The Art of Game Design

I am a game designer.

I am a game designer.

I am a game designer.

I am a game designer.

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If you haven't read The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses (Jesse Schell, 2008) then you may think I'm being somewhat presumptuous and possibly a bit weird.

In chapter 1 of Schell's book he speaks of what it means to be a game designer, as well as what it takes to consider yourself one. The confidence-building exercise which he employs (and that I have begun this blog post with) presents the idea that a game designer begins with the desire to be one. He iterates at various times throughout the chapter that confidence is extremely important. This is because it is very easy to doubt yourself when presented with your own failings and short-comings, or when observing the excellence of others. Schell states simply, 'Blow away these useless thoughts. They can't help you.' (p.2).

With these simple words to guide us (and brevity is the soul of wit, as some famous playwright once said) he then goes on to define some important skills that a game designer should be in possession of. While I fall somewhat short of this extensive list I am not perturbed because my skills are growing with every day. The chapter indicates that the most important skill of all however, is to listen. The broad notion of 'listening' has been categorised into five sub-groups, of which you should devote your skill equally.

Team - your co-workers and colleagues (they may have skills and ideas which you are lacking in)

Audience - the people who will play your game (feedback is the best basis for iteration of a game)

Game - the way the game is constructed and what it is trying to be (Schell gives comparison to being in-tune with your car and 'feeling' when something is wrong with it)

Client - whoever has assigned the task of making the game (in the professional world this is your employer, and it's definitely a good idea to listen to them!)

Self - while this one may seem fairly self-explanatory, it is always worth questioning yourself as to why you're making the decisions that you are (having a clear idea of what you're trying to achieve is just as important as having the ability to follow through with it, in my experience)

Finally, Schell speaks of 'the minor gift' and 'the major gift' of any skill. While some people are naturally gifted in an area and are born experts, Jesse considers this to be the minor gift if they don't possess the passion for the skill in question. The major gift is the love for the work itself. Practice and perseverance are far more important than any underlying innate talent.

While I have no idea what the future holds in store for me, I know what direction I want to steer it in, so here I am.

I am a game designer.