every part of the game. In particular, certain sections have deliberately been kept short.
For instance, the listing of enemy robots is much smaller than it would be if the docu-
ment actually described all of the enemies in the game. Similarly, a full version of this
design document would include descriptions of more projectiles for Sam to throw, more
devices and contraptions for him to manipulate, and more of the characters he would
meet in the game-world. The game might even be expanded to include more areas than
just the five described here.
In fact, more detail could be used throughout the document. The way this docu-
ment is written assumes that the author is going to be involved throughout the
development process, guiding the design in the correct direction. If this document were
for a project that the author did not expect to be actively working on, it would make
sense to add more detail throughout in order to be completely clear about the direction
the project should take.
For example, the section about level design could be significantly more detailed.
Indeed, readers may find it interesting to compare the level of detail in this document
withThe Sufferingdesign document included in Appendix B, as that document is signif-
icantly more detailed in its level flow. However, if one has a team of level designers who
understand the gameplay and can be trusted with the responsibilities of designing a fun
level, the descriptions contained in theAtomic Samdocument could be a sufficient
starting point for level design. From this document, the level designers are given a
great deal of freedom in terms of how to build their levels, a system that works well if
the level designers are up to the challenge. Certainly, if you will be designing many of
the levels yourself, you do not need to plan everything out in minute detail in advance.
Many successful games have been made this way, including a number of the projects I
have worked on. For instance,Centipede 3Dhad only a general notion of the AI, mush-
room types, and power-ups designed before the level construction process began, and
it was a system that ended up working quite well.
Of course, before writing a design document, the designer should have a good idea
of the focus of the gameplay, as I have discussed elsewhere in this book. Here, for
example, is the focus statement I had in mind when I started working on the design doc-
ument forAtomic Sam.
Atomic Sam: Focus
Atomic Samis a non-violent, fast-paced action game whose gameplay cen-
ters on defeating various villainous robots in creative and inventive ways,
using a variety of projectiles and environmental devices. The story is one of a
young boy separated from his parents for the first time who learns about the
world through mentors, friends, and new experiences.Atomic Samtakes
place in a unique “retro-future” with whimsical, nonsensical devices provid-
ing a unique backdrop to the unfolding of the story and action.Armed with the direction provided by the focus, the game design grew organically from
there into the design you will read below. As I have stated before, there is no
set-in-stone format for design documents. It is the designer’s responsibility to present
the design in as much detail as is necessary, in a manner that clearly communicates the
design to all the members of the team.
536 Appendix A: Sample Design Document:Atomic Sam