ARG Design
The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses
Jesse Schell 2020 14 references
Jesse Schell's game design methodology: 112+ diagnostic lenses, the elemental tetrad, and experience-first design principles for creating compelling games.
game-design experience-design iteration game-mechanics interactive-storytelling player-psychology
Overview
The Core Framework
- Design for experience, not artifact — the game is a vehicle; the player's feeling is the product
- Use lenses, not rules — 112+ diagnostic question sets, each revealing a different design facet; no single lens is complete
- The Elemental Tetrad — every game has four co-equal elements: mechanics, story, aesthetics, technology
- The Rule of the Loop — more test-improve iterations always produce better games; no exceptions
- Triangularity — give players meaningful choices between low-risk/low-reward and high-risk/high-reward options
Quick Lookup
| Situation | Do This | Avoid This |
|---|---|---|
| Starting a new game | Identify the essential experience first | Jumping straight to mechanics or story |
| Prototype isn't fun | Check for triangularity and dominant strategies | Adding more content or features |
| Story feels forced | Design the Story Stack bottom-up (fantasy first) | Writing story first and forcing gameplay to fit |
| Players feel railroaded | Use indirect control (constraints, goals, visual design) | Removing player choices or adding cutscenes |
| Team disagreements | Return to the essential experience as tiebreaker | Letting the loudest voice win |
| Playtest feedback is confusing | Use FFWWDD questions in order | Asking "did you like it?" |
| Client gives bad suggestions | Uncover the three layers of desire (words/mind/heart) | Implementing the suggestion literally |
| VR feels wrong | Check the six presence breakers (motion sickness first) | Adding more visual detail |
The Key Insight
"The more times you test and improve your design, the better your game will be." — Jesse Schell, Chapter 8
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