1. Game Mechanics &
Gameplay Design Patterns
A language to support game design
Staffan Björk
Interactive Institute & Gothenburg University

2. What You Will Learn

The idea behind Game Mechanics and Gameplay
Design Patterns

How these can be used to externalize your
knowledge

How these can be used to develop game concepts

3. Who am I?

4. Schedule

5. Wednesday
13.30-14.00
14.00-15.15
15.30-16.30
Introduction & Presentation of Mechanics
Exercise I: Mechanics Identification
Present mechanics candidates

6. Thursday
10.00-10.30
10.30-12.00
Presentation of Design Patterns
Exercise II: Map pattern network in own game
12.00-13.00
Lunch
13.00-14.00
Present network
14.00-16.00
Exercise III: Analyze problems in own game
with patterns
16.00-17.00
Presentation of analyses

7. Friday
10.00-10.15
Recap
10.15-12.00
Exercise IV: Update pattern network to
address problems in own game
13.00-14.30
Present updated game designs
14.30Debriefing

8. The need for a Gameplay
Design Language

9. 9/58

10. Challenges in Gameplay Design
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Explain values of novel game concepts
Understanding differences between games
Gain understanding within development teams
Communication between developers and stakeholders
Exploit new platforms and technologies
Depersonalize intended gameplay
Describe gameplay problems
Specify foci of gameplay evaluations

11. Design is typically a Wicked Problem
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Characteristics of Wicked Problems
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Not understood until after solutions are found
Have no stopping rule
Solutions are not right or wrong
Every problem is essentially novel and unique
Every solution is a 'one shot operation'
Solutions have no given alternatives
How to Mitigate Wicked Problems?
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Methods
Language to discuss aspects or parts of the problem

12. Gameplay

The goal-driven activities related to a game system
whose values are solely described in direct relation to
that game system
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Boundaries
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Not Diegetic Aspects
Not Interfaces Aspects
Not Narrative Aspects
But these are often interrelated in game designs

13. Game Mechanics

14. What is a Game Mechanic?


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“the guts of a design document” (Rouse, 2005)
“rule based system/simulations that facilitate and
encourage a user to explore and learn the properties of
their possibility space through the use of feedback
mechanisms” (Cook, 2005)
“the particular components of the game, at the level of
data representations and algorithms (…) mechanics are
the various actions, behaviours, and control mechanisms
afforded to the player within a game context” (Hunicke,
Zubek, LeBlanc, 2004)

15. What is a Game Mechanic? Cont.

“methods invoked by agents, designed for
interaction with the game state” (Sicart, 2008)
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“game mechanics are best described with
verbs” (Järvinen, 2008)

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Inspired by OO-programing
Move, Attack, Climb, Take, Push, etc.
Agents not only players

16. Exercise I

17. Exercise I: Analyze your game for
gameplay mechanics
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Go through your view on what is the core gameplay
Go through what distinguishes the game from similar games
Make notes on candidates for gameplay mechanics
 And a one sentence description
Intended Result – 10+ mechanic candidates
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Gameplay mechanics
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goal-driven activities related to a game system whose values are solely described
in direct relation to that game system
methods invoked by agents, designed for interaction with the game state
At 15.30 you should present the results to others
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Short overview
List of mechanics and their descriptions

18. Student Presentations

19. Indentified Mechanics
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Samla VP
Anfall motståndare och slå tärning
Ta resurser/föremål
Släpp eller saka resurser/föremål
Sorta kort
Blanda kort
Dra Kort
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Spela kort från hand
Aktivera förmåga
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Dra kort till hand
Dra kort och spela kort
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Temporärt höja statvärde
Sänka statvärde
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Slå och Gå
Ta genväg
Höja statvärde

Aktivera dold förmåga
Manipulera inventory
Ta skada
Återuppstå
Placera monster
Förflytta monster
Lägga ut spelruta
Erövra spelruta
Skicka vidare first player token
Läka
Förflyttta sig
Temporärt höja statvärde
Memory
Undersöka dold resurser/föremål
Samarbeta
Klara utmaning (quest)
Köpa resurser/föremål
Byta resurser/föremål
Få resurser/föremål
Stjäl resurser/föremål
Avsluta spel
Aktivera immunitet
Betala uppehåll
Investera resurs

Investera dold resurs

20. Thursday
10.00-10.30
10.30-12.00
Presentation of Design Patterns
Exercise II: Map pattern network in own game
12.00-13.00
Lunch
13.00-14.00
Present network
14.00-16.00
Exercise III: Analyze problems in own game
with patterns
16.00-17.00
Presentation of analyses

21. Gameplay Design
Patterns

22. Gameplay Design Patterns

A way to describe reoccurring design choices
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A guide of how to make similar design choices in
game projects
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Offers possible explanations to why these design
choices have been made
Codify unintentional features so they can be
intentional choices in later designs
What is required to make a pattern emerge
What consequences do a pattern have?
Not only problem solving
Gameplay Design Patterns a way to describe
components on all levels within the design
language

23. Gameplay Design Pattern Examples
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Power-Ups
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First Person Views
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Sequences of storytelling where players cannot act
Parallel Lives
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The act of taking aim at something and then shooting at it
Cut Scenes
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Players are shown the game world as if they were inside it
Aim & Shoot
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Game elements that activate time-limited advantages when
collected
Game elements that when individually lost do not interrupt
gameplay, but do so when all are lost. High
High Score Lists

The storing of scores after games have finished so the they
can be compared

24. What is the difference?!?
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Basically, relations
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Sicart does talk about the need to trace
relationship but does not argue for documenting
general relations
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Only specific ones found in specific games
Patterns includes more abstract phenomena
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Not only verbs
Observable features and experiences

25. Gameplay Design Pattern Examples

Power-Ups


First Person Views


Sequences of storytelling where players cannot act
Parallel Lives


The act of taking aim at something and then shooting at it
Cut Scenes


Players are shown the game world as if they were inside it
Aim & Shoot


Game elements that activate time-limited advantages when
collected
Game elements that when individually lost do not interrupt
gameplay, but do so when all are lost. High
High Score Lists

The storing of scores after games have finished so the they
can be compared

26. Gameplay Design Pattern Relations

Small changes in a game can
have large effects on gameplay
and overall game experience
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This due delicate balances,
risk/reward, meaningful choices, etc.
Patterns related to each other
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Explains effects of having a pattern
Proposes possible causes for a
pattern to be in a design
Provides alternatives how to make a
pattern emerge in a design
Suggests ways of modifying
patterns
Alerts of possible incompatibilities

27. Types of relations
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Can Instantiate
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α(β)→ α⃰
High Score Lists ( Tiebreakers ) → High Score Lists⃰
Potentially Conflicting With

α←β
Cut Scenes ← Dedicated Game Facilitators
Can Be Modulated By

β(α)→β⃰
Game World ( First-Person Views ) → Game World ⃰
Can Be Instantiated By

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Parallel Lives → Attention Swapping
Can Modulate

α→β
First-Person Views ≠ God Views
α≠β

28. Relations between GDPs
Surprises
Limited Foresight
Analysis Paralysis
Randomness
Luck
Fixed Distributions
Drawing Stacks
Cards
D4
Dice
D6
D8
D10
D12
D20

30. Mechanics, Dynamics,
Aesthetics
http://algorithmancy.8kindsoffun.com/
Marc LeBlanc
(Ultima Underworld II, System Shock, Flight
Unlimited, Terra Nova, Thief I-II, Deus Ex, NFL 2K2,
NBA 2K2, Oasis, Field Commander)

31. The MDA model
Code
Processes
Requirements
Rules
Game Sessions
“Fun”
Mechanics
Dynamics
Aesthetics

32. MDA - Eight Kinds of "Fun"
1. Sensation
Game as sense-pleasure
2. Fantasy
Game as make-believe
3. Narrative
Game as drama
4. Challenge
Game as obstacle course
5. Fellowship
Game as social framework
6. Discovery
Game as uncharted territory
7. Expression
Game as self-discovery
8. Submission
Game as pastime

33. Different Levels of Patterns
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Patterns fit into the MDA framework
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Mechanical gameplay patterns
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Dynamic gameplay patterns
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E.g. Power-Ups, Aim & Shoot, Cut Scenes
E.g. Red Queen Dilemmas, Choke points
Aesthetical gameplay patterns
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E.g. Player Adaptability, Camaraderie

34. Exercise II: Map pattern network in
own game
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Update mechanics list with ones from the combined list
Translate mechanics to patterns
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Consider additional patterns
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General – not game specific – relations!!!
Indentify disconnected or loosely connected patterns
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Especially dynamic and Aesthetical
Find relations between the patterns
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Consider generalizing
Consider where in the MDA scheme they fit
Consider new pattterns
Repeat from ”Consider additional patterns”
Presentation should be a network with different types of links
MDA level preferably also

35. Thematic
Consistency
Spectacular
Failure
Enjoyment
Tension
Replayability
Higher-Level
Closures as
Gameplay
Progresses
Stimulated
Planning
Luck
Emotional
Engrossment
Instakills
Helplessness
Surprise
Attacks
Stealth
Micromanagement
Challenging
Gameplay
Combat
Enemies
Roaming
Enemies
Movement
Budgeted
Action
Points
Loss of
Control
Risk/Reward
Avalanche
Effects
Randomness
Line of
Sight
Uncertainty of
Information
Time
Limits
Save-Load
Cycles
Tradeoffs
Irreversible
Events
Character
Development
Positive
Feedback
Loops
Inventories
Equipment
Slots
Rotate
In Place
Transfer
of Control
Time Unit
System
Lingering
Effects
Equipment
Poison
Fog of War
Exploding
Objects
Levels
2-phase
Actions
Incompatible
Goals
Progress
Evaluations
Achievements
Permadeath
Difficulty
Levels
Technology
Trees
Privileged
Abilities
Talent
trees
Increased statistics
Ironman Mode
Most patterns mention from X:EU and X:UD (Green indicates presence in both games,
red only in X:UD, and blue only in X:EU). Solid lines indicate instantiating relations and
dashes lines modulating ones. Boxes without outlines are mechanics.

36. Indentified Mechanics



Sortera kort
Blanda kort
Dra Kort








Spela kort från hand
Anfall motståndare och slå tärning
Ta skada
Läka
Återuppstå
Förflyttta sig












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
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

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Aktivera immunitet
Skicka vidare first player token
Sabotera



Temporärt höja statvärde
Memory
Samarbeta
Ta resurser/föremål
Släpp eller saka resurser/föremål
Undersöka dold resurser/föremål
Köpa resurser/föremål
Byta resurser/föremål
Få resurser/föremål
Stjäl resurser/föremål
Manipulera inventory
Betala uppehåll
Investera resurs

Aktivera dold förmåga
Temporärt höja statvärde
Sänka statvärde

Lägga ut spelruta
Erövra spelruta
Placera monster
Förflytta monster
Aktivera förmåga





Höja statvärde

Slå och Gå
Ta genväg


Dra kort till hand
Dra kort och spela kort

Investera dold resurs
Samla VP
Klara utmaning (quest)
Avsluta spel
Tur

37. Types of relations

Can Instantiate




α(β)→ α⃰
High Score Lists ( Tiebreakers ) → High Score Lists⃰
Potentially Conflicting With

α←β
Cut Scenes ← Dedicated Game Facilitators
Can Be Modulated By

β(α)→β⃰
Game World ( First-Person Views ) → Game World ⃰
Can Be Instantiated By


Parallel Lives → Attention Swapping
Can Modulate

α→β
First-Person Views ≠ God Views
α≠β

38. Student Presentations

39. Exercise III: Analyze problems
in own game with patterns


Start with listing identified gameplay problems with your
current design
Locate patterns related to these problems

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Identified missing patterns that would have solved these
problems

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Possibly have to update the network…
Consider especially dynamic (e.g. for balancing) and aesthetical
(“fun”) patterns
End result should be highlighted map and list of missing
patterns

40. Student Presentations

41. Exercise IV: Update pattern network
to address problems in own game
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Consider the identified problem patterns and missing
patterns
For problem patterns
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Consider patterns to modulate these patterns
Consider removing or replacing these patterns
For missing patterns
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Consider how to add these patterns
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What relations to existing patterns do they add?
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Are these a problem?
What more abstract patterns in the MDA model to they add
What more concrete patterns need to be added to reach mechanics?
End result should be updated map

42. Roundup

43. Differences between Design and Craftwork

Knowledge transferal
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Crafts are primarily learned
by imitation
Practitioners can not
motivate why one does
things one way
Unintentional trial-and-error
experiments
Information about designs
are only recorded in the
produced artifact

44. Advantages of Design Languages








Explain values of novel game concepts
Understand differences between games
Gain understanding within development teams
Communicate with stakeholders
Exploit new platforms and technologies
Depersonalize intended gameplay
Describe gameplay problems
Specify foci of gameplay evaluations

45. Thank you!
Questions?