The informal process of game design
There are a number of ways you can approach game design, but often an informal approach is the most suitable method to begin with.
Developing a game idea
There are lots of ways to uncover great ideas for game designs. We’ve outlined a few approaches below that might help inspire you!
You could attempt to replicate an existing game, like PacMan, where the rules and game design are predetermined. This gives you a framework within which to operate right from the start.
You might also consider replicating an environment that all game players would be familiar with, like a maze. There are numerous elements about the game that you’d still need to determine. Is it a maze from which you have to escape, or one in which you need to reach an item in the middle? Will there be creatures or objects to challenge you as you progress? Whatever decisions you make, the basic concept of how a maze works will offer you a starting point.
You might use the characteristics of a familiar physical game as your starting point. Take tag for example. Numerous games are built around this simple schoolyard activity. Because it is a game that everyone is familiar with, no matter what incarnation you choose, your audience will have an immediate way of engaging with it.
If it’s your first attempt at a game with Kodu however, you’ll want to keep it simple, and perhaps aim to achieve one or two simple tasks.
For example, you may decide that initially that you want to simply build the topography, and insert a character that wanders around the landscape. Once you’ve achieved that, you might add another layer of complexity, and then another.
Testing
Testing shouldn’t be something you do at the end of the game creation process. Making alterations, and then testing to ensure they have worked as you intended should be done as you progress, not at the end of the process.
Try to achieve too many new things at once in your game, and you may find it difficult to rectify your problems all at once. One of the main reasons this is the case, is that your character interactions become unclear. Is the Kodu bot moving because he hears or sees something? Or is he simply moving of his own accord? If you have too many new elements introduced into the game at once, you may find it difficult to determine whether even simple improvements you’ve made have been successfully achieved.
Getting other users to test your games for you is another solid step in this process. Other users will have different approaches to game design, and will have their own solutions to problems you encounter that you may not have considered previously.
Refinement
It’s a good idea to offer up progressive versions of your game creations for the assessment of your peers. With each new version you can more easily see where improvements have been made, and how successful your updates have been.
You can revert to previous attempts if you have to, and try different approaches to find out what the Kodu community thinks of your improvements.
Other users will also benefit from being able to keep track of your progress and understand how you improved your games, enabling them to replicate your achievements in their own games.