How can you adapt your game design?

1 Identify your core

The first step to adapting your game design is to identify your core idea, mechanic, or theme that drives your game. This is the essence of your game, the reason why you are making it, and the hook that attracts your audience. Your core should be clear, concise, and compelling. It should also be flexible enough to allow for variations, iterations, and improvements. Once you have your core, you can use it as a guide and a filter for your design decisions.

2 Evaluate your constraints

The second step to adapting your game design is to evaluate your constraints. Constraints are the limitations or challenges that you face when designing your game, such as time, budget, scope, platform, genre, audience, or feedback. Constraints can be seen as obstacles or opportunities, depending on how you approach them. You can use constraints to focus your design, prioritize your features, simplify your solutions, and innovate your methods. You can also use constraints to test your core and see how it holds up under different scenarios.

3 Experiment with your options

The third step to adapting your game design is to experiment with your options. Options are the choices or alternatives that you have when designing your game, such as mechanics, aesthetics, narrative, sound, interface, or modes. Options can be seen as sources of inspiration or complexity, depending on how you use them. You can use options to enhance your core, diversify your gameplay, express your style, and engage your audience. You can also use options to explore your potential and see how far you can push your game.

4 Communicate your intent

The fourth step to adapting your game design is to communicate your intent. Intent is the purpose or message that you want to convey with your game, such as a theme, a lesson, a mood, or a question. Intent can be seen as a direction or a constraint, depending on how you define it. You can use intent to align your design, motivate your actions, justify your changes, and measure your success. You can also use intent to connect with your audience and see how they respond to your game.

5 Solicit and apply feedback

The fifth step to adapting your game design is to solicit and apply feedback. Feedback is the information or opinions that you receive from others about your game, such as testers, players, peers, mentors, or clients. Feedback can be seen as a resource or a challenge, depending on how you handle it. You can use feedback to validate your design, identify your strengths, address your weaknesses, and improve your quality. You can also use feedback to learn from your mistakes and see how you can grow as a game designer.

6 Document and reflect on your process

The sixth and final step to adapting your game design is to document and reflect on your process. Process is the method or approach that you follow when designing your game, such as brainstorming, prototyping, testing, iterating, or polishing. Process can be seen as a tool or a habit, depending on how you practice it. You can use process to organize your work, track your progress, share your insights, and showcase your results. You can also use process to evaluate your performance and see how you can improve as a game designer.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?