{"id":3737,"date":"2020-10-02T08:56:10","date_gmt":"2020-10-02T15:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wallskors.com\/gamedev\/?p=3737"},"modified":"2020-10-02T08:56:10","modified_gmt":"2020-10-02T15:56:10","slug":"20-indie-dev-tips-for-awesome-game-design-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wallskors.com\/gamedev\/uncategorized-fr\/20-indie-dev-tips-for-awesome-game-design-2\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Indie Dev Tips for Awesome Game Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

Credits to this article goes to the BuildBox original post.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Tip #1 \u2013 Start Small & Gain Experience<\/b><\/h3>\n

The expert at anything was once a beginner. The same goes for game design. If you want to make incredible games, you have to gain experience. And the best way to learn is by doing. If you haven\u2019t been making games for years, your game design skills won\u2019t be on par with other devs, at least not yet. So, don\u2019t try to create a masterpiece on your first attempt. Completing your first game ever and releasing it into the App Store should be your main goal.<\/p>\n

Choose a simple, minimalist art style and create a hyper-casual game. Then you can work your way up to animated characters and more complex gameplay. Start small to gain experience to help you master the art of game design.<\/p>\n

Remember, it takes time to learn how to use new tools, engines, and make art. So, if you take on a big project before you\u2019re ready, you\u2019ll end up overwhelmed and ultimately quitting. Avoid this common pitfall by focusing more on the experience than the outcome.<\/p>\n

The more games you make, the better you\u2019ll get. David Reichelt made over 40 games before he designed his mobile hit,\u00a0Color Switch<\/a>, pictured below:\"\"<\/p>\n

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Color Switch: A good example of awesome game design.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

So, be okay with your first game being \u2018not-so-great.\u2019 It\u2019s alright. You\u2019re new to making games. Just try to improve and make each game you create better than the last. It\u2019s the secret to mastering anything, including game design. Save your BIG game ideas for later, after you\u2019ve acquired the necessary skills to do it justice.<\/p>\n

Tip #2 \u2013 Learn the Rules of Game Design<\/b><\/h3>\n

While you\u2019re making games, you should also be studying the rules of game design and applying them. We\u2019ll touch on many of these today in this list, but studying game design, in general, is important. There are tons of game design principles, techniques, and even hacks that you can practice. Make it a habit of reading articles,\u00a0game design books<\/a>, and tutorials on the subject. Always be a student.<\/p>\n

A few game design books that should be on every indie\u2019s bookshelf are Jesse Schell\u2019s The Art of Game Design, Eric Zimmerman and Katie Salen\u2019s Rules of Game Design, and Scott Rogers\u2019 Level Up ! Also for generating killer game ideas and concepts Michael Michalko\u2019s Thinkertoys is a must-have.<\/p>\n

Tip #3 \u2013 Play A Lot Of Games, But With Purpose<\/b><\/h3>\n

Immersing yourself into the world of gaming is also crucial. Get involved in the gaming community by joining popular\u00a0forums for game development\u00a0and games like\u00a0TouchArcade<\/a>. Also, make it a habit to check the top charts on a regular basis. Try to keep up with the latest mobile game trends and play them.<\/p>\n

To get good at game design, you have to play a lot of games, but with purpose. So, when you\u2019re playing, pay close attention to their design, the flow, the UI set-up, graphic style, and gameplay. Take notes. And if you haven\u2019t played any of the classics before, check them out too. Many of the retro games like Super Mario, Donkey Kong, Tetris, and Space Invaders are also excellent examples of game design. Studying both the past and what\u2019s working right now will give you a better overall understanding.<\/p>\n

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Tip #4 \u2013 Use The Model & Improve Method<\/b><\/h3>\n

Another game design tip is to practice the \u2018model and improve\u2019 method. This technique involves studying successful games similar to the one you wish to create. Finding out what\u2019s working and which elements of the game could be better. And then brainstorming ways to improve it to make a totally new game.<\/p>\n

You can do this by adding and or removing different aspects until you have your own unique game. Maybe the theme would be cooler if it was set in space instead of a forest. Or the gameplay mechanics might be fun to play but not as challenging as it could be, or the graphics are \u2018meh\u2019 and need improving.<\/p>\n

When you use the \u2018model and improve\u2019 technique, you use different aspects of popular games as inspiration for your game, taking bits and pieces and molding them to make something new is key. Most games are modeled or inspired by others. Nothing is truly original. The key is to make enough changes and tweaks, so it\u2019s not a carbon copy. Never copy or clone, it can get you into trouble. Always add and modify for awesome game design.<\/p>\n

Tip #5 \u2013 Keep A Game Design & Idea Journal<\/b><\/h3>\n

The \u2018model and improve\u2019 technique is just one of the many ways that you can find inspiration for your game. There\u2019s also mind-mapping, the SCAMPER method, theme exploration, the use of constraints, and more.<\/p>\n

However, there\u2019s one hack that no matter what, that you should definitely incorporate into your daily routine, and that\u2019s keeping an idea journal. These indie must-haves can be digital via a notepad on your smartphone or paper based. Just choose the type that you feel suits you best, and use it. Write down all your game design ideas. And keep it with you for when you\u2019re suddenly inspired. For paper-based journals, I recommend using memo or pocket-sized notebook to jot everything down. It\u2019s much easier to carry. Plus, you never know when inspiration will strike. Having an idea journal with you when you\u2019re out whether it\u2019s via your phone or notepad can come in handy.<\/p>\n

Tip # 6 \u2013 Consider The Familiarity Factor In Your Design<\/b><\/h3>\n

Awesome game design is often unique but familiar. Most successful games are designed to be both original while having a level of familiarity to it to make it easy for players to understand. You never want to make your game overly complex or so unique that it\u2019s a difficult grasp. Players want to be able to jump right in and start playing with minimal instruction. So, when you\u2019re designing your game, it\u2019s important to use the same popular gameplay mechanics that gamers enjoy. And build upon those core elements to make your game different. There\u2019s no need to reinvent the wheel. You can use the \u2018model and improve\u2019 technique to help you add interesting new elements into your game to make it fresh.<\/p>\n

Tip #7 \u2013 Choose the Right Tools<\/b><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s a great quote by Emmert Wolf that states, \u201cA man is only as good as his tools.\u201d The same can be applied when making games. To create professional looking games, you need the right tools. But here\u2019s the catch, everybody is different. What works well for one person may not for another. So, the secret is to choose the right tools for your current skill level and need. This goes for all tools, whether it\u2019s a game engine, graphic design, or animation software.<\/p>\n

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For example, many of the\u00a0graphic design software options can vary in features and price. Try to consider the learning curve that\u2019s required. Are you a beginner, intermediate, or advanced user ? And what can you afford, right now ? If you\u2019re still learning your way around design, you have to choose the best tool for you to use to get the job done. Do your research, comparison shop, and weigh your options.<\/p>\n

Tip #8 \u2013 Always Remember \u2026 Size Does Matter<\/b><\/h3>\n

Size matters, especially in game design. So, avoid the common mistake of making your game\u2019s characters or objects too big. Characters that are too large will slow down your game and hinder your players\u2019 overall gaming experience. Whenever you\u2019re in doubt, go small.<\/p>\n

A cool game design hack for sizing is to compare your character size to popular games that nailed it. All you have to do is take your game\u2019s images and a few from the game you want to compare it. Load both of them into a graphic design software like\u00a0Photoshop<\/a>\u00a0and see how much they differ. If it\u2019s too big or small, you can easily change the size within the software and save. An excellent game to use for size comparison is Super Mario Bros. The classic platformer is a perfect example of how to scale your characters. It\u2019s good to use popular games that are in the same category as your game too.<\/p>\n

Tip #9 \u2013 Select the Right Color Theme<\/b><\/h3>\n

Always choose the best possible color palette for your game. It\u2019s important to get the color scheme and combinations right in the beginning. Every polished game has a great color palette. If picking which colors go best together isn\u2019t your forte, don\u2019t worry. There are plenty of great free\u00a0color palette generators and color scheme tools\u00a0that you can use. Two excellent ones that are worth checking out are\u00a0ColourLovers<\/a>\u00a0and Hail Pixel\u2019s\u00a0Colordot<\/a>\u00a0which also has a handy mobile app.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a mini-chart with a few solid color combinations that work well together:<\/p>\n

\"game<\/a><\/p>\n

Also, a good rule of thumb to follow is to lean towards more muted colors in your mobile game design. Try to avoid using overly saturated colors. They can often be hard on the eyes, especially when used in excess.<\/p>\n

Tip #10 \u2013 Keep Things Simple!<\/b><\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t forget to keep things simple. You never want to overcomplicate your initial design. So, try to avoid adding too much, too soon in the beginning. Focus on keeping your design very basic and perfecting your gameplay mechanics. As you build out more levels, prototype, and test you can add more details and complexity.<\/p>\n

Tip #11 \u2013 Don\u2019t Cut Corners With Your Graphics<\/b><\/h3>\n

Your game\u2019s graphics are the first thing that your players will notice. So, it\u2019s vital that you don\u2019t cut corners or use low-quality game art. Everything from your app icon and screenshots in your store listing to your actual game graphics should look amazing. They all help sell your game and add to the overall experience. Try to make sure your game\u2019s graphics are just as good if not better than the other competing games in your genre.<\/p>\n

Create top-notch game art, add cool animations, and effects to make your game come to life. In the tutorial below Zack shares five quick animation tricks that you can do to make your game design more fun:<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not good at making your game art, there are tons of game development resources like\u00a0Itch.io<\/a>,\u00a0Game Dev Market<\/a>, and\u00a0Open Game Art<\/a>\u00a0where you can score\u00a0free game art. You can even use sites such as\u00a0Fiverr<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Upwork<\/a>\u00a0to find an artist to create custom game art for you. If you\u2019re unfamiliar with how outsourcing sites work, this\u00a0comprehensive review on Upwork<\/a>\u00a0can help give you some insight.<\/p>\n

Tip #12 \u2013 Use Sound to Evoke Player\u2019s Emotion<\/b><\/h3>\n

Games are an interactive form of media. Much like music and film, if it\u2019s any good, it will evoke some emotion. Adding sound effects and background music in your game can make your players really get into your game. Your game\u2019s art, theme, and sound should all compliment each other. Using the proper sound effects can set the mood or pace throughout the game. So, choose it wisely. Try to match it with your gameplay type and theme. For example, if you\u2019re making a horror game, you can add creepy sound effects like howls or a witch cackle or for a fast-paced runner up-tempo beat to help get players pumped up to win the race.<\/p>\n