Color: Beyond the obvious definition, in terms of game design this may also refer to
the specific content and setting of a game.Monopoly, for instance, includes the street
names of Atlantic City and a Depression era real-estate mogul theme as a means of pro-
viding color. Color is separate from the gameplay itself.
Concept Document: Also known as a pitch document. This is a short document that
includes text and concept sketches and that is used to initially sell the idea of a project
to a publisher or other financier. A concept document gives the reader an idea of what
the game will involve without including sufficient detail to actually develop the game. If
accepted, the concept document is usually expanded into the design document.
Concept Sketch: A sketch of a particular game art asset that is used to show some-
one what the art will look like, approximately, before that graphic or model is actually
created. May also be a sketch of a scene from the game as it will appear once the game is
functional.
Creative Services: A deceptively titled wing of the publisher that is typically in
charge of creating the box art and other advertisements and logos for a game.
Critical Path: The path that the player is expected and encouraged to follow when
moving through a game or a particular level. Somewhat reminiscent of the yellow brick
road inThe Wizard of Oz.
CRPG: A computer version of a role-playing game.See alsoRole-Playing Game.
CTF: Typically refers to capture the flag multi-player games, though it may also refer
to Valve Software’sClassic Team Fortressgame.SeeCapture the Flag.
Cut-Scene: A non-interactive portion of a game typically used to communicate to the
player information about the game’s story line, sometimes involving pre-rendered or
live action full-motion video, other times using the game’s real-time graphics engine.
Cut-scenes often come between levels in a game, and are sometimes used as rewards
for the player having finished a particularly challenging portion of the game.
Death March: When a development team, particularly the programmers, works
every waking moment on a project for a long period of time, typically trying to make an
unachievable deadline of some sort. Often the death march is entered into thinking it
will be over soon enough, but it then drags on long beyond what anyone thought
possible.
Death-Match: A multi-player game in which the players’ only goals are to kill each
other. Usually refers to games of that sort in first-person shooters such asHalf-Life,
Unreal,orHalo.
Decision Tree: A type of chart that shows how various player decisions will lead to
different outcomes. Referred to as a tree, since each fork produces two branches that
move away from the previous decision, making it look like a tree.
Design Document: The textual reference used in developing a game that attempts
to describe in detail every important aspect of the game’s design. Sometimes referred
to as the functional specification. Described more completely in Chapter 19, “The
Design Document.”
Designer’s Story: This is the story written by the designer or someone on the
development team that the game follows. This story is completely predetermined,
658 Glossary