Chapter 7 The Elements of Gameplay ...............

Chapter 7 The Elements of Gameplay .................

“We ended up with a game that I didn’t know how to win. I didn’t know which

were the best strategies or tactics, even though I designed all the game’s sys-

tems. That is what makes a good strategy game.”

— Julian Gollop, talking about his gameX-Com: UFO Defense

W

hat are the game design elements that make up a really good game? Of
course, there is no definitive answer to such a question. Nonetheless, as a
game designer you will be expected to intuitively know the answer.
Understanding game design, as with any art form, is very much an internalized under-
standing, a “gut” reaction, a “feeling” you might have. It may be that you will not be able
to form that answer into words, but you will need to understand what aspects of a game
are strong and which are weak, and how the latter can be replaced with more of the for-
mer. Experience plays a big part in understanding what makes a game fun, experience
both as a game designer and as a game player.
Over my years of playing and creating games I have come up with my own answers
for what makes a game great, and in this chapter I discuss some of those qualities. Some
of these topics may seem fairly distinct from each other, yet to my mind they all play a
crucial role in making a good game. Certainly I cannot hope to list all of the knowledge I

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