STEPS TO MAKING A COMPUTER GAME

STEP 1- WHAT IS THE PLAYER GOING TO DO?

Kill People? Drive Faster? Solve Problems? whatever is the essential thing the player has to do, make sure that it's fun, and see to it that most of your energy goes to that.  If it's a driving game, its the driving that is the challenge, and the rest must be relatively simple.

STEP 2- WHAT DOES THE PLAYER GET FOR DOING THIS?

If you climb up a high mountain you can expect a good view, and if you don't get it you will be disappointed.  The player must receive rewards like points, power ups, new levels or the continuation of a story.

STEP 3- WHAT IS THE LONG TERM GOAL?

Save the princess? Rule the world? This is more of a story approach to the "why" problem. Why would anybody take the tiniest spaceship available and set off to try to kill an entire army of evil aliens? 

STEP 4- CAN THE PLAYER TRUST THE GAME?

Is the player able to learn how the game works and then be sure that he/she can control the simulation by knowing what is possible in the game? If the player fires at the enemy he has to be sure that this will hurt the enemy and not turn the player into some green jelly.

STEP 5- IS THE REWARD ADJUSTED ACCORDING TO THE EFFORT?

The higher the mountain the better the view..............

STEP 6- IS IT POSSIBLE TO PLAY THOUGH THE WHOLE GAME WITHOUT LOSING ONCE (THEORETICALLY)?

If the game is well constructed it has to be possible to dominate it.  It may be hard but the player should never have to lose a life.

STEP 7- IS IT POSSIBLE TO LEARN AND GET BETTER?

Are there new things to explore? Will the player learn new things even when he/she has played it for days?

STEP 8- IS THERE A REAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IS RIGHT AND WRONG TO DO?

Is it possible to learn the game or does the player have to just try and hope for the best even though he/she is a very good gamer? In all situations there has to be a better and a worse way to do things.  The difference between a good and a bad way has to pay off so that the player will bother to do the game the right way.

STEP 9- IS IT TOO HARD OR TOO EASY?

Will the idea that the game is based on provide the challenge needed? Or will it maybe be to complex to play?

STEP 10- ARE THERE ANY EASY SOLUTIONS?

Is it possible to learn how to do something that makes the game very simple. This can often destroy a game.  Sometimes the game creators get attached to a weapon, piece of equipment or character and make them too good so that they destroy the balance of the game.

STEP 11- ARE YOU SURE THAT THE MOST FUN THING TO DO IS WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO?

We all remember Indy 500 on the Amiga which we played for hours, not because of the racing but because of the possibility to run over your opponents mechanics......

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