ABSTRACT

This book provides a series of transdisciplinary tools to help game designers improve their design pipeline and design output. Using approaches from psychology, anthropology, and sociology, it offers practical tools for all the main aspects of game design from conception through to testing.

Drawing on game design theory, the book looks at the relationship between game design and other disciplines to create a toolbox of modern tools for game designers. It covers archetypes, praxeology, behavioural game design, and emotional game design. Covering a wide breadth of content, the book includes chapters on:

  • Documentation
  • Production
  • Evaluation
  • Analysis and Marketing tools

This book will be of great interest to students on game design courses, as well as early-career game designers and those looking to break into the industry. It will also be of interest to more experienced game designers looking for new game design tools.

section Section One|15 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|4 pages

How to Use This Book

chapter 2|9 pages

Book Introduction

section Section Two|49 pages

Analysis Tools

chapter 3|7 pages

Design and Analysis

chapter 4|32 pages

Target Audience Tools

chapter 5|7 pages

Data Tools

section Section Three|113 pages

Game Design Tools

chapter 6|5 pages

Introduction to Game Design Tools

chapter 7|9 pages

Brainstorming Techniques

chapter 8|17 pages

Praxeology

chapter 9|8 pages

Self-Determination Theory

chapter 10|6 pages

Habit Loop and Operant Conditioning

chapter 11|2 pages

Game Design Patterns

chapter 12|8 pages

MDA Framework

chapter 13|12 pages

Nudges

chapter 14|13 pages

Behavioural Game Design

chapter 15|9 pages

Emotional Game Design

chapter 16|17 pages

Emotional Theories

section Section Four|58 pages

Documentation

chapter 17|3 pages

Introduction to Documentation

chapter 18|28 pages

Golden Rules

chapter 19|24 pages

Pivotal Documents

section Section Five|8 pages

Conclusion

chapter 20|3 pages

Games, Cakes, and Love

chapter 21|2 pages

The Cake Is Real