Guide · Game Design
Turn a vague idea into one testable mechanic
When a learner proposes an open-world survival RPG, do not argue about the whole game. Find the smallest uncertain interaction and test that.
Write the question
Use a sentence that a playtest can challenge: ‘Does switching between heat and light create an interesting risk?’ is better than ‘Is my game good?’
Remove everything that cannot answer it
- Use placeholders instead of finished art.
- Build one room, encounter or turn rather than a complete level.
- Track one or two behaviours that would support or challenge the idea.
Decide what happens after the test
Keep it, change one variable, or drop it. A prototype that disproves an idea early has done useful work.
Generate a concept, circle its riskiest assumption and give learners 30 minutes to test only that.
Keep moving
Useful next steps.
Mechanics, dynamics and player experience
Separate what the rules allow, what happens during play and what that tends to make players feel or do.
Mechanic Mashup
Combine an unusual mechanic and genre, then turn the novelty into one playable rule rather than a page of lore.
Twine for branching prototypes
An open-source tool for making and testing nonlinear interactive stories in the browser or desktop app.