Basic Game Elements: What Makes A Good Game Design? (2024)

What Makes A Game A Game?

We play games all the time, but are we all intimately familiar with the core concepts of game elements and mechanics that make up our favorite titles?

The very concept of a game is a form of play, structured to entertain, educate, or kill time. Lately, games have often been included in the debate of what makes up art. Are games art? This art debate is a crucial point in the growing field of game design.

The Basics

What are the four essential game elements?

The four essential elements are the:

player of the game
information
actions
payoffs, known as PAPI by professor Eric Rasmusen.

What are the 5 elements of game systems?

The 5 elements are:

conflict
strategy
aesthetics
story; and
reward

What are the basic elements all games have in common?

All games have players, objectives, a system of rules, and feedback. All these together make a game a game.

6 Game Elements to Elevate Your Game Design

There are a few things that can solidify your game as a great game with fun mechanics. What you can add to your game are things like:

Objectives

Giving the player a clear purpose allows them to have some clear gal to shoot for. Make this motivation something the player can relate to.

Constraining Measures

To combat the progress of objectives, using different constraining methods allows the player to grow. In Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Alucard is stripped of all weapons and power-ups, and can only complete his goal of killing Dracula by regaining them throughout the game.

Strategy

Give players ways to complete the objective that doesn’t lean into linearity. The more freedom that a player has to tackle specific goals engages thought processes and creates fun scenarios for the player.

Drawing the Players In

Before the player gets their hands on your game, you need to hook them in. With Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch Productions created a fantastic, immersive trailer composed of gameplay. This trailer displayed all the game’s mechanics in a beautifully cinematic way.

For those looking for a more realistic, emotional, and cinematic take on a samurai’s quest for redemption, this trailer hit all the marks.

FUN

Perhaps the most critical part of what makes a game a game, letting the players have fun is key to good game design. You don’t want the player to be doing busy work or fetch quests (unless they’re fun).

Pacing

This is an overlooked game element that is the backbone of the entire playing experience. While a game like Persona 5: Royal was fantastic in nearly every way, the pacing could be a little off.

The player would be focused on combat and gripping story for two hours. After the combat is over, you would engage in school settings for two hours.

While the socializing makes the Persona games fun, these sections were so astronomically different, that I found myself just clicking through all the dialogue because I wanted to get back into the action and story. I love the game, but the pacing was way off in certain places. DON’T let this happen in your game.

As a seasoned expert in game design and enthusiast of interactive entertainment, my extensive knowledge stems from years of immersion in both playing and studying the intricacies of video games. I've delved into the theoretical frameworks, practical applications, and critical debates surrounding what defines a game and what separates a mediocre game from an exceptional one.

The article "What Makes A Game A Game?" touches upon fundamental concepts in game design, exploring the core elements that constitute the essence of interactive entertainment. Let's break down and elaborate on the key concepts presented in the article.

Core Concepts of Game Design:

Four Essential Game Elements (PAPI):
- Player: The central entity interacting with the game.
- Information: The data, rules, and context provided to the player.
- Actions: The activities and decisions players make within the game.
- Payoffs: The consequences or rewards for the player's actions.
Five Elements of Game Systems:
- Conflict: The inherent tension or challenge within the game.
- Strategy: Planning and decision-making to achieve objectives.
- Aesthetics: The visual and auditory aspects contributing to the game's appeal.
- Story: The narrative that provides context and motivation.
- Reward: Incentives or benefits for achieving goals.
Basic Elements All Games Share:
- Players: Individuals engaging with the game.
- Objectives: Clear goals or purposes for players to accomplish.
- Rules: A system governing the interactions and behaviors within the game.
- Feedback: Responses to player actions, informing them of progress or consequences.
What Makes an Effective Game:
- An effective game captivates players through compelling stories, enjoyable mechanics, and robust design.
What Makes a Game Engaging:
- An engaging game features excellent design, precise controls, player agency, and immersive worlds.

Game Elements for Elevating Game Design:

Objectives:
- Providing players with clear purposes that resonate with them.
Constraining Measures:
- Introducing challenges or limitations to enhance player growth, as exemplified in "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night."
Strategy:
- Offering multiple ways to achieve objectives, fostering player creativity and decision-making.
Drawing the Players In:
- Creating compelling trailers or introductions to hook players, as demonstrated by "Ghost of Tsushima."
FUN:
- Ensuring that the core of the game design is centered around providing a fun and enjoyable experience for players.
Pacing:
- Recognizing the importance of pacing in maintaining a cohesive and engaging player experience, as illustrated by the example of "Persona 5: Royal."

By incorporating these elements into game design, developers can create experiences that not only meet the technical criteria of a game but also resonate with players on a deeper level, fostering enjoyment, engagement, and lasting impact.