AdviceToolbox
Making games isn’t just about having more time or people:
it’s also about finding ways to best apply your resourcesQuick tips for making
AUTHOR better games
STEVEN GOODWIN
Steven Goodwin is a veteran
of over 20 years, having
worked as a game developer,
author, and general-purpose
computer geek. He is
currently experimenting
with his own VR engine,
and can be found lurking at
MarquisdeGeek.com
B
Maintain consistency by using the font
throughout, and ensure you hold that mood by
getting into the game with, at most, two clicks.
Consign any credits, advertising, and unnecessary
tutorials to a submenu.
Still with visuals, consider the look of the interface
itself. A button should not be just a square box
with the word ‘OK’ in it. Ask yourself: If this interface
existed in the game world, what would it look like?
What sound does the button make when you press
it in? When you let go? Create custom visuals to go
along with each state of ‘in’, ‘out’, and ‘hover.’
This brings us nicely onto the law of ‘cause and
effect’. When you walk and your foot hits the floor
there is a sound, so you should include it in the
game, even if it’s not visible on-screen. If a box
is dropped onto the floor, it too should make a
sound. This was something noted by Hollywood
sound designer Jack Foley, and applies equally
well to games. Frequently occurring sounds, like
footsteps, must have variations to make them
sound more natural and less machine-like.
Furthermore, if you’re able to walk on different
surface types, such as carpet, concrete, or gravel,
you then need a different set of footstep sounds
for each. If you have a shooting game, then you will
need a different gunshot sound, and muzzle flash Using a basic sans font Using ‘Halloween Thin’etter games are not simply ‘faster’,
or have ‘more graphics’. They
present a coherent game world
where the player will never say
“Why did that happen?”, “That looks
unfinished”, or “That’s out of place.”OUT OF SIGHT
Improving a game is more about what the player
doesn’t notice than what they do. Every game
should set the mood before the first bug-
eyed monster is killed, through the visuals and
soundtrack of the title and menu screens. For
example, which of these two fonts looks like a
horror game?36 / wfmag.cc
Always design your game
character first, and then build
the world around them.