Level 6 of the Los Angeles Film School's Game Mechanics class.

1. Level 6
David Mullich
Game Mechanics
The Los Angeles Film School

3. Social Interaction
 Reasons for Communicating
 Communication Channels
 Turn-Based vs. Real-Time

4. Types of Social Interaction
 Conflict
 Competition
 Direct vs. Indirect
 Player Killing
 Betrayal
 Cooperation
 Player-Decided Results
 Alliances
 Team Play

5. Social Interaction Mechanics
 Negotiations
 Social Dilemmas
 Trading
 Bidding
 Bluffing

7. Sid Meier
“Games are a series
of interesting
decisions”

8. What do you need to make decisions?

9. Information!

10. Game State
A snapshot of the game. The "game state" changes if any
of the objects or values in the game changes: life values,
info is revealed, cards moving zones, counters on objects.

11. What Information Is In These Game
States?

12. Closure Point
Events in gameplay where the game state is, or
can be, reduced in size.

13. Closure Point Examples
 Elimination
 Levels
 Missions
 Quests
 Tournaments

14. What Happens When A Closure Point Is
Reached?

16. Perfect Information
The player has full and reliable access to current or past
information about a game component, or that the total
current or past game state is known to the player.

17. Why Designers Use Perfect
Information
 Reveals Achilles Heels
 Goal Prevention (if Interferable)
 Strategic Planning
Warning:
 Analysis Paralysis

18. Hidden Information
3 Minute Game Design: Episode 7

19. What Was The Main Message Of This
Video?

20. Alternatives
 Moderately placed information horizon
 Deep core mechanic

21. What Else Can You Do To Make A Game
With Perfect Information A Challenging
Game?

22. Introducing Unpredictability
 Randomness
 Negotiations
 Dynamic Alliances

23. Perfect Information Design
Considerations
 Game State Size
 Number of Closure Points
 Information Visibility Time
 Unpredictable Elements

24. What About These Games?
Poker Pandemic

25. Imperfect Information
When one aspect of the total game situation is not fully
known to a player, the information known to the player is
totally wrong, or the accuracy of the information is limited.

26. Where Is The Imperfect Information?

27. Faulty Information
 Bluffing
 Faking Near Miss Indicators
 Red Herrings

28. What’s A Red Herring? That Sounds
Fishy!

29. Red Herring
Something, especially a clue, that is or is
intended to be misleading or distracting.

30. Why Designers Use Imperfect
Information
Encourages:
 Surprises
 Leaps of Faith
 Memorization
 Experimenting
 Risk/Reward Decisions
 Replayability
Limits:
 Strategic Planning
Warning
 Imperfect Information about Rules can lead to arguments
 Can encourage or discourage Analysis Paralysis

31. Imperfect Information Design
Considerations
 What parts of the game state are not
revealed?
 Is information limited or faulty?
 How can missing information be revealed?
 What are the incentives gain the missing
information?

32. Uncertainty of Information
The information available to players may
have different levels of reliability.

33. What Is The Difference Between Imperfect
Information And Uncertain Information?

34. Direct vs. Indirect Information
Uncertainty
Indirect Information
 Information is
interpreted
incorrectly
Direct Information
 Information might
be tampered with!

35. Sources of Uncertain Information
 Imperfect Information
 Indirect Information
 Negotiation with Asymmetric Information
 Gain Information or Exploration Goals

36. Why Designers Use Uncertain
Information
 Secret Alliances
 Secret Resources
 Unknown Goals

37. Uncertainty of Information Design
Considerations
 Can players choose actions and goals without
consuming game elements?
 Do actions have a delayed effect?
 Is there unmediated social interaction?
 Do communication channels pass along
imperfect information?
 Are game elements that collect information
unreliable?
 Are there any red herrings?

39. Symmetric Information
All players have the same information about the
game state, or part of the game state, available
to them.

40. Why Designers Use Symmetric
Information
Encourages:
 Strategic Planning
Discourages:
 Bluffing
 Secret Tactics
Warning!
 Analysis Paralysis

41. Symmetric Information Design
Considerations
 Do players have the same information
about the entire game state or just part of
the game state?
 Is the symmetric information enforced or
potential?

42. Asymmetric Information
Players have different information available to
them – some know more than others.

43. Why Designers Use Asymmetric
Information
Supports:
 Unknown Goals
 Gain Information
 Conceal
 Secret Resources
 Secret Alliances
 Bluffing
 Betrayal
Balances:
 Asymmetric Abilities
 Negotiation

44. Asymmetric Information Design
Considerations
 What kind of information is asymmetric?
 Who has imperfect information about the
game state?

45. Public Information
All or part of the information about the game
state is available during the game to people other
than the players.

46. Why Designers Use Public
Information
Encourages
 Trans-Game Information
 Social Status of Players
 Spectators
 Extra-Game Consequences

47. Public Information Design
Considerations
 What information is public?
 Can spectators influence players’ actions?

49. Alarms
Abstract game elements that provide information
about particular game state changes.

50. Why Designers Use Alarms
 Provide Game State Change Information
 Disrupt Focused Attention
Signify Failure Of:
 Stealth
 Rescue
 Reconnaissance

51. Alarms Design Considerations
 How are alarms tripped?
 What happens when they are tripped?
 Can tools or controllers can manipulate
alarms?

52. Clues
Game elements that give the players information
about how the goals of the game can be
reached.

53. Types of Clues
Direct Information Helper
Indirect Information
about Goal
Warning
Indirect Information
about Danger

54. Why Designers Use Clues
 Balance Difficulty
 Provide Smooth Learning Curves
 Assist Game World Navigation
 Encourage Exploration
 Inform Completion of Low-Level Goals
 Support Narrative Structure
 Increase Tension
 Provide Red Herrings
Warning! May Break With
 Emotional Immersion
 In-Game Reality

55. Clues Design Considerations
 Direct or Indirect?
 Advice, Encouragement or Warning?
 Game Object?

56. Extra-Game Information
Information provided within the game that
concerns subjects outside the game world.

57. Types of Extra-Game Information
Hint Outstanding Features

58. Why Designers Use Extra-Game
Information
 Provide Information on Controls or Strategic
Information
 Ensure Smooth Learning Curves
 Balance Difficulty and Complexity
 Promote Memorization
 Provide Illusionary Rewards
Warning! May impact:
 Immersion

59. Extra-Game Information Design
Considerations
 What information about the controls or
interface does it provide?
 How does it provide that information?
 Does it provide any strategic knowledge?

61. Gain Information
Performing actions in a game to receive
information or make deductions.

62. Why Designers Use Find Information
Goals
Encourages:
 Exploration
 Experimentation
 Memorization
 Strategic Planning
 Puzzle Solving
Supports:
 Discovering Achilles Heals
 Finding Strategic Locations and Hidden
Resources

63. Gain Information Design
Considerations
 What information does the player need to
gain?
 How is the information gain verified?
 Is the information gained direct or indirect?

64. Conceal Information
The goal of trying to hinder another player’s
ability to gain information.

65. Why Designers Use Conceal Information
Goals
 Prevent other player’s Gain Information
Goals
 Support Limited Set of Actions
Promotes:
 Tension
 Trade-Offs

66. Conceal Design Considerations
 Is the hidden information provided to a
player, or does a player choose or create
it?
 Where is the information hidden?
 When can the action of hiding be
performed?
 Are there “red herrings”?

67. Choose one of the following games to play:
 *Clans (2-4p, 30m)
 *Igloo Pop (2-6p, 15-20m)
 *Mr. Jack (2p, 30m)
 Mykerinos (2-4p, 30-60m)
 |Mystery of the Abbey (3-6p, 60-90m)
 +Stratego (2p, 30-60+m)

68. Group Quest
Design an analog game prototype using
mechanics supporting one of the following goals:
 Gain Information
 Conceal

70. Communication Channels
The medium and the methods players can
use to send information to other players.

71. Why Designers Use Communication
Channels
Source of:
 Direct Information
 Indirect Information
 Uncertain Information
Encourages:
 Social Interaction
 Social Organizations
Balances
 Public Information

72. Communication Channels Design
Considerations
 Face-to-face or mediated?
 Synchronous or asynchronous?
 Verbal or non-verbal?

73. Game State Overview
Players are provided with information that
extends beyond the observational abilities
provided by the game elements.

74. Forms Of Game State Overviews
 God Views
 Maps
 Score Indicators
 Progress Indicators
 Near Miss Indicators
 Goal Indicators
 Book-Keeping Tokens
 Cut Scenes

75. Why Designers Use Game State
Overviews
Provides:
 Strategic Information
Supports:
 Game World Navigation
 Attention Swapping
 Puzzle Solving
 Strategic Planning
 Player-Defined Goals
 Cognitive Immersion
Discourages:
 Attention Swapping
 Surprise
 Leaps of Faith
Warning! Can Cause:
 Analysis Paralysis

76. Game State Overview Design
Considerations
 What game state information is provided?
 How is the game state overview provided?

77. Use the LMS to analyze information quality
and distribution in several games of your
choosing.