It's easy to get bogged down in the nitty-gritty of making a great video or computer game; in fact, it's so easy that we sometimes forget what makes games fun to play. The following serves as a gentle reminder of what initially motivates players to play games. If you get bogged down or distracted by a lot of Visual Basic statements and DLL structures, confusing C++ syntax, or both, refer to this reminder.
1. Recollect the player is the principal character. A secret between us is as follows: To feel like they have more control, people play games. You have already won half the battle if you are able to program your game to put the player in control. This does not imply that the game should be straightforward. It simply means that a gamer wants to feel the control she didn't have during the hours between nine and five when she runs home from school or drives home from work to play a video game. Whether a game ends in a win or a loss, the outcome should always be the result of good, controlled game play.
2. KISS. Do you recall that acronym? Keep It Simple, Stupid is its acronym. Even though we all know that programming games is hard work, we don't want to be reminded of it. When possible, make the game easy to start, easy to navigate, and, of course, easy to play so that the difficulty of programming it does not become part of the gameplay. We are not requesting pre-school strategy here, but we also do not want to feel as stupid as a preschooler. Put aside the one hundred page manual. It won't be read by anyone except the truly obsessed. If you design your game for the typical Joe, everyone will be a fan.
3. Add a lot of activity. Also, add a lot of it. Players will pay more attention to your game's action the more you add it. Additionally, the more players focus on your game, the more addictive it becomes. Have the game react to each action that a player's character takes and then ask the player to do more.
4. Make sure the story is good. Nothing is worse than getting lost in a game and pondering your actions. Humans have always been obsessed with finding their purpose. However, without it, we are left wandering in the darkness, pondering bizarre questions such as what the house would look like painted a vivid pink. Your players shouldn't have the chance to waste time like that. Give them a task, and make sure your game reminds them of it at the right times and explains why they need to complete it.
5. Give us a treat. However, keep it relevant. A game's graphics shouldn't be distracting; rather, they should make us salivate for more and glaze over with delight when we see them. Graphics ought to provide us with clues and keep us playing the game until we succeed.
6. Make it happen. Although fantasy games are enjoyable, their realism is what sets them apart. It's hard to get involved in something we've never done before or aren't used to. However, players will appreciate and relate to it on a whole new respectable level if you are able to incorporate some reality into your games.
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