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| THE GAME DESIGN PATTERNS PROJECT |
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The focus of the Game Design Patterns project is on studying computer games in terms of interaction, components and design goals with the intension of creating the basis for a common language for game designers. As the basic building block for this language the project uses the concept of Design Patterns, originally developed by Christopher Alexander et al. Design Patterns is a semi-structured formalism that has been used for similar causes in areas such as architecture, software engineering, human-computer interaction, and interaction design.
Although we believe that all aspect of game design would benefit from a common language, the Game Design Patterns project focuses on games based on computational power. This for two reasons: computer games are usually more complex (both in terms on rule systems and in project size) and the rapid development within mobile IT offers a new, uncharted, area of game design where a structured design tool can help in guiding the exploration.
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| OVERALL GOAL |
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The goal of the Game Design Patterns project is to explore how the design process of creating games can be supported. The design process of a game can be divided into several different phases, and the aim of the project is to map the feasibility of design patterns in several of these. We have currently identified and planned to work with the following subparts: development of game concepts, problem-solving during development, analysis and comparisons of games.
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| Development of Game Concepts |
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The original use of design patterns was that of a tool that helped to work through all levels of a design in a structured fashion. A collection of Game Design Patterns can be used in the same way. Having a collection of patterns is in essence having a listing of concepts that other game designers have found useful for designing games. Having these concepts at one's fingertips provides a game designer with a knowledge base that can be used to find the core of a new game design or tweaks that make a game different. One begins by selecting a few patterns based on the core game concept (and external requirements). These patterns are analyzed in the specific context for the designers and potential subpatterns are identified. The subpatterns are analyzed and chosen based on their feasibility and their subpatterns are identified. This activity goes on recursively until an initial design has been completed.
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| Problem-Solving during Development
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Patterns contain descriptions of identifiable elements of interaction within a game together with approaches to ensure the presence of those elements. The general idea is that when having a specific interaction design problem, the pattern(s) dealing with this kind of interaction, should offer several solutions and/or approaches to the problem.
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| Analysis and Comparison between Games |
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Currently the analysis of games is conducted by using theory and methodology from narrative fields (such as literature, theatre, film, etc.) which makes it easy to miss the main difference between games and narratives: interactivity. We believe that for the studies of games, commonly called ludology, to become practically useful and scientifically rigorous it must be based on the inherent properties of games without borrowing from other disciplines. Patterns offers a way to describe games in terms based on the components and interaction inherent in games, thus opening up a possibility to analyze all kinds of games using the same framework. This allows not only for a general method that can be used by all kinds of game designers but also allows different games and game genres to be compared to each other.
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| ONGOING STUFF |
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Within the Game Design Pattern we have a number of ongoing activities that together lets us build a comprehensive view on the feasibility of using design patterns within a number of use contexts.
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| Collecting Game Design Patterns |
Identifying potential Game Design Patterns and describing them and their relation to other patterns is the basic activity that is part of all the work in the project. We do this primarily by looking at existing games within all genres but also by viewing the theories and models presented by other researchers. We currently have 200+ design patterns identified and in various stages of completeness that will be made public when they have been completed and analyzed.
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| Studying How Professional Game Designers Use Concepts |
In order to examine the working practises of professional game designers we have interviewed 9 designers about their work process. Building from the material of how people work when designing computer games, board games, card games and role-playing games we hope to not only identify concepts and terms that can be described as patterns but also learn how professional designers use these concepts.
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| Experimental Design using Game Design Patterns |
Being the origin of our interest in design methods for games, one of our main ambitions with the patterns project is to use the collection as a basis for a structured method of exploring the design space of computer-augmented games. This will be achieved through the creation of game concepts and prototypes on smart phones, personal digital assistants and other information appliances but also augmenting traditional non-computerized game forms. We are currently working with concepts based on a card game with emergent narratives and a game that is designed to be used when travelling by bicycle.
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| Master Theses |
We are supervising several different master theses projects from students at the IT-university in Göteborg and Chalmers University of Technology where Game Design Patterns are used to help analyze game designs. Examples includes games using mobile phones with camera functionality and a spy game where a briefcase that broadcasts the values its sensors is getting must be delivered without being intercepted.
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| Putting Patterns to Work |
The success of any language, including design languages, lies in that they are adopted by people and used. In order to validate the strengths and weaknesses of the patterns identified we plan to make our patterns available to professional developers. By letting people use patterns in actual work we hope that the quality of the pattern collection will be improved and evidence of the usefulness of pattern will be shown.
If you work as a professional game developer and would like to participate in the project, please contact Staffan Björk.
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Revision date: 2003-02-25
Revised by: SL |
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