To create or design a video game used to take a lot of technical know-how, but modern tools have made it much simpler. However, knowing the fundamentals of game design might be the difference between a merely good game and a truly excellent one.
We’ll walk you through some of the fundamentals so you can get the ball rolling on your game.
Here are the basic building blocks for making a video game.
How to Start design a video game
1. Think of a fun idea for a game.
Developing a game begins with thinking of a fun and original premise. You’ll also need to settle on a genre for your game (e.g., racing game, shooter, RPG, etc.). You might also have thoughts about the game’s overall theme, features, and visual aesthetic. Your game design document is where you should be keeping all of these notes.
2.Draft a Game Plan (GDD)
The most crucial parts of your game are documented in a dynamic document called the Game Design Document. If you’re going to be working on your game with others, the Game Design Document (GDD) is a valuable tool for communicating and coordinating everyone’s contributions toward the final product. Your game’s pitch and funding efforts will also benefit from its use (investors want to see a solid plan before investing).
In your Game Design Document, you should have the following:
- A thought or theory
- Genre
- The plot and the main players
- Fundamentals of the Game
- Gameplay
- Planning of Spaces and Worlds
- Images and drafts
- Profit-making Methodology
A GDD aids in organization, helps spot dangers and provides insight into who you might need to hire or outsource to bring your project to life. Even if you think your game concept is simple, laying it out in a GDD can help you recognize how involved and time-consuming it is.
3. Acquaint yourself with the fundamentals of game design
Learning the fundamentals of game design and how games are created will help you create a great one. When putting together your Game Design Document, keep these three guidelines in mind:
Limit yourself to a single, central gameplay feature.
When creating a game, it’s best to zero in on a single central mechanic. An essential gameplay mechanism is an interaction with the game world with which the player will engage frequently.
To win, players in Pacman must devour all the dots on the screen; in Clash of Clans, they must plunder neighboring villages to build their own.
If a game’s mechanics are boring, players will lose interest fast. Take a close look at the games you enjoy most and see if you can identify any recurring gameplay elements.
The best games are the ones that are the easiest to pick up and play.
Make your game intuitive if you want more people to play it. Don’t presume your player knows as much as you do. Players will pick up the rules more quickly if you keep them straightforward and introduce them one at a time. Facilitate your players’ acquisition of new abilities and strategies to help them overcome your challenges.
4. Identify the necessary tools and expertise
In larger studios, both game designers and game programmers work together to create games (compare and contrast the roles of a programmer and designer). At the same time, in smaller firms, everyone may need to wear multiple hats. The same holds true if you’re developing your own game. You’ll need to learn to code and design a game if you have the resources to hire somebody to do it for you.
You can determine the program to create your game by analyzing your available resources and personal abilities. It takes greater knowledge of programming to use some gaming engines than others.
The cost of using many game engines is zero until you begin to monetize your game. If you wish to produce games for a living, you should familiarize yourself with popular game engines used by major studios, such as Unreal Engine and Unity 3D.
In case you’re looking for some free resources, here are five that you can try:
Multi-Platform Game Development Platform Based on Unreal Engine 4 and Unity 3D
Studio 2 Build 3 Godot Engine GameMaker
Even a novice programmer can make a playable game. To make a graphic game, you need to know more about computer languages. More time learning to code may be required if you want to get fancy. Some of the most widely spoken tongues are as follows:
C++: This widely used language is responsible for developing complex games like World of Warcraft and Counter-Strike. The C language dominates video game development. Although challenging to master, they give you more agency in the game. If you aspire to work for a large game developer, learning C++ is a wise investment of your time.
Java is the most popular programming language for use with Android Studio due to the flexibility it affords in terms of design. You can quickly become proficient in Java with some effort and time.
JavaScript: JavaScript is the easiest programming language to pick up and can be used to create simple mobile games. Games for mobile devices can be developed using a combination of JavaScript and other languages, such as CSS and HTML. The learning curve is short if you’re entirely new to game design.
5. Get going on your first video game today!
This is the exciting part! It will take a lot of experimentation to determine what works best as you construct your game, and you may find that some of your first assumptions need to be corrected. Get your loved ones involved by having them try out your prototypes and provide feedback.
Keep in mind that it’s one thing to create a fantastic video game for your amusement. But considering your target demographic is essential if you want to make money off your game. To what end do they live? Where do they get their drive?
In what manner do they prefer to absorb information?
Incorporate this analysis and testing into your design process to increase the likelihood of creating a successful game.
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