1. Gameplay Design
DAY 2
Petri Lankoski
petri.lankoski@sh.se

2. Chance
Can be used to Ways to introduce
chance
delay/prevent solvability
Dice
decrease the role of skill
Cards
increase variety
Pseudo-random numbers
create dramatic moments
Hidden information
add risk-reward
decisions Other game objects

3. Dice
Each number of a die has equal change to
be rolled
Each roll is independent event
previous rolls does not influence next rolls
BUT: 2D6, 3D10, etc., skews toward center
(2D6 -> 7, 3D10 -> 16.5)

4. D6 Probabilities
Figure: Weisstein, http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Dice.html

5. Dice Probabilities
1D6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Probability 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6

6. Dice Probabilities
1D6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Probability 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6
2D6 (SUM)

7. Dice Probabilities
1D6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Probability 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6
2D6 (SUM)
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
6 7 8 9 10 11 12

8. Dice Probabilities
1D6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Probability 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6
2D6 (SUM)
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
6 7 8 9 10 11 12

9. Dice Probabilities
1D6
1 2 3 4 5 6
Probability 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6 1/6
Prob.
2D6 (SUM) 2 1/36
3 2/36
1 2 3 4 5 6
4 3/36
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
5 4/36
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
6 5/36
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
7 6/36
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
8 5/36
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
9 4/36
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
10 3/36
11 2/36
12 1/36

10. Cards
Offers more ways to control randomness
Possibility to hide information and reveal it
later
Can work as game objects
Probability of an event depends of previous
events (drawn cards)
shuffling resets

11. Pseudo-Random
Numbers
Computer-generated numbers that are
almost random
1D6 in Unity: (int)(Random.value * 5) + 1
Possibility to repeat the same event
sequence when desired

12. Hidden Information
Not random element as such
When information is not available, players
first choices are random guesses

13. Other Game Objects
Spinners
Roulette wheel
...

14. Design Task
Main dynamic: Territorial acquisition
Two goals:
conquer all the terrain
own most of the terrain in turn X
Players: 2-4
Deliverables: Board-game, card-game, or tile-based
game prototype

15. What is this game about? THEME?
How do I play? MECHANICS?
How do I win? GOALS?
Why do I want to play?
What things do i need to do?
How do I reach the GOALS; what are the obstacles;
DYNAMICS?

16. Handy Tricks
Change unlimit / limit resources
Experiment with play order
Kill a rule until you have the core left
Drastic changes to values (2*, /2)
Change dynamic (add / remove / change a
feature)

17. Further reading
Brathwaite & Schreiber,
Challenger for Game
Designers. Course Technology
Chapter 5 Elements of Chance
+ Chapter 8 Chance and Skill:
Finding Balance