Chris Crawford on Game Design
Authors: Chris Crawford, Chris Crawford
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Overview
This book, “Chris Crawford on Game Design,” is intended for aspiring game designers, particularly those interested in moving beyond the conventional shoot-em-up and creating innovative, meaningful interactive experiences. It explores the core principles of game design, drawing on two decades of experience, from the earliest days of computer games to the more sophisticated designs of the early 1990s. I emphasize that good game design isn’t about graphics, sound, or story, but about interactivity and challenge, creating systems that players find engaging and rewarding. I challenge conventional design wisdom, pushing for more creative and intellectually stimulating games that cater to a broader audience.
This book argues that the current state of computer game design has become stagnant, trapped in a cycle of imitating past successes and focusing on visual flash over meaningful interaction. I contend that the industry has focused on a narrow audience of young males, missing out on opportunities to create games for a broader demographic, including women. I urge designers to break free from convention, to delve into new dimensions of interaction, such as social reasoning and complex systems, rather than pursuing incremental improvements on existing genres. I emphasize the importance of understanding play as a fundamental human activity with far-reaching implications, a process that can be both deeply engaging and educational.
I draw on a variety of examples, from classic board games and the earliest arcade hits to the more complex computer games of the early 1990s, highlighting both successes and failures (‘turkeys’) and drawing lessons from both. I offer concrete examples from my own design experiences, including such hits as Eastern Front (1941) and Balance of Power, and even failures such as Guns & Butter, to illustrate both good design practices and the common pitfalls that await the unwary designer. I also explore the importance of education, research, and critical thinking in the design process, arguing that great game design cannot be achieved through technical prowess alone, but requires a deep understanding of human behavior, culture, and the principles of storytelling.
Finally, this book offers a more personal perspective on the challenges of game design. I explore the evolution of my own design philosophy, the struggles of creating innovative games in a commercially driven industry, and the lessons I learned from both my successes and failures. My discussions highlight not only the technical challenges of programming, but also the aesthetic and ethical considerations of designing entertainment products that can influence attitudes and behaviors. The book concludes with a look at the harsh realities of the games business, offering advice for surviving and thriving in a tough environment.
Book Outline
1. Definitions, Definitions
Game design is a distinct field from game programming. A game designer must understand programming, and a programmer must understand design, but they are different disciplines. Good game design, rather than a quantifiable ‘fun factor’, is what makes games enjoyable. Games are interactive entertainment, distinct from movies, books, plays, toys, and simulations.
Key concept: Taxonomy of creative expressions
2. Some Milestone Games
Many games are published each year, ranging from terrible to excellent in quality. Failures (‘turkeys’) often offer clear lessons due to easily identifiable flaws, while successes are more complex to analyze. Examining a mix of both provides a breadth of learning.
Key concept: It’s easier to learn from turkeys than from masterworks
3. Play
Play is a complex human behavior with wide ranging implications. It is a tool for learning, for revealing personality and character. Crucially, play must feel safe. The best games create an illusion of risk while assuring the player’s safety, letting players correct their mistakes and keeping losses infrequent. They should be engaging in ordinary settings, as challenge itself is intrinsically interesting to players.
Key concept: Good games do not simulate physical reality; they mirror emotional reality
4. Challenge
Challenge is the essence of games, and a challenge needs rules. A good challenge has clear, interesting rules. Loopholes in rules allow players to ‘subvert’ the challenge. The ‘lock on victory’ is an example of such a loophole. Clear and precise challenges are important.
Key concept: Eliminate loopholes that allow the player to evade the challenge of the game
5. Conflict
Conflict, an element crucial to both stories and games, adds personal engagement to challenge. It enhances player involvement, forcing rapid reactions and adaptations. Men and women exhibit different conflict behavior; understanding these differences is essential for designing games that appeal to everyone. Conflict can be pursued on many dimensions: physical, verbal, political, and economic. Moreover, conflicts can have varying levels of directness; indirection can add interest. Finally, conflict intensity should be matched to the length of the game.
Key concept: Games, like stories, require conflict to have any life.
6. Interactivity
Interactivity is what makes computer games unique and what gives them a competitive edge over other media. Designers should focus their efforts on the interaction possibilities.
Key concept: Interactivity is the essence of what you are selling.
7. Creativity: The Missing Ingredient
While creativity is essential, it can be stifled by commercial pressure. The focus on graphics over substance is a major flaw in the industry, and designers should look for inspiration in a variety of places – including less likely sources like failures (‘turkeys’). Furthermore, designers should explore the creation of games that target players beyond the young male demographic. Specifically, social reasoning, a dimension of thought particularly enjoyed by women, is a wide-open territory for game designers to explore.
Key concept: Work on social reasoning designs.
8. Common Mistakes
Beginner designers often make mistakes by prioritizing surface elements (‘cosmetics’) over core design. Incremental, accretive design, adding complexity without fundamental innovation, is a common but flawed approach. Design requires both addition and subtraction – identifying and cutting extraneous material is essential. Designers should avoid focusing on the topic of the game before the gameplay itself, as the topic follows from the gameplay mechanics.
Key concept: The tool has a strong influence on the weak-minded; we must be wary.
9. The Education of a Game Designer
Game designers require a broad education to develop flexible and insightful designs. A formal degree is important, with European universities offering a more multidisciplinary approach. Unrealistic expectations are a common hazard; aspiring game designers must be aware of the industry’s challenges. Continuous learning through reading, wondering, and practical exercises is essential.
Key concept: Learn everything you can.
10. Games I’d Like to Build
Many possible design concepts are explored, from historical to fantastical, covering different genres and highlighting unique game mechanics.
Key concept: There are a million great game ideas just waiting to be implemented.
11. Storytelling
Storytelling and games face challenges in integration. Adventure games, backstories, cut scenes, and role-playing games have all made attempts, but none successfully integrate the two. The problem lies in the linear nature of stories vs. the interactive nature of games. New approaches, like agent technology and story generation systems, are interesting but haven’t yet borne fruit.
Key concept: It’s the verbs, stupid!
12. Random Sour Observations
The problem of violence in games is due to limited thinking on the part of designers; they cannot conceive of games without violence. Massively multiplayer games create interesting social opportunities, but reduce the individual player’s agency. Licensed games are generally uncreative, as is the entire games industry. New input devices have proven unsuccessful so far, with the exception of specialized devices. The Sims is a great game, but it misses opportunities for meaningful social interaction.
Key concept: Defeat crackers with psychology, not technology.
13. Tanktics
This is the story of the author’s first game design. Starting with no relevant background, the author tackled challenges such as map representation, line-of-sight calculations, and move planning using basic algorithms. Early implementations were rudimentary but showed promise, leading to further development, production, marketing, sales, and ultimately a commercially successful game.
Key concept: Design springs from the heart.
14. Legionnaire
This is the story of a design conceived around limitations. The goal was to create a game for the limited display and processing power of the computer. The result was not a particularly inspired game.
Key concept: If you’re not passionate about it, the best you can achieve is competence.
15. Wizard
This is the story of designing a game within the tight restrictions of early gaming consoles. The Atari VCS/2600 had incredibly limited resources for memory, processing power, and display, posing significant challenges to designers. The design process focused on core gameplay given these limitations, and a metaphor (‘wizard fighting a monster’) emerged after the core mechanics.
Key concept: Fame don’t mean shit.
16. Energy Czar
Marketing limitations drove the development of this educational simulation – a game disguised as educational software to get through marketing restrictions. The design centered on a complex mathematical simulation, and the key challenge involved user interface and display of information.
Key concept: Sometimes the most brilliant design stroke is to kill the idea.
17. Scram
Beginning by creating a map display rather than the gameplay itself, the design of this game got off on the wrong foot. While it contained some innovative concepts, the design process was flawed from the start.
Key concept: Accept full moral responsibility for the games you design.
18. Eastern Front (1941)
This game was designed around an innovative scrolling map display. The AI for the game, featuring threaded execution and a sophisticated algorithm for line management, was a significant advancement. Tuning and playtesting were crucial to refining the gameplay, and there were a few design flaws such as units wandering off-screen.
Key concept: Don’t panic. Take the time to evaluate the design as a whole.
19. Gossip
This game focused on modeling interpersonal relationships. A simple input system based on declarations of affinity (i.e. ‘gossip’) and a spring-like physical model proved effective in creating complex social interactions.
Key concept: There are a million great game ideas just waiting to be implemented.
20. Excalibur
This game involved several interconnected minigames within an overarching framework of Arthurian legends. The design emphasizes leadership challenges, combining economic, diplomatic, military, and social elements. The accompanying game manual was written as a novella to illustrate the principles of gameplay.
Key concept: To design a symphonic game, you must broadly educate yourself.
21. Balance of Power
The design of this game began with a clear understanding of the strengths and limitations of the Mac platform. The design emphasized deep strategic thinking rather than fast action. The game’s title, Balance of Power, was a last-minute suggestion that proved highly successful. Challenges involved balancing a complex equation system and organizing information for the player. The game was almost lost due to a series of publisher mishaps, but ultimately achieved considerable commercial and critical success. The game received favorable press coverage, further boosting its sales.
Key concept: Publishers hold all the cards; designers are lucky to get whatever they can.
22. Patton Versus Rommel
The intent was to make a game about the realities of war, rather than the abstract glory. The project was motivated by Electronic Arts’ interest in creating a more conventional wargame. Innovations included a grid-less map, a multi-posture unit control system, and eight-directional facing. The game also included an extensive interactive ‘history explainer’ covering many aspects of the Battle of the Bulge. However, the game was a market failure as ‘wargames for the rest of us’ proved unpopular; hardcore gamers found the gameplay too simple, and those seeking accessible games had already given up on the genre.
Key concept: Build licensed products for money, not creative challenge.
23. Siboot
This game’s development was inspired by a personal tragedy and the desire to communicate with animals. The central design challenge was the creation of a new language for communication. A key innovation was the ‘interstitial stories’, mini-narratives inserted at various points to provide context, color, character development, and feedback to the player.
Key concept: Limit yourself to one major innovation per game.
24. Guns & Butter
The goal of this game was to provide gameplay focused on economic concepts rather than military tactics. The design process generated a number of clever innovations, including the use of random name generation for countries and the use of visual input/output charts for the economic system. However, a key design flaw was the failure to balance and integrate these elements with the overall gameplay, which in practice was not particularly engaging. The game was released prematurely due to a looming deadline and was a commercial failure.
Key concept: No matter what the schedule says, give the game enough time to get it right.
25. Balance of the Planet
The design for this educational game aimed to explore the complexities of environmental problems. The user could choose between pre-set value systems or create their own by altering coefficients in the game’s model. This ‘values-based approach’ both enhanced the sense of simulation and revealed underlying assumptions. However, the game was not a commercial success; while educators and environmentalists appreciated its realism, gamers and computer enthusiasts found it dull.
Key concept: Decide whether to hire an artist or an illustrator.
26. Patton Strikes Back
This game was an attempt to create an accessible wargame with simple rules, clean interface, and engaging visual presentation. The design process encountered some frustrations, especially in balancing interactivity with historical context and providing the player with both sufficient information and a streamlined interface. The game was a market failure, too late to the party to attract new players to wargaming, and too simple to attract hardcore enthusiasts. The game also included an innovative system of copy protection that exploited the predictable behavior and blind spots of crackers.
Key concept: Defeat crackers with psychology, not technology.
27. Themes and Lessons
Over a career spanning decades, certain themes have emerged. The author emphasizes the importance of putting people into games, focusing on faces as a crucial expression of emotional interaction. The creation of dynamic and engaging simulations, such as those in Balance of Power, reveals that the quality of the interaction is the key to an engaging play experience. A lesson from a long career as an independent designer is that a principled and artistic approach does not preclude commercial success.
Key concept: In the games biz, trust no one.
28. Old Fart Stories
A series of anecdotes illustrating the often perverse or just plain funny aspects of the games business. These ‘old fart stories’ highlight technical innovations, commercial blunders, unexpected setbacks, and personal triumphs.
Key concept: Look before you liquidate.
Essential Questions
1. What is interactivity and why is it so crucial to computer game design?
Interactivity is the defining characteristic of computer games, distinguishing them from other entertainment forms. It’s the dynamic interplay between player and computer, a cyclic process of listening, thinking, and responding. More interactivity, within reasonable limits, often results in better games. It allows players to exert more influence over the game’s outcome and leads to more varied and engaging gameplay.
2. What is play, and how does understanding play inform good game design?
While technical mastery is essential for implementing a game, design brilliance comes from a deep understanding of play as a fundamental human activity. Play is not frivolous child’s play, but a powerful learning tool, a way to test our limits, and a rich source of emotional experiences. Games should create a safe space for players to explore challenges and experience the thrill of risk without actual danger. Designers must avoid the trap of focusing on superficial elements like graphic realism or exotic settings; true engagement comes from challenges that resonate with our deeper emotions and experiences in everyday life.
3. What are the limitations of the current emphasis on violence in computer games?
The current focus on intense, direct, physical conflict, exemplified by violent games, limits the medium’s potential. While some players enjoy such games, it is a narrow approach that excludes many potential players, especially women, who are more interested in social conflict and complex relationships. The emphasis on immediate gratification and surface stimulation neglects deeper human needs for intellectual stimulation, emotional resonance, and connection with others. The games industry, trapped in a commercially driven cycle of imitation and catering to a narrow demographic, has failed to realize its potential as a mass medium.
4. How should designers approach the process of conceptualizing a game?
Designers should focus on the gameplay first and let the topic, graphics, and story follow. Instead of starting with a genre or visual concept, they should identify the core interactive elements – the verbs – that define the player’s actions and experiences. It’s through the interplay of these verbs that the true essence of the game emerges. This approach ensures that the game is engaging at its core, regardless of its surface presentation.
5. Where does creativity come from, and how can game designers foster it?
Creativity is not about random ideas, but about making insightful connections between existing concepts. A broad education and a deep understanding of a variety of fields, from science and history to art and psychology, provide the raw materials for creative connections. Moreover, designers should actively ‘wonder’ about how the world works, seeking out connections and patterns. Lastly, they must also be ruthless in discarding most of their ideas, recognizing that only a small fraction will be truly great.
1. What is interactivity and why is it so crucial to computer game design?
Interactivity is the defining characteristic of computer games, distinguishing them from other entertainment forms. It’s the dynamic interplay between player and computer, a cyclic process of listening, thinking, and responding. More interactivity, within reasonable limits, often results in better games. It allows players to exert more influence over the game’s outcome and leads to more varied and engaging gameplay.
2. What is play, and how does understanding play inform good game design?
While technical mastery is essential for implementing a game, design brilliance comes from a deep understanding of play as a fundamental human activity. Play is not frivolous child’s play, but a powerful learning tool, a way to test our limits, and a rich source of emotional experiences. Games should create a safe space for players to explore challenges and experience the thrill of risk without actual danger. Designers must avoid the trap of focusing on superficial elements like graphic realism or exotic settings; true engagement comes from challenges that resonate with our deeper emotions and experiences in everyday life.
3. What are the limitations of the current emphasis on violence in computer games?
The current focus on intense, direct, physical conflict, exemplified by violent games, limits the medium’s potential. While some players enjoy such games, it is a narrow approach that excludes many potential players, especially women, who are more interested in social conflict and complex relationships. The emphasis on immediate gratification and surface stimulation neglects deeper human needs for intellectual stimulation, emotional resonance, and connection with others. The games industry, trapped in a commercially driven cycle of imitation and catering to a narrow demographic, has failed to realize its potential as a mass medium.
4. How should designers approach the process of conceptualizing a game?
Designers should focus on the gameplay first and let the topic, graphics, and story follow. Instead of starting with a genre or visual concept, they should identify the core interactive elements – the verbs – that define the player’s actions and experiences. It’s through the interplay of these verbs that the true essence of the game emerges. This approach ensures that the game is engaging at its core, regardless of its surface presentation.
5. Where does creativity come from, and how can game designers foster it?
Creativity is not about random ideas, but about making insightful connections between existing concepts. A broad education and a deep understanding of a variety of fields, from science and history to art and psychology, provide the raw materials for creative connections. Moreover, designers should actively ‘wonder’ about how the world works, seeking out connections and patterns. Lastly, they must also be ruthless in discarding most of their ideas, recognizing that only a small fraction will be truly great.
Key Takeaways
1. Prioritize gameplay and interactivity over graphics and technology.
Games are a unique form of art that focuses on interactive experiences. The best games resonate with our emotions, not just our senses, and challenge us in ways that reflect real-world human experiences. They offer a safe space to confront risks and experience failure, while also providing opportunities for creativity and collaboration. This focus on emotional and intellectual engagement, rather than mere surface stimulation, is key to creating truly rewarding interactive experiences.
Practical Application:
In an AI context, prioritize user experience research to understand how to model human responses and preferences within an AI. Design user interfaces for interacting with AI to be intuitive and emotionally intelligent. Develop systems for users to personalize and customize the AI system’s values and responses, similar to the user-defined parameters in Balance of the Planet. This makes the AI more engaging, creates a more intimate connection between user and AI, and moves away from presenting the AI system’s responses as ‘truth’ while recognizing that our belief in the correctness of an AI system should acknowledge the assumptions behind its design and implementation.
2. Embrace an iterative and reductive approach to design.
Design is an iterative process of refinement, not simply adding features or copying successful elements from other games. Just as important as adding new features is the careful removal of anything extraneous that clutters the design. Begin each project with a clear specification of the core gameplay and avoid unnecessary complexities. Be ruthless in killing ideas that don’t contribute to the core vision.
Practical Application:
In an AI-driven application, break down complex processes into smaller, more manageable tasks. Allow users to intervene and adjust parameters within well-defined limits. Provide an intelligent help system that offers useful feedback and advice on how to make the best use of the system.
3. Explore the uncharted territory of interactive storytelling.
The potential of interactive storytelling lies in leveraging the power of the computer to create dynamic and responsive narrative experiences. Traditional storytelling focuses on fixed narratives, but games can allow the player to shape the story in meaningful ways. The challenge lies in creating systems that accommodate player choices while also providing a coherent and engaging experience. Experiment with new tools and concepts to create systems for dynamic story generation and user-driven narratives.
Practical Application:
When developing an AI product, avoid limiting the user to predetermined outputs or responses. Instead, focus on providing a broad range of tools and options, and let users combine these elements in their own ways. Design interfaces that facilitate expression and manipulation of concepts and ideas in multi-dimensional ways. Do user research to understand players’ intuitions and frustrations, and then design tools and features that support those intuitions and address those frustrations. Give users tools to ‘get creative’ with AI.
4. Invest in research, education, and critical thinking.
Game designers must be broad in their education and intellectual interests, drawing on a variety of fields to inform their design choices. They must develop a deep understanding of the specific problem domain they are addressing, conducting thorough research and consulting with experts. Read broadly, think deeply, and challenge your own assumptions. Avoid over-reliance on technology or tools; sometimes handwork is better. Most importantly, you must be passionate about the project; without passion, the best you can hope for is mere competence.
Practical Application:
In AI development, conduct thorough research on the problem domain you are addressing. Consult a variety of sources, including academic research, expert opinions, and real-world data. Focus on the ‘essence’ of the problem. Avoid over-reliance on existing tools or algorithms; they can limit your thinking. Be open to unexpected connections and insights, and be willing to challenge conventional wisdom. Be broad in your education.
5. Develop strong communication and social reasoning skills.
Meaningful interaction often requires empathy and an understanding of how other people think and feel. Game designers must learn to connect with people from diverse backgrounds, especially those who are not ‘just like them’. Social reasoning skills are crucial, but they require practice and sensitivity to other people’s perspectives. Developing an ability to communicate ideas and feelings in a clear and concise manner is essential.
Practical Application:
Engage with people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives to challenge your own assumptions and to understand how users may interact with your AI product. Learn other languages, both human and code, to broaden your communication abilities.
1. Prioritize gameplay and interactivity over graphics and technology.
Games are a unique form of art that focuses on interactive experiences. The best games resonate with our emotions, not just our senses, and challenge us in ways that reflect real-world human experiences. They offer a safe space to confront risks and experience failure, while also providing opportunities for creativity and collaboration. This focus on emotional and intellectual engagement, rather than mere surface stimulation, is key to creating truly rewarding interactive experiences.
Practical Application:
In an AI context, prioritize user experience research to understand how to model human responses and preferences within an AI. Design user interfaces for interacting with AI to be intuitive and emotionally intelligent. Develop systems for users to personalize and customize the AI system’s values and responses, similar to the user-defined parameters in Balance of the Planet. This makes the AI more engaging, creates a more intimate connection between user and AI, and moves away from presenting the AI system’s responses as ‘truth’ while recognizing that our belief in the correctness of an AI system should acknowledge the assumptions behind its design and implementation.
2. Embrace an iterative and reductive approach to design.
Design is an iterative process of refinement, not simply adding features or copying successful elements from other games. Just as important as adding new features is the careful removal of anything extraneous that clutters the design. Begin each project with a clear specification of the core gameplay and avoid unnecessary complexities. Be ruthless in killing ideas that don’t contribute to the core vision.
Practical Application:
In an AI-driven application, break down complex processes into smaller, more manageable tasks. Allow users to intervene and adjust parameters within well-defined limits. Provide an intelligent help system that offers useful feedback and advice on how to make the best use of the system.
3. Explore the uncharted territory of interactive storytelling.
The potential of interactive storytelling lies in leveraging the power of the computer to create dynamic and responsive narrative experiences. Traditional storytelling focuses on fixed narratives, but games can allow the player to shape the story in meaningful ways. The challenge lies in creating systems that accommodate player choices while also providing a coherent and engaging experience. Experiment with new tools and concepts to create systems for dynamic story generation and user-driven narratives.
Practical Application:
When developing an AI product, avoid limiting the user to predetermined outputs or responses. Instead, focus on providing a broad range of tools and options, and let users combine these elements in their own ways. Design interfaces that facilitate expression and manipulation of concepts and ideas in multi-dimensional ways. Do user research to understand players’ intuitions and frustrations, and then design tools and features that support those intuitions and address those frustrations. Give users tools to ‘get creative’ with AI.
4. Invest in research, education, and critical thinking.
Game designers must be broad in their education and intellectual interests, drawing on a variety of fields to inform their design choices. They must develop a deep understanding of the specific problem domain they are addressing, conducting thorough research and consulting with experts. Read broadly, think deeply, and challenge your own assumptions. Avoid over-reliance on technology or tools; sometimes handwork is better. Most importantly, you must be passionate about the project; without passion, the best you can hope for is mere competence.
Practical Application:
In AI development, conduct thorough research on the problem domain you are addressing. Consult a variety of sources, including academic research, expert opinions, and real-world data. Focus on the ‘essence’ of the problem. Avoid over-reliance on existing tools or algorithms; they can limit your thinking. Be open to unexpected connections and insights, and be willing to challenge conventional wisdom. Be broad in your education.
5. Develop strong communication and social reasoning skills.
Meaningful interaction often requires empathy and an understanding of how other people think and feel. Game designers must learn to connect with people from diverse backgrounds, especially those who are not ‘just like them’. Social reasoning skills are crucial, but they require practice and sensitivity to other people’s perspectives. Developing an ability to communicate ideas and feelings in a clear and concise manner is essential.
Practical Application:
Engage with people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives to challenge your own assumptions and to understand how users may interact with your AI product. Learn other languages, both human and code, to broaden your communication abilities.
Suggested Deep Dive
Chapter: Interactive Storytelling
Crawford’s focus on interactive storytelling and the discussion of Brutus and other early attempts in the field, provide valuable insights into the historical development and challenges of this emerging field, which is particularly relevant to AI product engineers working on narrative generation or interactive narrative systems.
Memorable Quotes
Lesson 1. 13
Game design shares nothing with game programming; they are completely separate fields of endeavor.
Lesson 2. 14
It’s easier to learn from turkeys than from masterworks.
Lesson 4. 56
Good games do not simulate physical reality; they mirror emotional reality.
So What Is Interactivity?. 129
A cyclic process in which two active agents alternately (and metaphorically) listen, think, and speak.
Education Versus Schooling. 213
Good game designers are broadly educated to be comfortable in the world of ideas.
Lesson 1. 13
Game design shares nothing with game programming; they are completely separate fields of endeavor.
Lesson 2. 14
It’s easier to learn from turkeys than from masterworks.
Lesson 4. 56
Good games do not simulate physical reality; they mirror emotional reality.
So What Is Interactivity?. 129
A cyclic process in which two active agents alternately (and metaphorically) listen, think, and speak.
Education Versus Schooling. 213
Good game designers are broadly educated to be comfortable in the world of ideas.
Comparative Analysis
In contrast to many contemporary design books focused on specific genres or technical aspects, “Chris Crawford on Game Design” takes a more philosophical and interdisciplinary approach. Unlike more practical guides, Crawford emphasizes the importance of understanding fundamental human behaviors and motivations, drawing on diverse fields such as psychology, history, and economics to inform design choices. Crawford also diverges from industry trends that prioritize graphics and technology, instead emphasizing gameplay and interaction as the core of successful design. His work aligns with other design thinkers like Don Norman (‘The Design of Everyday Things’) in emphasizing user-centered design principles, but goes further by exploring the unique challenges of interactive entertainment and the potential for using games to explore complex concepts and relationships. Lastly, Crawford’s focus on ‘symphonic game design’, integrating multiple levels of gameplay into a cohesive whole, prefigures later developments in the industry’s pursuit of deeper and more immersive experiences.
Reflection
Crawford’s perspective is both insightful and provocative, but some arguments require closer scrutiny. His condemnation of licensed games and the entire games industry for lacking creativity may be overstated; while many such games are indeed formulaic, some licensed games have achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim by incorporating creative gameplay mechanics within existing frameworks. His dismissal of the ‘fun factor’ is thought-provoking but lacks nuance. While not easily quantifiable, ‘fun’ is a complex emotional response that certainly can be fostered through good design. He often conflates ‘fun’ with childish stimulation. His emphasis on the limitations of early technology, while historically interesting, may not be fully relevant to modern designers working with vastly more powerful machines and tools, although the tendency of designers to be seduced by their tools is a timeless lesson. His arguments about the underrepresentation of women in the industry, however, remain sadly relevant today. Overall, “Chris Crawford on Game Design” is a valuable contribution to the field, offering a unique and thought-provoking perspective that challenges conventional design wisdom and encourages deeper reflection on the nature of games and their potential to be truly meaningful experiences.
Flashcards
What is Crawford’s definition of interactivity?
A cyclic process where two active agents listen, think, and speak (metaphorically).
What kind of reality should good game design reflect?
Good game design mirrors emotional reality, not physical reality.
What is the proper role of conflict in games?
Conflict should be used to enhance challenges and reveal player character, not to inflict harm or frustration.
What is the core of good game design?
The core of good game design lies in the challenge presented, not in exotic settings or themes.
What is a ‘lock on victory’?
A strategy or technique that guarantees success, effectively subverting the challenge.
How should rules be designed to prevent subversion of the game’s challenge?
Eliminate loopholes that allow the player to evade the challenge.
What is the basis of competitive advantage of computers in games?
Interactivity, which should be prioritized in game design.
What type of design would appeal more to women?
Focus on social reasoning design.
What types of design should be favored and avoided?
Eschew data-intensive designs; aspire to process intensity.
How should difficulty be balanced in games?
Keep the player on the razor’s edge of failure, but don’t let them fall.
What is Crawford’s definition of interactivity?
A cyclic process where two active agents listen, think, and speak (metaphorically).
What kind of reality should good game design reflect?
Good game design mirrors emotional reality, not physical reality.
What is the proper role of conflict in games?
Conflict should be used to enhance challenges and reveal player character, not to inflict harm or frustration.
What is the core of good game design?
The core of good game design lies in the challenge presented, not in exotic settings or themes.
What is a ‘lock on victory’?
A strategy or technique that guarantees success, effectively subverting the challenge.
How should rules be designed to prevent subversion of the game’s challenge?
Eliminate loopholes that allow the player to evade the challenge.
What is the basis of competitive advantage of computers in games?
Interactivity, which should be prioritized in game design.
What type of design would appeal more to women?
Focus on social reasoning design.
What types of design should be favored and avoided?
Eschew data-intensive designs; aspire to process intensity.
How should difficulty be balanced in games?
Keep the player on the razor’s edge of failure, but don’t let them fall.