Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games, Third Edition

Create the Digital Games You Love to Play Discover an exercise-driven, non-technical approach to game design without the need for programming or artistic expertise using Game Design Workshop, Third Edition. Author Tracy Fullerton demystifies the creative process with a clear and accessible analysis of the formal and dramatic systems of game design. Examples of popular games, illustrations of design techniques, and refined exercises strengthen your understanding of how game systems function and give you the skills and tools necessary to create a compelling and engaging game. The book puts you to work prototyping, playtesting, and revising your own games with time-tested methods and tools. It provides you with the foundation to advance your career in any facet of the game industry, including design, producing, programming, and visual design.

Table of Contents:
GAME DESIGN BASICS The Role of the Game Designer Sidebar—Designers You Should Know Sidebar—The Iterative Process Designer Perspective Christina Norman Designer Perspective Warren Spector The Structure of Games Sidebar—What is a Puzzle? Designer Perspective Jane McGonigal Designer Perspective Randy Smith Working with Formal Elements Sidebar—Persuasive Games Designer Perspective Tim LeTourneau Sidebar—The Mechanic is the Message Working with Dramatic Elements Sidebar—The Two Great Myths of Interactive Storytelling Designer Perspective Dr. Ray Muzyka Designer Perspective Don Daglow Working with System Dynamics Sidebar—Deconstructing Set Sidebar —A Conversation with Will Wright, by Celia Pearce Designer Perspective Alan R. Moon Designer Perspective Frank Lantz DESIGNING A GAME Conceptualization Sidebar—EA Pre-production Workshop Sidebar—Where Do Game Ideas Come From? Sidebar—Getting the Most Out of Focus Groups Sidebar – Experimental Game Design Designer Perspective Josh Holmes Prototyping Sidebar—Catastrophic Prototyping and Other Stories Sidebar—The Design Evolution of Magic the Gathering Designer Perspective James Ernest Designer Perspective Katie Salen Digital Prototyping Sidebar—Using Software Prototypes in Game Design Sidebar—Prototyping Cloud Sidebar—Prototyping for Game Feel Designer Perspective David Perry Designer Perspective Elan Lee Playtesting Sidebar—Why We Play Games Sidebar—How Feedback from Typical Gamers Can Help Avoid Disappointing Outcomes Sidebar—A Primer for Playtesting Sidebar—Metrics in Game Design Functionality, Completeness, and Balance Sidebar – A Conversation with Rob Pardo Designer Perspective Brian Hersch Designer Perspective Heather Kelley Fun and Accessibility Sidebar—Tuning and Balance: Us vs It Sidebar—Using Audio as a Game Feedback Device Designer Perspective Robin Hunicke Designer Perspective Lorne Lanning WORKING AS A GAME DESIGNER Team Structures Sidebar – Applying for a Job in Game Design Designer Perspective Nahil Sharkasi Designer Perspective Matt Firor Designer Perspective Jenova Chen Stages and Methods of Development Sidebar—From Classroom to Console: Producing Flow for the Playstation 3 Sidebar—Opportunities for Indie Gamemakers Designer Perspective Michael John Designer Perspective Jeff Watson Communicating Your Designs Sidebar—Virtual Reality and Oculus Rift Designer Perspective Anna Anthropy Designer Perspective Rob Daviau Understanding the New Game Industry Sidebar—Mobile Game Design and Zombies, Run! Designer Perspective Keita Takahashi Designer Perspective Graeme Bayless Selling Yourself and Your Ideas to the Game Industry Designer Perspective Erin Reynolds Designer Perspective Matt Korba Designer Perspective Asher Vollmer Conclusion

Review :
"Game Design Workshop is a truly great book and has become, in my opinion, the de facto standard text for beginner- to intermediate-level game design education. This updated new edition is extremely relevant, useful, and inspiring to all kinds of game designers." —Richard Lemarchand, Interactive Media & Games Division, School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California "This is the perfect time for a new edition. The updates refresh elements of the book that are important as examples, but don’t radically alter the thing about the book that is great: a playcentric approach to game design." —Colleen Macklin, Associate Professor, Parsons The New School for Design "Tracy Fullerton’s Game Design Workshop covers pretty much everything a working or wannabe game designer needs to know. She covers game theory, concepting, prototyping, testing, and tuning, with stops along the way to discuss what it means to a professional game designer and how to land a job. When I started thinking about my game studies course at the University of Texas at Austin, this was one book I knew I had to use." —Warren Spector, Creative Director, Junction Point Studios