Fundamentals of Game Design, 2nd Edition
- By Ernest Adams
- Published Sep 14, 2009 by New Riders. Part of the Voices That Matter series.
- Copyright 2010
- Dimensions: 7-3/8 X 9-1/8
- Pages: 700
- Edition: 2nd
- Book
- ISBN-10: 0-321-64337-2
- ISBN-13: 978-0-321-64337-7
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To create a great video game, you must start with a solid game design: A well-designed game is easier to build, more entertaining, and has a better chance of succeeding in the marketplace. Here to teach you the essential skills of player-centric game design is one of the industry’s leading authorities, who offers a first-hand look into the process, from initial concept to final tuning.
Now in its second edition, this updated classic reference by Ernest Adams offers a complete and practical approach to game design, and includes material on concept development, gameplay design, core mechanics, user interfaces, storytelling, and balancing. In an easy-to-follow approach, Adams analyzes the specific design challenges of all the major game genres and shows you how to apply the principles of game design to each one. You’ll learn how to:
- Define the challenges and actions at the heart of the gameplay.
- Write a high-concept document, a treatment, and a full design script.
- Understand the essentials of user interface design and how to define a game’s look and feel.
- Design for a variety of input mechanisms, including the Wii controller and multi-touch iPhone.
- Construct a game’s core mechanics and flow of resources (money, points, ammunition, and more).
- Develop appealing stories, game characters, and worlds that players will want to visit, including persistent worlds.
- Work on design problems with engaging end-of-chapter exercises, design worksheets, and case studies.
- Make your game accessible to broader audiences such as children, adult women, people with disabilities, and casual players.
“Ernest Adams provides encyclopedic coverage of process and design issues for every aspect of game design, expressed as practical lessons that can be immediately applied to a design in-progress. He offers the best framework I’ve seen for thinking about the relationships between core mechanics, gameplay, and player—one that I’ve found useful for both teaching and research.” — Michael Mateas, University of California at Santa Cruz, co-creator of Façade
Instructor Resources
Instructor's Manual
The instructor's manual that accompanies this book includes teaching notes, projects, and exercises. It can be accessed from the Pearson Higher Education website.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Commercial game design at it's best, By
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This review is from: Fundamentals of Game Design (2nd Edition) (Paperback)
Ernest Adams brings to us a bible in commercial game design. Commercial is the keyword, as you'll be taught how to make a commercial game that will appeal to publishers and the masses alike. Some of the material may be a bit obvious to gamers and already working game designers, but don't over estimate the power of having someone actually spell it out to you, bringing many themes, ideas and rules from the depths of your subconscious to the forefront. This book also brings to light fine details that you wouldn't normally think about when designing a game, but are extremely critical in the overall design work.If you are ready to design commercially appealing games, then this is your book. If you are more of an independent developer, looking to break the mold that most publishers wouldn't dare to fund, then perhaps you should look elsewhere.
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful
If you want help in designing you game buy this book,
This review is from: Fundamentals of Game Design (Paperback)
I own about every game design book there is. This one actually helps me in designing my game. At the end of each chapter is a section that provides questions to ask yourself when your designing. This alone is worth the price of the book. Only negative is that its text focuses on digital games, but most of the principles will still apply to paper prototypes.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
All Right, By
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This review is from: Fundamentals of Game Design (Paperback)
I got this as a text for a grad-level game design class. The book is all right, though nothing amazing. For someone who has played a decent amount of games in my life, it mainly seemed to just label things I already knew. There were a few interesting sections, but I probably could have learned much of that just from looking at some online articles on game design. This book might be more valuable for someone who doesn't tend to think much about the underlying mechanics of the games they play, however. On the bright side, it's an easy read and it makes sense. The depth isn't all that great, though.Also, if you are looking for assistance in actually MAKING a game this won't help you at all. This is basically 100% conceptual, with no guidance on actually implementing a game in any way, shape, or form. It's clearly written for people who are planning on making computer games, however, as many of the concepts and examples aren't the best fits if you trying to do table... Read more |
Online Sample Chapter
Fundamentals of Game Design: Game Worlds
Table of Contents
Introduction
PART ONE
THE ELEMENTS OF GAME DESIGN
1 Games and Video Games
2 Design Components and Processes
3 Game Concepts
4 Game Worlds
5 Creative and Expressive Play
6 Character Development
7 Storytelling and Narrative
8 User Interfaces
9 Gameplay
10 Core Mechanics
11 Game Balancing
12 General Principles of Level Design
PART TWO
THE GENRES OF GAMES
13 Action Games
14 Strategy Games
15 Role-Playing
16 Sports Games
17 Vehicle Simulations
18 Construction and Management Simulations
19 Adventure Games
20 Artifi cial Life and Puzzle Games
21 Online Gaming
A Designing to Appeal to Particular
Glossary
References
Index
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