How do you improve your game design skills by analyzing other games?

1 Why analyze games?

Analyzing games can help you develop a critical eye for game design and understand how different elements work together to create engaging and meaningful experiences. By playing and studying other games, you can discover new ideas, techniques, and solutions that you can adapt or avoid for your own games. You can also identify and avoid common pitfalls and mistakes that can ruin a game's quality or appeal. Analyzing games can also help you develop your own style and vision as a game designer, as you can compare and contrast different approaches and genres.

3 Mechanics analysis

To analyze the mechanics of a game, you need to identify and examine the core elements that make up the game's structure and functionality. These include the goals, challenges, actions, feedback, resources, and outcomes of the game. You can ask yourself questions such as: What is the main objective of the game? What are the obstacles and difficulties that the player faces? What are the choices and actions that the player can take? How does the game communicate the results and consequences of the player's actions? How does the game balance the availability and scarcity of resources? How does the game reward or punish the player for their performance? By answering these questions, you can evaluate how the mechanics support or hinder the game's design and gameplay.

4 Dynamics analysis

To analyze the dynamics of a game, you need to observe and explore how the mechanics interact with each other and with the player. You can look for the emergent phenomena and behaviors that arise from the game's systems and rules, such as strategies, tactics, conflicts, cooperation, competition, tension, surprise, and discovery. You can ask yourself questions such as: How does the game vary and adapt to the player's actions and decisions? How does the game create interesting and meaningful choices and dilemmas for the player? How does the game encourage or discourage certain play styles and preferences? How does the game foster or prevent social interaction and communication among players? How does the game generate suspense and excitement for the player? By answering these questions, you can assess how the dynamics enhance or diminish the game's fun and engagement.

5 Aesthetics analysis

To analyze the aesthetics of a game, you need to reflect and articulate how the game makes you feel and what it means to you. You can consider the emotional and cognitive responses and interpretations that the game triggers in you, such as curiosity, joy, frustration, fear, satisfaction, boredom, empathy, or wonder. You can ask yourself questions such as: What is the theme and message of the game? How does the game use visuals, sounds, music, and narrative to convey its tone and mood? How does the game appeal to your senses, imagination, and intellect? How does the game relate to your personal values, beliefs, and experiences? How does the game challenge or inspire you as a player and as a person? By answering these questions, you can appreciate how the aesthetics influence or transform your game experience and perception.

6 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?