character depth, and narrative, making it a valuable component that should be included in game design.
What does the speaker mean by a 'broad failure spectrum' and how does it benefit game design?
-A 'broad failure spectrum' refers to a range of outcomes between perfect success and absolute failure. It benefits game design by keeping players on the brink of failure without causing frustration, thus maintaining engagement and the desire to improve in subsequent attempts.
Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of 'tunability' and 'risk' in game design?
-The speaker emphasizes 'tunability' and 'risk' because they allow for fine-tuning of game difficulty and create a sense of challenge and unpredictability. These elements can make players feel that they could do better with another attempt, enhancing replayability and engagement.
Outlines
🎮 Game Design Philosophy and Mechanics
The speaker discusses their game design approach, emphasizing the importance of 'obvious pleasures' and 'brain food' in game mechanics. They highlight the satisfaction derived from simple yet effective interactions like breaking glass in games, which requires minimal implementation effort due to its inherent gratification. The speaker also talks about the need for games to have elements that engage the player's intellect, such as puzzle-solving in 'Gunpoint' or strategic planning in 'Heat Signature'. They introduce the concept of 'gut calls' for decisions that are complex without clear answers, which they find particularly engaging. The speaker is currently refining these ideas to inform the design of their next game, with a consideration for a 'Rogue-like' format due to its efficiency in providing player challenges.
🛠️ Balancing Game Design with Player Experience
In this paragraph, the speaker delves into the challenges and considerations of designing games with 'Rogue-like' elements, focusing on ensuring player progression and avoiding permanent roadblocks. They discuss the acceptability of failure in 'Rogue-like' games and the importance of making the moments when players realize they are losing as brief as possible. The speaker also introduces 'Shuffle game design', a concept where game levels are not uniquely crafted but are instead generated through the shuffling of pre-existing elements, which can lead to new challenges and solutions. They emphasize the need to reach a 'surprise threshold' by adding enough combinable content to create surprising and engaging gameplay experiences.
🧙♂️ Wizardry and Combining Abilities in Game Design
The speaker reflects on their game 'Breach Wizards', discussing the appeal of combining abilities and the importance of creating a broad range of abilities and upgrades that can be easily added to the game. They highlight the efficiency of 'Rogue-like' games in terms of content creation versus player enjoyment, and the desire to avoid limiting the number of abilities a character can have. The speaker also touches on the importance of a game structure that supports the addition of new content, such as abilities and upgrades, without overcomplicating the game design.
🌟 Embracing Core Fantasies and Expressive Play Styles
Here, the speaker emphasizes the significance of selecting core fantasies for game concepts that resonate with a broad audience, using 'FTL' as an example of a game that successfully tapped into the fantasy of being a Star Trek Captain. They discuss the importance of allowing players to express their play style choices, which can reveal aspects of their identity within the game world. The speaker also talks about experimenting with 'Heat Signature' to encourage different play styles with each new life, aiming to prevent players from sticking to a single approach throughout the game.
📚 Integrating Writing and Storytelling in Games
The speaker discusses the integration of writing into game design, expressing a desire to include more narrative elements in future games. They reflect on the limitations encountered in 'Heat Signature' regarding the inclusion of writing and contrast this with 'Gunpoint', which had a more structured approach to incorporating narrative. The speaker also highlights the ease of writing for 'Breach Wizards' and the importance of finding places within the game where writing can naturally fit, such as pre-mission briefings or character interactions.
🎉 Designing for Expressive Play and Broad Appeal
In this section, the speaker focuses on the importance of expressive play, where player choices reflect their identity within the game. They discuss the concept of 'Rogue-like Shuffle' as a good vehicle for abilities, upgrades, and writing, and emphasize the desire for the next game to have a broad appeal. The speaker also talks about the efficiency of writing in game development, the importance of a game structure that supports writing, and the need for a wide range of player outcomes to keep the game engaging without causing frustration.
🛡️ Broadening the Spectrum of Failure and Success
The speaker discusses the concept of a 'failure spectrum' in game design, which allows for a range of outcomes between perfect success and absolute failure. They use 'Plants versus Zombies' as an example to illustrate how being on the brink of failure can create tension and engagement without leading to player frustration. The speaker also touches on the importance of making games 'tunable' and 'risky', allowing for fine-tuning of difficulty and a sense of potential for improvement on subsequent attempts, respectively.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Game Design Bible
💡Obvious Pleasures
💡Brain Food
💡Gut Calls
💡Roguelike
💡Combinatorial Content
💡Shuffle Game Design
💡Expressive Play Style Choices
💡Core Fantasy
💡Broad Failure Spectrum
Highlights
Game design philosophy emphasizes 'obvious pleasures' and 'brain food'.
Satisfying interactions in games, like knocking people through windows, require minimal implementation due to their inherent satisfaction.
The importance of making inherently satisfying actions easy to implement for maximum player enjoyment.
Heat Signature's core gameplay revolves around the satisfying action of whacking people with a wrench.
The concept of 'brain food' in games refers to elements that engage the player's intellect.
Games should offer more than just 'obvious pleasures' to keep the player's brain engaged.
Gunpoint's puzzle-solving aspect is highlighted as a form of 'brain food'.
Heat Signature's level design is player-driven, with generated levels and player-determined solutions.
Tactical Breach's gameplay focuses on combining team members' unique abilities for strategic depth.
The introduction of 'gut calls' as decisions that are complex but not so random that there's nothing to think about.
Roguelike games are praised for their efficiency in content creation versus player enjoyment.
The desire to create a roguelike game for the next project due to their content efficiency and player engagement.
The concept of 'combin爆炸 in the mind' as a core element of game design, encouraging the combination of game elements for new experiences.
The 'Shuffle game design' approach, where game elements are rearranged to create new challenges and solutions.
The importance of reaching a 'surprise threshold' of combinable content to keep gameplay fresh and engaging.
The value of writing in games as an efficient way to add depth and character, with the aim to incorporate more into future games.
The concept of 'expressive play style choices' allowing players to express their identity through their gameplay decisions.
The use of 'broad failure spectrum' in game design to keep players on the edge without hitting frustration.
The desire for future games to have tunable difficulty and a sense of risk to keep players engaged and motivated to improve.
Transcripts
okay I've written a game design Bible uh
and I want to talk through it a bit I if
you'd ask me kind of around the time
that gunpoint came out what my you know
formula was for a game and during heat
signature 2 it would have just been
these two so uh obvious pleasures and
brain food so uh probably the the most
kind of um uh our best known signature
is knocking people through Windows right
and that came from um
just breaking glass is inherently
satisfying in real life and in video
games and all it needs the only
implementation work for that is just
like the glass pretty easy uh breaking
it sound effect bit of particles the
particles in gunpoint aren't even good
they're not actually particles they're
actual game objects of a technical Point
um but what the point is you need very
little actual finesse in in making that
interaction because the interaction
itself is inherently satisfying and then
knocking people through Windows was kind
of a
um uh just the most obvious way to break
them really didn't want you to have to
shoot them um especially cuz the whole
game was meant to be about guns being a
big deal
um but that's just one of many things
you know he signature you can break
windows and that and it that's cool um
but it's not as core a part of the game
it's not something you're doing every
single level um but whacking people with
a wrench is the obvious pleasure in heat
singure I think that that just always
feels good and we try and have like a
few of those like that's sort of the the
bedro Rock of the game and the like
they're pretty easy to make those things
and something that's just going to be
fun every time you do it um and it
matters a lot what the like it's not all
polish it's not all implementation as
with the windows example it matters that
the thing is inherently satisfying
itself it would be satisfying to do in
real life and the more satisfying it
would be to do in real life really the
less work you have to put into really
capturing that because it will get
through anyway um obviously polish is
good but um yeah uh um and then brain
food it was a very generic term for just
anything that tingles your brain you
know obvious Pleasures if it was just
that you're talking about like Candy
Crush I don't want to say Candy Crush
has no brain frood in it but you know
there are games that where the obvious
Pleasures all of all there is um but
actually the fact that Candy Crush does
have more than than obvious Pleasures is
is kind of what I'm talking about it's
kind of the point I'm making um you want
a little bit more and for me you know
something for your brain to think about
it's pretty different in each game
gunpoint is the puzzle solving of the uh
messing around with with connections
figuring out how you want to wire the
building um Heat Signature it's much
more about sort of the map of the level
and what route you're going to take and
it's I say maybe arguably a bit more
creative or it's a bit more player
driven in the sense that I didn't design
any the levels they're all just
generated you figure out a solution I
don't know what the solution is um and
then tactical breach res is about
combining the abilities of your team you
have all these different abilities uh uh
that are unique to each team member what
order you do them in which ones to use
this turn which to save for later how to
spend your Mana all this stuff is is
this and I've got a little addendum here
which was not part of the thinking for
heat or gunpoint but lately I've come
with this term gut calls for decisions
that
are complex enough that there is no hard
and fast right answer given the
information you have it's impossible to
just say oh this is always the right
answer given this information uh there
too complex a question to to answer and
there's too many uncertainties either
Randomness or other players intent or or
whatever
um but they are not so complex or so
unknowable or so random that you that
there's nothing to think about um
there's a sweet big actual Sweet Spot
zone between those two things um where
there's a lot for your brain to chew on
but there's no clear answers and I think
that's the fun part board games are
really good at this Mo most good board
games have this in Spades uh video games
sometimes have it but but it's not
necessarily the call and now that I've
zero down on that like that is a type of
decision that's very juicy it's very
satis it's very my brain loves it I just
like want to spend time in that
zone um so those are the two I already
had this has got a bit longer because
this really I've called it game design b
as if it's what we obey for all games I
I'm crystallizing this because I'm
thinking ahead to what we make next and
this is really a list of you know a
checklist for the next game um so Rog
like format is on here like gunpo is not
a road like breach isn't a road like but
I put this in design Bible because for
the next game at least there's no point
thinking about beyond the next game um I
definitely want to make a roog lake um
they making a non-road lake then a rogue
like then a non- Rog L has really
cemented that Rogue leges are an
incredibly efficient format for a game
uh the little agendum here is make
completability of the players problem
that's just the the aspect of Road likes
that that especially appeals to me right
now I did a whole video on this um but
if you handcraft a game it is your job
as a game designer to ensure the player
cannot get permanently stuck because if
they did it would be such a bad outcome
that it doesn't matter even if it is the
player's fault that sucks so much that
it's really your fault your problem as a
game designer in a road like if you'll
run if you just can't win your run like
you you you up your your your
deck it's not great we we don't want to
load of outcomes like that especially if
you if you couldn't have seen it coming
um but it is the a sort of you know
accepted and common feature for Rog
likes that you're not going to win every
time and and for you to hit a point in
your run where you think I'm not winning
this this is this is going south um it's
normal it's it's the player's problem to
make it to to give themselves a clear
Runway to Victory um and that's that's
fine it's not a thing that people
complain about
um obviously like my personal taste on
this is is the moment that you realize
you're to the moment your run
ends should be as short as possible I
absolutely um don't want you to spend a
ton of time and they like I can't win
from here but I guess I got to play it
out
um uh but equally you don't want it to
be too sudden you don't want it to be
like you go from I'm definitely going to
win this too like oh um it's over like
that that sucks too so it's about having
that Arc of like this is this going I
want something to come together it's not
really coming together all right no I'm
dead you certainly don't want to be like
oh this is great this is the best one i'
ever had oh I'm dead SL fire does
have that actually a fair bit I want to
get into it too much um but yeah there
are some road likees where like you can
go from really Riding High to just oh I
just just that this is such a good deck
but I just drew just the wrong cards at
just the wrong time with just The Wrong
Enemy that I'm just going to bleed out
uh and and the the fact that I went into
this fight with like less than on full
health is a consequence of the like
sacrifices I made to build to this point
and it is sort of your fault but it
there are some that feel bad anyway um
that's one of the things that I like
about Rogue likes the main thing I like
about Rogue likes is just the amount of
content you make um versus the amount of
hours of fun that the end user gets out
of it uh is an incredible ratio like
unparalleled really um and all the work
you put in just just pays off again and
again and again and can combine and
actually that leads me to uh this is
sort of our signature this uh I don't
know if you know I didn't necessarily
group it in with brain food and obvious
Pleasures back in the day but this has
always been part of the suspicious
developments kind of DNA is combin
explode in the mind um I think I've
sometimes said like make games about
combining things uh so gunpoint you you
are connecting the different devices I
just make all the devices I let you
connect them the combinations then are
your your work you can daely chain
things together you can create these
laborate machines all of that stuff he
signature very much about uh he signat
is a left hand right hand game it's like
uh you get to select something for your
left Mouse button like if your right
Mouse button and it's like if you want a
side one teleport in your right hand and
a wrench in your left that's one build
uh if you want a you know silent shotgun
in your right hand and a sword in your
left that's a different thing you're not
they're not long time long-term
commitments in heat signature you can
absolutely pause and change your build
at any time um but there still you know
however whatever number of these things
you can buy um in a given run it is
about daisy chaining these things if I
do this into that and then I do this
that happens and even just combining
your abilities with the enemies they're
all just it's very much a game where we
just built the elements and we let the
random generator shuffle them in um
uh combine them and then you combine
your abilities with their their threats
and stuff comes out of that and I
phrased it as grasp the elements quickly
never stop seeing new AG to mix them
that's a high goal never stop is is is
uh too high a bar to hit but it's just a
convenient way to phrase it like the
idea is should be really easy to
understand the elements and then how
they can combine is you're going to keep
discovering oh wait could I if I had
this when I fight this guy would would
that work if I had this and this
couldn't I deactivate a shield and then
hit him with this thing um love that
stuff that is that is core to everything
and of course stach Wizards that's like
the combining abilities game just like
uh everyone each unique wizard is kind
of offering you some new ingredients and
then which wizard you have with you and
and what the challenge is and what
abilities you've unlocked and how you've
upgraded those abilities all just feed
into like the richness of combining
those
things um I in the middle of that I
mentioned the word Shuffle and so I'm
going to skip straight to Shuff game
design which is the a term I kind of
came up with for the road L uh talk I
did recently um this was explaining like
why Heat Signature didn't need a good
level generator the level generator heat
signature is very rudimentary in terms
of like it's not trying to create a
unique interesting space every time the
layout is not trying to be um you know
visually arresting and and we're very
much not doing the No Man's Sky thing of
like there's infinite planets in every
planet is going to wow you and think
whoa I've never seen this before um it's
really just like here are the arms of
the game all the level generation is
going to do is shuffle them and you can
approach game design with that in mind
and make sure that the the constraints
of each of each ability the player has
or challenge that or you power that the
enemy has whatever uh the constraints
and the freedoms that each individual
element has like relate to the level and
the layout and the space they can relate
to distance they can relate to line of
sight they can relate to pathing they
can relate to position of of guards and
then if the constraints and freedoms of
each element are different in that way
and then you just Shuffle things around
you get new challenges you get new
Solutions you get new stuff and that
that's ultimately what ended up working
with each sish show that's kind of how
it it got from this game that was for
about two and a half years kind of
promising which is horrible uh and then
finally started to click together like
ah now it's it suddenly it's producing
moments that make me laugh it's
producing moments that surprise me it's
producing moments that that are really
cool um and that reminds REM me of
something else on this list that I'm now
looking for oh no it's actually just the
subtitle of this very thing reach the
surprise threshold of combinable content
bit of a jar and heavy sentence but this
is what happened to me at stugan uh this
treat I went on I just I I reevaluated
my priorities with heat
signature and I just focused on let's
just add more stuff it just needs like
more item types more guard types more
defense types you know all these
different things just put more
ingredients in the bowl cuz it's it's
already stirring these things but
there's not much to stir yet it's like
all we've got is cheese and sugar and
one grape and we just keep recombining
those things and you can try cheese and
sugar together it's not great you can
try grape and sugar together and that's
fine you can try cheese and grapes
together and that's all right but with
only three elements you're never going
to get like surprising stuff beyond that
and so once you add like 12 elements
Suddenly It's like every time you play
like I've never seen this combination
things before and these things you know
uh click together in in cool ways
um so that's the surprise threshold add
enough combinable content that you start
to see surprises every time you
play um maybe that's a good springboard
into uh the game being a good vehicle
for ab upgrades I guess I'll mention
these these headings to like I've
divided into excitement efficiency and
playability efficiency is about how easy
the game is to make um and so that's
about leaning into our strengths leaning
to stuff that is quick to to make um and
this is very breach wizard specific I
just recently had a um a case
where trying to think of a new ability
for a wizard we just needed one more for
him and I came up with three that all
kind of worked they're all pretty good
and we're like I can't put three in he's
already got three having six abilities
this guy is just overwhelming this is a
game where the abilities you get are not
up to you the the upgrades for them are
you get total freedom over that but you
don't get it's not like you have there's
10 abilities available and you pick five
of them you just get the abilities
because we need we're hand designing
levels so we need to know whether you
can do this or you can't do that um and
that means we can't just give one wizard
six abilities there just isn't kind of
room in the structure and that's a
failing of the structure it shouldn't I
don't want that to be that case because
because making abilities is pretty quick
and high value for the player making
upgrades is incredibly quick and incred
well incredibly high value to the player
for the amount of time it takes to us to
do them and so I had this moment of like
I never want to be in this situation
again I only want to make games where
every cool ability we can think of every
cool upgrade we can think of it just
goes in there just throw it in the
bowl like it's all good stuff
and it should just be the structure of
the game should support us just adding
as much fit as we can make uh and it
should all be positive and that's you
know Rog likes just naturally do that
really just it's it's in the loop table
it's in the it's in the list of things
that could come up in a given run boosts
variety um boosts kind of promise it
exponentially boosts combinations like
having this ability with this perk and
this perk is you know magic and that's
that might even be one of one like top
of the list of the many many reasons why
the next game has to be a rogue like I'm
just 100% on that that's the thing I'm
most sure of it's the only thing I'm
100% sure of um because handcrafting
there's lots of reasons it's
costly I'm tempted to justify why we
went with handcrafter Stu for wizards
but I think that's a whole other video
but yeah next time definitely Ro
uh okay strongly appealing core fantasy
is easiest one to get H around I think
um uh I I I really
didn't consciously recognized this as a
as a rule or as as a desirable thing
until FTL was as big as it was I knew I
loved FTL before it came out and then it
came out and it was huge and um it was
pretty clear that that part of that
success was um you know I I the reason
it's is brilliant I could have told you
all the reasons it's brilliant before it
came out but after it came I had to come
out and do as well as it did for me to
understand for me to think about like
why is it you know as broadly popular
because that's not necessarily to do
with quality um does that sound critical
I didn't mean that's criticism at all um
uh what I'm saying is is the broad
appeal is very hard to predict quality
is easy to predict um and uh I think
part of the magic of FTL the reason it
was really touched a nerve was being
being a Star Trek Captain is something
the games have not served well and the
ones to this day like the ones that do
it really that now serve that fantasy
best are multiplayer games and that's
just hard to you know get a team
together for um so just a little single
player game that's pretty understandable
it's not very complex it's not
simulation it's it's it's nice and easy
to pick up and you can just be making
the kinds of calls that a Star Trek
Captain has to make for real like you
know it actually matters whether you
make this Choice one way or the other
that's something that just games hadn't
really done before to my knowledge and
it's a huge core fantasy it's it's it's
very appealing and loads of people want
that fantasy so I think you know for me
um I want to pick fantasies I'm excited
about you know being a a private
detective in in gunpoint I'm very into
that um breaking into spaceships in heat
signature maybe not such a core fantasy
like space pirate is never been a
particular thing for me but you know
sci-fi and and just um the fantasy of
like there's a spaceship out there it
hasn't docked it's not I'm not going to
raid the spaceship on the ground I'm
going into space I'm going to
break in through a window or an airlock
and I'm just going to get in and sneak
through it it's it's wildly ambitious
it's audacious um uh and that appeals to
me so like my appeal is going to be
based on how much I want to do this
fantasy but now I think a bit more of
like if you're thinking about the
commercial potential of a game idea um
how many people have that fantasy like
key Singlish is maybe not such a broad
one um breach Wizards is an interesting
one cuz I think it's very for me it's a
very Snappy inable idea in the sense of
just the title for some people you D on
the title and they're just like oh I'm
in that sounds great so it's a strong
fantasy in that sense um and but it's
it's not like one of those big
fundamental core core memory um
fantasies for all nerds being a Star
Trek Captain being a um you know Hot
Shot space pilot um
being um I don't know like a military
General there's some that are very well
served and there are some that
underserved um but uh yeah breach
Wizards is is sort of trying to be and
hopefully succeeding at being a new
fantasy like you you probably haven't
sat there thinking I wish I was a wizard
in a Tom Clancy game but but once I say
do you want to be a wizard in a Tom
Clancy game a lot of people be like yeah
sure so that's that's good who knows it
yeah it' be too soon to anyway to
comment on on how broad that fantasy is
because we wait to find out how well the
game
does um expressive play style choices uh
yeah this can be manifested in lots of
different ways there's lots of different
sort of avenues for this but obviously
play style just how do you approach this
level do you want to do it stealthy do
you want to do it non-violently
violently um I think this is definitely
call to to gunpoint um uh it's pretty Co
to heat signature uh which was is maybe
less so in that we don't let you be
lethal exactly there's uh for various
reasons it just this in the story
context it doesn't make sense to say hey
do you want to murder
everybody um but the the expressiveness
in in breach wiard is more about like
which abilities do you love which
abilities are you going to try and knock
everyone out of a window or are you
trying to slam them with damage or or
you know which abilities really click
for you and you're like ah I want to go
big on this and I want to make this the
core of my play St um and then more
expressive the better here so for future
games I really want your choices here to
be expressing who you are that's what
expressive means is is uh you make a
choice that it's not about expressing a
thought you just had it's expressing an
identity it's it's like in a in a video
game whether it's actually a role
playing game by name or not um part of
the fantasy part of what we're inviting
you to do to to to uh embody to uh uh to
explore is going to be an identity is it
like who do you want to be you know heat
is about being a space pirate it's not
just about breaking into spaceships if
that makes any sense um and so how do
you want to break into a spaceship how
do you want to go about that how do you
want to approach that is going to not
just Express a preference you have as a
gamer but it should Express who you want
to be in this world and actually he
signature um we did something kind of uh
a little bit unusual with this where
each life you're a different person and
then especially with the the anniversary
update we did um we pushed you to play
differently each time we told you this
person doesn't want to ever kill this
person is on a Revenge quest
with a sword they are definitely going
to kill uh this person you know can't
use gadgets or passes out with their
teleport we tried to prompt you to play
differently with each life and so that
was Heat sish Big experiment really or
one of the most interesting things that
I was uh wanted to explore with it was
um yes people have different play style
preferences in emergent games and and in
games that allow that kind of thing can
we coax you into varying that rather
than just the sort of um I guess I don't
mean to pick on this game because I love
it but I call it the prey problem where
like prey just it's real long
and it's great and you can be loads of
different characters but you kind of
pick one and you stick with it for all
of the 35 hours that you're going to be
playing the game and that feels like a
waste of its breadth I think probe maybe
Springs to mind because they did the
moon crash DLC which is specifically
about and it does a really good job and
a really interesting way of breaking
that problem anyway play style choic us
should be expressive expressive means it
expresses something about who you are
playing this time and that doesn't have
to be core to you it's it's usually cool
if it is core to you uh but then I also
believe that players have more in them
than one person they they can be
different kinds of people and explore
that and I want games to validate that
and and encourage
it um yeah Rog Lake Shuffle B good vle
writing I talked about being good
vehicle for abilities and upgrades good
vehicle for
writing um over the years I mean the
Heat Signature uh one of my regrets with
that and it's a hard one to fix is just
that there wasn't a lot of place for me
to just put writing into it uh I did a
little bit of that but it just didn't
Naturally Fit and I didn't force it
which is a good thing I shouldn't have
forced it but for future games um the
reason I I especially want to get
writing in there in a big way and the
reason it's under the efficiency
category is it's just
very straightforward like I'm not going
to um you know I'm not the greatest
writer and I'm definitely not the most
versatile writer there's I have a voice
and I stick to it you can recognize my
my voice pretty easily um breach Wiz I'm
trying to Branch out a bit and I hope
some of the characters sound different
to each other um but the the reason one
reason that that you'll hear a very
familiar voice in a lot of my writing is
that that voice comes very easily to me
and writing is that is very
straightforward and you know it's not
not quite that the first draft goes in
but it's not a lot of drafts it's
usually it's a first draft that's pretty
quick and then I come back to it a
couple weeks later and play it in
context and I see a bunch of things I
want to change and compared to every
other part of game development that is
like miraculously simple um uh if you
can have a game structure that supports
like there's going to be a conversation
here I'll write the conversation a
little while later if I'm unhappy with
the conversation I'll tweet the
conversation and that is all of the work
I'll ever do on it that is incredible
that's a gift everything else is like oh
God this is broken now because we
changed this other thing oh God and
there's actually all of my ideas about
this make perfect sense on paper but
then when you play them this doesn't
line up with that and now because we
changed this this thing breaks and this
thing works perfectly for me someone
else played it they had 100% different
experience and it didn't work at all for
them and now we got to try and find a
way to fix it for them without breaking
it for me like game development in every
other way is such an intricate Balancing
Act and the writing is the only part of
it that for me has gone real smoothly
where like just write something and
usually people like it and so the the
key thing here for like coming with the
game concept is uh writing needs to slot
into it so Heat Signature fails this
there just wasn't a good place to put
the writing um gunpoint really does well
on the on this um this bit structure
where well writing takes adding some
writing to the game takes a little more
than writing it so in gunpoint every
Mission has a briefing and a debrief
those writing those was was a case of
writing those and nothing else if you
were talking to a character you've never
talked to before I would need to to talk
to John to to make a portrait for that
character other than that no further
work just write the tile it's done uh
breach
Wizards the I I writing the dialogue is
pretty easy but then we need to lay out
the scene and every scene is a custom
art thing it's basically it's kind of
like a cut scene uh and so um my artist
John Roberts has to be heavily involved
and has do a bunch of work for each one
of those and if I want to add a new
scene he has to make a new scene uh was
a bit more expensive uh where gunpoint
shortcoming though was that there was no
way to add optional writing with there's
laptops who could hack but but if I just
wanted to add a conversation for flavor
there wasn't a structure for that that
was maybe a positive in the sense that
we got the game done much faster than
any of my other games um but the
downside is I think that the story of
that game is a little bit dry in the
sense that like the plot is entirely
about the machinations of some companies
and there's some interpersonal stuff
between those guys but it has nothing to
do with you really
and there isn't a lot of scope for just
building up the characters and having
the characters matter in terms of the
plot having like your character matter
in terms of the plot and someone else's
charact like breach Wizards is is a
ensemble cast and who they are and how
they feel about each other and what
they're going through is is core to the
story and that is partly because there's
just way it's a much better vehicle for
writing there's loads of places that
writing can go the one of the best
things the one of the greatest gifts for
that was realizing that like in a breach
and clear scenario right before every
time you breach the characters are
standing next to each other and they
have some time and they they can talk
there and so we have a breach
conversation before each level and
that's just been a great place to put
little you know it it follows a an
interesting um thing I've noticed with
writing in general in lots of different
ways where
um in a breach conversation either I
have some important information I want
to get across to you I want to tell you
something about the the challenge you're
about to face you know there's going to
be a new mechanic and I want to like
lead into it a little bit one of the
characters might know something about it
um or I don't I have nothing to say at
all but there's still a slot for writing
there and in those situations I don't
want to waste your time too much they're
not going to be long but uh sometimes
the writing that's that you're most
pleased with is stuff that you did what
you had nothing to
say um because I remember like a PC
Gamer writing the the guide to the demo
dis um that would come with each issue
that used to be my job and uh when I was
writing about game I didn't know or care
about uh some some of that was my best
writing let me tell you about this
football game I don't like can't
understand because I don't know football
and I'm just going to write for a while
um you definitely want both you wouldn't
want too much of that but
yeah um broad failure Spectrum I've done
a whole thing on failure spectrums
before it means it means there's a range
of outcomes between perfect success and
absolute failure got to restart the game
you want as many different gradations
between that and the advantage of that
is that you can be always on the brink
but rarely hit frustration and so what I
mean by that is like Plants versus
Zombies you're trying to stop all the
zombies before they get to your plants
at all if they do get to your plants
they'll start to eat your plants and
they might destroy your plants I think
that's how it works um but until that
happens you're on the brink of that
happening and you you feel like that
will be failure but then when it happens
the game doesn't end you have to restart
you're not pulled out of the game and
lose immersion and and get frustration
uh a plant gets eaten and then if they
eat all of your plants then they get all
the way to the end of the thing and when
that's at a risk of happening you're on
the brink of happening you're really
trying to make it not happen you're
having that good like threshold um kind
of feelings that you get in video games
and but if it does happen that's not the
end of the game a lmer goes out and
kills the all the zombies in that row so
even if you're about to fail multiple
times all of those failures have gone
away and you've lost a lmer so that
can't happen again in that
row yeah row but it can happen again in
every other row um and so it all that
that's a failure Spectrum it makes you
feel like you're on the brink of failure
when you're not uh which the advantage
of that is you don't don't hit
frustration very often but you do always
feel like oh I've got it really got to
make this work um tunable and risky I
always feel you could do better next
time this these two are probably too big
of a topic to to really explain right
now but tunable means that you it is
possible to tweak the game's difficulty
by say 5% up or down by turning you got
some dials you can turn so a game like
Hades all the enemy attacks are
telegraphed how long between it being
telegraphed and it actually happening is
something you could very finely fine
tune and it would dramatically affect
the difficulty well you know it would
affect the difficulty and so if you
hared it you would have a huge effect on
the difficulty if you reduced it by 5%
it would have an effect on the
difficulty you could fine-tune it and
risky means that it's um uh if you
failed to do something in the game that
you wanted to do for example win a run
over a road like or maybe just just
achieve more than you did last time um
in a risky game you always feel like
damn it give me one more go I could do
it like either because of skill of a bit
of random chance uh maybe just the way
that an enemy behaved was was you know
different this time um there's risk
whereas a completely figured out like
um uh deterministic game say chess
against a completely deterministic AI um
you might learn something and you might
have a reason to think you could if I
played differently I could I could uh
have a different outcome but there's an
advantage there's an upside to a game
just being risky in the sense of like I
think if I just give it another go I'll
do better um without necessarily using
some new upgrade or or anything like
that there are virtues to that that I I
won't go into in depth here because I
just out of time uh I think that's it
yeah I think that's it so that's what
I'm going for next time who knows if
this is the right formula it's done it
feels like about 70% of this is probably
as core DNA for um for me as a designer
and 30% is just stuff that's on my mind
right now because of the limitations I
hit with breach Wizards or or just
things that I'm impatient to sort of get
back to um but yeah this is going to be
what in what's high on my mind when
making the next game
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