Game Development - Task 1: Game Design Document
25.09.2024 - 23.10.2024 / Week 1 - Week 5
IAN CHOO XIN ZHE / 0369451
Game Development / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
MIB
Task 1: Game Design Document
Students are required to design and create their own 2D side scrolling/platformer game. The game design document serves as a blueprint for their game and will contain all the necessary information and visual references to develop the game. Sample GDD will be provided as a reference, but students are expected to research more on the matter to determine the necessary content items for their own GDD.
Research On Understanding Scrolling/Platformer Games
Before starting on the brainstorming or any ideation stage of my game, I did research to improve my understanding on the type of game that I'm required to make for this module.
Scrolling/platformer games are a genre characterized by their side-scrolling gameplay and focus on navigating a character through various levels, typically by jumping between platforms and avoiding obstacles. The player controls a character that moves horizontally across the screen, with vertical movement often achieved through jumping. Key elements include:
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Level Design: Levels often feature distinct sections, each presenting unique challenges, enemies, and platforming puzzles. Good level design creates a balance between difficulty and accessibility, guiding players through a seamless experience.
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Character Control: Controls are crucial for platformers, requiring responsive input for movement and jumping. Precision is often necessary, as players must time jumps to avoid hazards and reach platforms.
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Collectibles and Power-ups: Many platformers include collectibles, such as coins or power-ups, which enhance gameplay by providing rewards or temporary boosts to the player’s abilities.
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Enemies and Obstacles: Players must navigate around or defeat enemies while avoiding environmental hazards. The challenge often comes from learning enemy patterns and timing jumps accurately.
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Narrative and Theme: While gameplay is central, the narrative and thematic elements often enhance player engagement. Stories can range from simple quests to complex narratives that unfold throughout the game.
Platformer games have evolved significantly since their inception in the late 1970s. The genre gained popularity with titles like Donkey Kong and Super Mario Bros., establishing gameplay mechanics that many games still utilize today. The evolution includes:
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Early Games: Early platformers focused on simple mechanics, where players navigated static screens and completed basic jumps and movements.
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2D to 3D Transition: The shift to 3D gaming introduced new mechanics and perspectives, such as free movement in three dimensions, although 2D platformers continued to thrive due to their simplicity and nostalgic appeal.
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Modern Variants: Today, platformers often incorporate narrative elements, unique art styles, and innovative mechanics. Games like Celeste and Hollow Knight exemplify how the genre can evolve while maintaining core platforming mechanics.
Level design is a crucial aspect of platformer games, influencing gameplay experience and player engagement. Key principles of effective level design include:
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Flow and Pacing: Levels should create a natural flow, guiding players through challenges while maintaining a sense of momentum. A well-paced level allows players to explore, engage with mechanics, and build skills gradually.
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Challenge Gradients: Introducing new mechanics gradually helps players learn and master skills without becoming overwhelmed. Levels can start easy, increasing in complexity and difficulty.
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Verticality: Incorporating vertical elements can enhance exploration and provide players with different paths and strategies to navigate levels. This encourages creativity and experimentation.
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Feedback and Rewards: Providing visual or auditory feedback for actions, such as collecting items or defeating enemies, enhances player satisfaction. Rewarding players for exploration can also encourage thoroughness.
Playing Platformer Games
Next, I decided to explore various online gaming websites to gain first-hand experience by playing different platformer games. My main objective in trying out these games was to gather inspiration for my own project and to develop a deeper understanding of the mechanics commonly found in platformer games. By engaging with these titles, I aimed to observe how elements like character movement, level design, enemy interactions, and difficulty progression are implemented. This hands-on experience would serve as a valuable reference for designing my own 2D side-scrolling game.
Doodle Road is an imaginative and captivating 2D casual game that combines creativity with problem-solving. In this fun browser game, your primary objective is to draw a path that will successfully guide a car from the starting point to the finish line. With a multitude of levels to explore, each one introduces new challenges and exciting obstacles that test your creativity and strategic thinking
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| Fig 1.5 Ninja Parkour Multiplayer |
Ninja Parkour Multiplayer is a 2D game where your objective is to avoid obstacles along your path to the end of the course. Quick movements and precision jumps will get you far. Hesitation will get you straight back to the beginning.
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| Fig 1.6 Flip Bottle |
Flip Bottle is a simple but challenging one-button game. Flip the bottle and make it jump from object to object to reach the final platform.
Task 1 Presentation
Reflection
Experience
Working on the three game ideas—A Monsoon Escape, Meals on a Mission, and Chasing Clouds—was a blend of fun and challenge. Coming up with creative ideas was exciting, but balancing that creativity with the practical limitations of a 2D platformer required a lot of effort. I realized early on that it’s easy to get lost in ambitious concepts, so I had to constantly remind myself to keep the mechanics simple and achievable. Gathering inspiration from existing games also made me reflect on how much effort goes into creating even seemingly “basic” game mechanics.
Observation
Throughout the process, I noticed how important structure is when brainstorming. Initially, I had too many scattered ideas, which made it hard to stay focused. But once I started breaking the game concepts down into smaller components like mechanics, measurables, and end goals, everything started falling into place. I also learned how valuable inspiration games are not just for gameplay ideas, but also for figuring out what makes a game engaging. Another key takeaway was how different each concept needed to be in terms of both theme and mechanics. That variation kept things fresh and helped me expand my creative thinking.
Findings
From this experience, I learned that game design is not just about creativity—it’s about problem-solving. I had to think about more than just how the game would look or feel. I had to address practical elements, like deciding what measurable elements would provide a rewarding challenge. I also found that breaking everything down into sections like concept, mechanics, and measurable elements was really helpful, as it kept me organized and on track. Lastly, working through this project has made me more aware of the importance of reflection and iteration—a good idea isn’t always the first one you think of, and refining concepts is part of the process.
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