Game design basics
2.1 Asteroids elements
Play the classic arcade-era game Asteroids. While you play (or after), note every element of the game you can find and add a short description for each. Play as long as you need. This is analysis, not memory.
When you finish listing elements, unpause the course video.
If a provided link does not work, search for “play asteroids game”.
The word “elements” is deliberately vague. List what you consider the elements of the game. If you are unsure, look up the word “elements” and then try the task.
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2.2 What is the role for you?
Think about the different game designer roles described in the video. Choose one or two that caught your attention and look on job sites for that role. LinkedIn or Indeed work well; a web search can help too.
Focus on role responsibilities (what you would do) and the experience or skills needed.
Then answer:
- What experience do you already have? What are you lacking right now?
- Which skills could you improve, and how?
- Would you feel comfortable carrying the responsibilities in the job description?
If you cannot find an open job for a specific role, broaden the search (for example, another country). Or visit a favourite game company and see what they are hiring for.
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Notes from the video — game parts, mechanics, systems, parameters
These notes summarise the lecture. Revisit them when you work on the assignment, especially 2.3.1 and 2.3.2.
What counts as a game part?
If an object is only there to block the player or to decorate the scene, do not count it as a game part.
Some objects block and do something else. Trees in RTS games often stop armies and act as a resource you harvest by “attacking” them with specialised units. Those extra functions make them game parts.
Mechanics are verbs
Mechanics are the most critical part of a game — the cogs that hold it together. They are verbs: active and dynamic. In a platformer, typical mechanics include running and jumping.
A mechanic can be simple or complex. That usually comes from its input and its output.
| Meaning | Example (jump) | |
|---|---|---|
| Input | How easy or hard it is to activate the mechanic | Press a button → jump a fixed height. Or hold the button to modulate jump length. |
| Output | How many things the player can achieve with that mechanic | Jump only moves you (hit a block and bounce; land on an enemy and take damage). Or jump destroys blocks and damages enemies. |
Tiny changes to input or output change how players perceive and use the mechanic. Richer input and output give more decisions, and — if the mechanic talks to other mechanics — more interesting decisions.
Players have limited mental and physical resources:
- Too much input demands a lot of skill. Souls-likes, Guitar Hero, and most competitive shooters lean this way.
- Too much output burns attention. Players lose track of what they are doing, how to do it, or what the mechanic even did. Many RPGs and strategy games pile on output (loads of weapons and powers you forget exist).
Minecraft stays approachable and still rewards dedicated players: attack is not a combo, but you still choose when to run, block, or hit. Output detail stays modest. You can see a sword’s attack value without needing a separate formula for “sword vs tree.” Logic and trial-and-error teach you that chopping a tree with a sword is a bad idea.
Super Mario Bros. is the classic of simple input, huge output. Hold to change jump length; jumping also breaks blocks and hurts enemies. Walking, sprinting, and jumping do a lot of gameplay work, so players think before they jump and feel accomplishment when they land a perfect stomp.
General tip: more complex mechanics create more gameplay value through dynamism with other mechanics and systems. Keep some mechanics simple when you do not want deep engagement. In a complex game, not every mechanic should have the same value: some must shine, others support the stars.
Complex vs complicated
The more exceptions a mechanic has, the more complicated it is. Those words are not the same:
- Complex — more gameplay value because the output connects to other mechanics. Players get more value from the same input.
- Complicated — locks, many steps, or different rules depending on what the mechanic touches. More mental load and input for less output, and failure is harsher.
As a rule, avoid complicated mechanics. Prefer maximising output for a single input, not the reverse.
Systems (preview)
A system is a collection of mechanics. Jumping, running, and kicking can sit in a combat system. Jumping, running, and grabbing ledges can sit in a parkour system, which can sit inside a larger movement system. The same mechanic can appear in more than one system. Systems get their own section later in the course.
Parameters
Parameters are the smallest unit of a game part. At a high level they are adjectives: character A runs fast, B runs slowly; mage attacks are strong vs warriors and weak vs druids.
Parameters attach to game parts and modulate the mechanics on those parts. At a low level they are numbers, booleans, strings, tags, labels.
On your assignment cards, the numbers are parameters: how hard an attack hits, how much life a character has, and so on. They set the strength, type, or behaviour of the mechanic on that game part.
2.3.2 Modify and/or add a new mechanic
Take one mechanic from 2.3.1 and modify it in any way you want (do not hunt for the “perfectly fun” change). Write the modified mechanic, then test how the game feels (that is why you change only one at a time).
After that, add a new mechanic too. If you do not know where to start, play a reference game from Lesson 1 and steal an idea that seems cool here.
When you finish, write a bulleted list of all mechanics with a few paragraphs describing each.
Playtesting is one of the best ways to see if a new or modified mechanic works. You will go deeper in the next lesson; try a play now and notice how different it feels.
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Lesson check
Game design basics — Lesson 2
1 / 6In this assignment, what are game mechanics?
Pick an answer to see if you are right.