11 game design goals I wanna hit with the next game

Summary

In 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

00:00

🎮 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.

05:01

🛠️ 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.

10:03

🧙‍♂️ 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.

15:04

🌟 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.

20:04

📚 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.

25:05

🎉 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.

Keywords

💡Game Design Bible

The term 'Game Design Bible' refers to a comprehensive guide or set of principles that a game designer follows to create a game. It encapsulates the core ideas, mechanics, and philosophies that form the foundation of the game's development. In the video, the speaker discusses their personal 'Game Design Bible' and how it has evolved over time, particularly with the release of games like 'Gunpoint' and 'Heat Signature 2'.

💡Obvious Pleasures

In the context of game design, 'Obvious Pleasures' are the elements of a game that are inherently enjoyable or satisfying to the player. This could be anything from the mechanics, visuals, or sounds that provide immediate gratification. The speaker uses the example of knocking people through windows in 'Gunpoint' as an 'Obvious Pleasure' because breaking glass is satisfying in both real life and in video games.

💡Brain Food

'Brain Food' is a term used to describe the intellectual or strategic aspects of a game that challenge the player's thinking and problem-solving skills. It's what keeps the player engaged on a deeper level beyond the immediate gratification of gameplay. The speaker mentions 'Gunpoint's puzzle-solving element and the strategic route planning in 'Heat Signature' as examples of 'Brain Food'.

💡Gut Calls

'Gut Calls' refers to decisions in a game that are complex and do not have a clear-cut right or wrong answer. These decisions involve a degree of uncertainty and require the player to think deeply, often balancing multiple factors. The speaker introduces 'Gut Calls' as a new concept in their 'Game Design Bible' and describes it as a sweet spot between overly simple and too complex decisions that keep the player engaged and thinking.

💡Roguelike

A 'Roguelike' is a type of video game characterized by random generation of levels, permanent death of the player character, and often a focus on strategy and resource management. The speaker expresses a strong desire to create a 'Roguelike' game in the future due to their efficiency in providing a high amount of content and replayability with relatively less development effort.

💡Combinatorial Content

'Combinatorial Content' pertains to the elements within a game that can be combined in various ways to create new experiences or strategies. This concept is central to the speaker's design philosophy, as it allows for a high degree of replayability and discovery. The speaker emphasizes the importance of adding enough combinable content to reach a 'surprise threshold' where players encounter unexpected and exciting combinations.

💡Shuffle Game Design

'Shuffle Game Design' is a term coined by the speaker to describe a design approach where game elements are rearranged or 'shuffled' to create new challenges and experiences. This is particularly relevant to 'Roguelike' games, where procedural generation ensures that each playthrough offers a fresh experience. The speaker uses 'Heat Signature' as an example where the game's level generator shuffles pre-existing elements to create new scenarios.

💡Expressive Play Style Choices

This concept refers to the ability of a game to allow players to express their identity or preferences through the choices they make in gameplay. The speaker values games that go beyond just offering different strategies and allow players to embody a certain persona or play style. 'Gunpoint' and 'Heat Signature' are mentioned as games that facilitate different play styles, such as stealthy or violent approaches.

💡Core Fantasy

'Core Fantasy' is the central, overarching theme or fantasy that a game allows the player to experience. It's the main appeal or draw of the game that resonates with the player's imagination. The speaker discusses the importance of choosing a 'Core Fantasy' that has broad appeal, using 'FTL' as an example where the fantasy of being a Star Trek Captain had a wide appeal.

💡Broad Failure Spectrum

A 'Broad Failure Spectrum' in game design refers to the range of outcomes a player can experience between complete success and total failure. This concept aims to keep the player engaged by providing a variety of failure states that do not pull them out of the game experience. The speaker uses 'Plants vs. Zombies' as an example, where the player feels the pressure of failure without the frustration of having to restart.

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