How do you communicate your design vision and goals with low fidelity game prototypes?

1 What are low fidelity game prototypes?

Low fidelity game prototypes are game prototypes that use minimal or abstract graphics, sounds, and assets to emphasize the gameplay and interactivity over the aesthetics and polish. They are usually created quickly and cheaply, using tools like paper, cardboard, sketches, wireframes, or basic software. They are meant to test and iterate on the core ideas and assumptions of your game design, and to get feedback from your team, stakeholders, and testers.

2 Why use low fidelity game prototypes?

Low fidelity game prototypes have several advantages over high fidelity game prototypes, which use more realistic and detailed graphics, sounds, and assets. Low fidelity prototypes are generally faster and cheaper to make, allowing you to focus on the gameplay and mechanics. They can encourage experimentation and creativity, as you can try out different ideas without worrying about presentation quality. Furthermore, low fidelity prototypes facilitate communication and collaboration, as they are easier to share and explain. Lastly, they reduce attachment and bias, as you are less likely to get attached to or defensive about them.

3 How to create low fidelity game prototypes?

Creating low fidelity game prototypes doesn't have to be a daunting task, as long as you keep in mind some general steps and tips. Start by defining your design vision and goals, as well as your target audience and their needs and expectations. Then choose the best tools and format for your prototype, such as paper and cardboard for a board game or card game, sketches or wireframes for a 2D or 3D game, or basic software like Unity or GameMaker for a digital game. When creating the prototype, focus on the gameplay and interactivity with simple and abstract graphics, sounds, and assets. Lastly, playtest your prototype with your team, stakeholders, and testers to get feedback on what they like and dislike, understand and misunderstand, suggest and question. Use this feedback to refine your prototype and validate or invalidate your design vision and goals.

4 What are the challenges of low fidelity game prototypes?

Low fidelity game prototypes can come with drawbacks and limitations, so it’s important to be aware of them and how to address them. For example, they may not capture the full experience and emotion of your game, as they lack visual and audio cues, narrative, and context. Additionally, they may not represent the technical and artistic feasibility of your game, as they may use unrealistic or impractical assumptions. Furthermore, low fidelity game prototypes may not appeal to some audiences such as investors or publishers. In addition, they may require additional explanation and documentation to help your team, stakeholders, and testers understand and evaluate your prototype.

5 How to balance low fidelity and high fidelity game prototypes?

Low fidelity game prototypes should not be used to replace high fidelity game prototypes, but rather to complement them. Each type of prototype serves a different purpose and audience, and has its own strengths and weaknesses. Thus, you should find a balance between low fidelity and high fidelity game prototypes throughout your game development process, depending on your design vision, available time and resources, as well as intended audience. To do this, you can start with low fidelity prototypes in the early stages of development to test ideas and assumptions, while in the later stages you can move to high fidelity prototypes to refine and polish the design. Additionally, using both types of prototypes in parallel or combination can help you test and communicate different aspects of your game design.