1st Edition
Game Design Tools Cognitive, Psychological, and Practical Approaches
This book provides a series of transdisciplinary tools to help game designers improve their design pipeline and design output. Using approaches from psychology, anthropology, and sociology, it offers practical tools for all the main aspects of game design from conception through to testing.
Drawing on game design theory, the book looks at the relationship between game design and other disciplines to create a toolbox of modern tools for game designers. It covers archetypes, praxeology, behavioural game design, and emotional game design. Covering a wide breadth of content, the book includes chapters on:
- Documentation
- Production
- Evaluation
- Analysis and Marketing tools
This book will be of great interest to students on game design courses, as well as early-career game designers and those looking to break into the industry. It will also be of interest to more experienced game designers looking for new game design tools.
Section One - Introduction
Chapter 1 - How to Use This Book
Chapter 2 - Book Introduction
Section Two - Analysis Tools
Chapter 3 - Design and Analysis
Chapter 4 - Target Audience Tools
Chapter 5 - Data Tools
Section Three - Game Design Tools
Chapter 6 - Introduction to Game Design Tools
Chapter 7 - Brainstorming Techniques
Chapter 8 - Praxeology
Chapter 9 - Self-Determination Theory
Chapter 10 - Habit Loop and Operant Conditioning
Chapter 11 - Game Design Patterns
Chapter 12 - MDA Framework
Chapter 13 - Nudges
Chapter 14 - Behavioural Game Design
Chapter 15 - Emotional Game Design
Chapter 16 - Emotional Theories
Section Four - Documentation
Chapter 17 - Introduction to Documentation
Chapter 18 - Golden Rules
Chapter 19 - Pivotal Documents
Section Five - Conclusion
Chapter 20 - Games, Cakes, and Love
Chapter 21 - The Cake Is Real
Biography
Diego Ricchiuti is currently the lead designer at Caracal Games and the course leader of the Game Design Degree at AIV in Rome and Milan.
"If you are just curious about game design and want to learn about it without any prior knowledge, then enjoy, you are in for a treat. If you are already deep in the weeds, I found this book to be what the namesake suggests, a reference that the reader will come back to many times."
Fawzi Mesmar, Game designer, Author, and Tutor.
"Diego has outlined a learning approach through iteration and experimentation that addresses the need for clarity and excellence in design. The result is a strong foundation for both newcomers and experienced developers."
Dominic Butler, Studio Design Director, Splash Damage.