How do you design a game that can align with the goals and values of your stakeholders and clients?

1 Identify your stakeholders and clients

The first step in designing a game that can align with the goals and values of your stakeholders and clients is to identify who they are and what they want from your game. Stakeholders and clients can include anyone who has an interest or influence on your game, such as publishers, investors, sponsors, partners, collaborators, or end-users. You need to communicate with them regularly and effectively, and establish their roles, responsibilities, and expectations. You also need to understand their goals and values, such as their vision, mission, purpose, culture, or social impact.

2 Conduct market research and analysis

The second step in designing a game that can align with the goals and values of your stakeholders and clients is to conduct market research and analysis. This involves gathering and analyzing data and information about your target audience, competitors, industry trends, and best practices. You need to identify the needs, wants, preferences, motivations, and behaviors of your potential players, and how they relate to your game genre and platform. You also need to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your game idea, and how it compares to other similar or alternative games in the market.

3 Define your game concept and scope

The third step in designing a game that can align with the goals and values of your stakeholders and clients is to define your game concept and scope. This involves creating a clear and concise statement that describes the core idea, theme, genre, platform, features, and mechanics of your game. You need to ensure that your game concept and scope are aligned with the goals and values of your stakeholders and clients, and that they are feasible, viable, and desirable. You also need to set realistic and measurable objectives and milestones for your game development process, and communicate them to your stakeholders and clients.

4 Prototype and test your game

The fourth step in designing a game that can align with the goals and values of your stakeholders and clients is to prototype and test your game. This involves creating a playable version of your game that demonstrates the key features, mechanics, and aesthetics of your game. You need to test your game with your target audience, stakeholders, clients, and other relevant feedback sources, and collect and analyze their responses. You need to use the feedback to evaluate and improve your game design, and to validate or invalidate your assumptions and hypotheses.