Game design
Process of creating and shaping game mechanics and systems.
Game design is the process of creating and shaping the mechanics, systems, rules, and gameplay of a game. It applies to board games, card games, dice games, casino games, role-playing games, sports, war games, and simulation games. Game design is part of a game's development from concept to final form, typically involving iterative phases of testing and revision.
- field
- Game studies
- known_for
- Creating and shaping game mechanics, systems, rules, and gameplay
- related_roles
- Game designer, game developer, game artist
Lore & Background
Game design processes apply to a wide variety of games, including board games, card games, dice games, casino games, role-playing games, sports, war games, and simulation games. In academic research, game design falls within the field of game studies, distinct from game theory. The development process is typically iterative, with repeated phases of testing and revision. A game designer invents a game's concept, central mechanisms, rules, and themes, while a game developer fleshes out details, oversees testing, and revises the game based on feedback. Game artists create visual art for games, often vital to role-playing games and collectible card games.
Reader's Guide
Game design is significant as the foundational process behind all modern and historical games. Many ancient games, such as chess, go, pachisi, mancala, and pick-up sticks, evolved through folk processes rather than being designed by a single individual. The rise of commercial game publishing in the late 19th century led to many folk games becoming commercial properties. Game design also adapts older games to new media, such as when technological advances like cheap bookbinding or inexpensive lead figurine casting enabled new forms of board games and miniature wargaming. Games can be designed for entertainment, education, exercise, or experimental purposes, and elements of game design can be applied to other interactions through gamification. The iterative process of prototyping and play testing is central to refining gameplay, usability, and balance before publication.
Did You Know?
- Game design processes apply to board games, card games, dice games, casino games, role-playing games, sports, war games, and simulation games.
- In academic research, game design falls within the field of game studies, not game theory.
- Many ancient games like chess, go, and mancala evolved through folk processes and were not designed by a single person.
- The first games in a new medium are frequently adaptations of older games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Game design?
Game design is the creative process of crafting a game's mechanics, rules, systems, and overall gameplay experience. It runs from the initial concept through iterative cycles of playtesting and revision until the final form is achieved.
What does a Game designer actually do?
A Game designer builds and refines the core rules, mechanical systems, and interactive structure that players engage with. Their work spans board games, card games, role-playing games, simulations, sports, war games, and many other formats.
How is Game design different from Game development?
Game design focuses specifically on conceiving the rules, mechanics, and player-facing systems, while Game development is the broader umbrella that also covers programming, art production, and technical implementation. A designer shapes what the game does; a developer brings that vision into a working product.
What academic field does Game design fall under?
Game design is typically studied within the broader discipline of Game studies. It intersects with interactive media, systems theory, and psychology, but its core academic home is Game studies.
What roles are closely related to Game design?
The most closely associated positions are Game designer, Game developer, and Game artist, each handling different layers of bringing a game from concept to a playable experience. Game design specifically centers on the mechanical and systemic layer of that process.
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