To resume the transmissions, or to resume transmitting after such a long time, rather, I wanted to talk about several theoretical concepts that are not vital for a video game, but that do help a lot as a checklist to confirm that our design works. Or, at least, that it should work.
The tools I talked about in the video are:
- Core Loop: that is, the set of repeatable actions, usually presented in a loop, that take players forward in the video game’s progress.
- Fun Factor: what makes you “click” with the game. The Fun Factor can be as varied as there are types of players, but generally every game has that “something” that makes it special.
- Flow Theory: a theory from the hand of psychology, applied to the field of Video Games. Although it has been criticized, it still serves to help us shape the objectives of the game, and to help the player to enjoy the game experience as much as possible.
- Modelo MDA: stands for “Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics”. They help us understand and/or shape how game mechanics might impact the game experience.
All these concepts have already been discussed in the Podcast 4 Horas de Juego and I invite you to listen to these programs to learn a little more about the world of Game Design.
What was left pending for me in this transmission was Types of Fun and Types of Player, which are two topics that are closely linked.
It’s not something I need to worry about right now – what I need to do is find the moments to continue with the design!