The entire process of producing a game from start to finish is synonymously called game design, game development, and game production. The synonymous use of these terms can lead to some confusion, especially if one is new to the game industry. For that reason, many game designers and researchers have tried to develop a clearer definition of each.
Defining Game Design
Game designers and educators, Collen Macklin and John Sharp, defined each of these terms in their book, “Games, Design and Play”. According to Macklin and Sharp, game design is “the practice of conceiving of and creating the way a game works”. Game development, on the other hand, is the actual making of the game, from the art to code, levels, and marketing materials. They concluded by stating that game production is the “process of producing the game indicated by the game’s design”.
In his book “A Playful Production Process, ” game designer and educator Richard Lemarchand defines game design as “an abstract pattern of elements that make up the game in a way that will produce a good experience for the player.” Put more simply, game design encompasses all the ideas, choices, and game elements that work together to shape the player’s experience.
Lemarchand goes on to define game production as the process of ensuring the game gets built. Both game design and game production are “two sides of the same coin”. Game development, he continues, is the process of using tools, creating art, writing code, and so on to produce a playable game.
Degrees in Design, Development, and Production
To further complicate the confusion among these terms, academic programs often use the term ‘design’ to refer to a program with an art emphasis, and ‘development’ to refer to programs with a programming emphasis. Additionally, the term game production is sometimes associated with degree programs in business.
Everyone Is a Game Designer
While the title of “game designer” is often given to a single person on a team, Lemarchand emphasizes that everyone on the team is, in a sense, a game designer. Artists, programmers, sound designers, animators, and other team members all make decisions that directly affect how the game plays and how players experience it.
Tracy Fullerton states in her book Game Design Workshop that a “game designer should be an advocate for the player.” If, according to Lemarchand, everyone is a game designer, then everyone on the team needs to be an advocate for the player, regardless of their official title.
Blueprints for Games
Using Lemarchand’s definition of game design, we could also simply say that it is the plan. However, before we put this plan into action, we need to make sure that it leads to a playable game that meets the intended player experience. So, first, we need to fully define what a game is and the frameworks that help us assess the game.
Game Analysis Frameworks
Game analysis frameworks are tools to analyze and evaluate game elements and whether or not they are meeting the player experience goals. Some popular game analysis frameworks include:
- MDA: Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics (Robin Hunicke, Mark Leblanc, and Robert Zubek)
- Formal, Dramatic, Dynamic Elements: (Tracy Fullerton and Chris Swain)
- Elemental Tetrad: Mechanics, Aesthetics, Story, and Technology (Jesse Schell)
- Layered Tetrad: Inscribed, Dynamic, and Culture ( Jermey Gibson Bond)
- PLAYER Framework: Player, Layered Interaction, Atomposer, Yielded Experience, Engagement and Relationships (Akram Taghavi-Burris)
Think of game design like creating blueprints for a house. You can draft the plans, but before construction begins, you need to ensure it can actually be defined as a house, with four walls, a floor, a roof, windows, and doors. You also need to understand the framework: the foundation, plumbing, electrical systems, and so on. Only after that groundwork is clear can you move forward to build the house itself.
Approaches to Game Design
Now that we understand the “blueprints” of a game, we need to think about how to use those blueprints to actually create the game. Just like constructing a house, having plans is only the first step. You still need a process for testing, refining, and organizing the work before the first nail is hammered.
Projects, Strategy, Methods, and Procedures
When designing a game or tackling any complex task, it’s easy to get lost in the details. Breaking down the work into clear components helps teams stay organized, make informed decisions, and ensure the final product meets its goals. These terms provide a shared language and framework for approaching large, complex projects:
- Project: A complex, non-routine task with a time constraint, such as developing a game, launching a product, or organizing an event.
- Strategy: A plan for achieving goals, focusing on what we want to achieve and why it matters.
- Method: A structured process outlining how tasks should be performed to reach a goal.
- Procedure: Step-by-step instructions for carrying out a method.
In game design, we borrow approaches from other disciplines to guide this process. Just as philosophers, researchers, and scientists have developed methods to accomplish specific tasks, game designers use structured approaches to tackle the complex challenge of creating engaging, playable experiences. These approaches provide a framework for testing ideas, exploring possibilities, and iterating on solutions, turning a set of abstract blueprints into a finished game that resonates with players.
- Scientific Method: Testing ideas, prototyping, and refining gameplay ensures our plans actually work in practice.
- Creative Process: Brainstorming, ideation, and iterative design help us explore new possibilities and improve our design.
- Project Management: Organizing teams, schedules, and production milestones keeps the “construction site” running smoothly.
- Playcentric Design: Player experience focus, prototyping, playtesting for assessment
Why it Matters
Together, these approaches act like our construction crew and tools, making sure the blueprints are not just theoretically sound, but actually buildable into a game that delivers the experience we want for players. Examining each of these approaches in greater detail provides us with strategies for testing, creativity, and organization throughout the game design process.
Key Terms
Game analysis frameworks are tools to analyze and evaluate game elements and whether or not they are meeting the player experience goals.
Game design encompasses all the ideas, choices, and game elements that work together to shape the player’s experience (i.e., the plan).
Game production is the process of ensuring the game gets built (i.e., managing the plan).
Game development is the process of using tools, creating art, writing code, and so on to produce a playable game. (i.e., applying the plan).
Method: A structured process outlining how tasks should be performed to reach a goal.
Procedure: Step-by-step instructions for carrying out a method.
Project: A complex, non-routine task with a time constraint, such as developing a game, launching a product, or organizing an event.
Strategy: A plan for achieving goals, focusing on what we want to achieve and why it matters.