Educational deck of Pro Tips for beginner game developers to follow

2. We are Phaedra, Wong Yi & Jun Xuan, Game Developers
We make award-winning, innovative games
We conduct training through our Game Innovation Programme and
workshops
About Us

4. What’s in a Game?

5. Goals
What do I do to win?

6. Rules
What CAN I do? What CAN’T I do?

7. Interaction
How do I play?
(Controls, Interaction with players and game itself)

8. Challenge
What makes this tough / fun?
(Other players? Elements within the game?)

9. Jump!
Smash!
(Don’t
Die!)
Mechanic (Rules + Interaction)

10. VERB NOUN+ = Game Idea!
Run
Climb
Navigate
Build
Trade
Scheme
Fall
Fish
Chair
Chess
Bun
City
The Magic Word Bag

11. VERB NOUN
Game Ideas!
???
???
???
???
???
???
The Magic Word Bag

12. - Mockup of your intended
experience.
- Find out: “Is it fun?”
- NEED NOT BE full game!
What is a Paper Prototype?

13. Examples!

14. - Tests theories early
- Unifies vision
- Saves time and money
Why Paper Prototype?
wow.
So fast,
much
testing

15. Start Making!
- Craft the rules!
- The moment you have
something playable, PLAY IT
- What works?
- Goals
- Rules
- Interaction
- Challenge

16. - Let’s play each
other’s games!
- Get feedback
- Any questions?
Playtesting

17. - Never too early
- Feedback is never “wrong”
- Observe without influencing
- Contextualise
- Evaluation tool:
JamToday Game Scope
(available on Google Play & App Store)
Evaluate The Potential of Your Prototype

18. Digital Prototyping Tips

19. Can’t wait to start coding!

20. But wait!
How do we know
if a mechanic
works?
How do we test it?
What can we use
to iterate quickly?

21. What can we use?
 Anything you’re most comfortable with, that serves the purpose
Examples:
 Storyboarding or Wireframing software
 Game creation software (with good flexibility
vs learning curve)
 Microsoft Excel

22. Marvel https://marvelapp.com/

23. Balsamiq https://balsamiq.com/

24. GameSalad
For Windows/Mac
Makes HTML5 & mobile games
 Low learning curve
 Drag and drop interface
 Specify logic via UI (no syntax to
learn)
 Ready-made tutorials available
 Makes asynchronous multiplayer
games

25. Construct 2
For Windows
Makes HTML5 games
 Low learning curve
 Drag and drop interface
 Specify logic via UI (no syntax to
learn)
 Can make real-time multiplayer
games
 Possible to collaborate on a
project (tutorial with SVN
available)

26. GameLooper
For Windows/Mac
Mobile Games
 Low learning curve
 Drag and drop interface
 Specify logic via UI (no syntax to
learn)
 Gamified tutorial
 Play the games directly on your
mobile through Dropbox

27. Game Maker Studio
For Windows
Multiplatform, but free version
publishes only to Windows
 Medium learning curve
 Specify logic via UI, or learn to
script directly
 Can make real-time multiplayer
games
 Possible to collaborate on a
project (SVN, Git, Mercurial
recommended)

28. What about art and audio?
Super place for resources:
http://www.pixelprospector.com/
Need inspiration?
http://orteil.dashnet.org/gamegen
http://gamemechanicexplorer.com/
More info on rapid game prototyping
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/HermanTulleken/20140119/208901/Ra
pid_Game_Prototyping_Tips_for_Programmers.php

29. Tips when rapid prototyping
 Note your assumptions, then test them
 Speed is of the essence
 Don’t reinvent the wheel
 Don’t be attached to either mechanic or code
 Stand on the shoulders of giants… by Googling