The evolution of game structure
For the purpose of this book, the game structure refers to the way different segments of the game link together and the journey players take during play. With the structure defined, it becomes much easier to divide the game into independent sections and assess the size, complexity, and dependencies of various parts of your game.
Note
As a designer, you need to decide on the player’s journey and the experience you’re offering. Do you foresee a single predestined path through your game? Is it branching? Or perhaps you only want to provide the players with various tools and let them take things from there? Is the experience designed to be highly replayable, or is it simply a puzzle to solve or a pre-determined story to be told and experienced? Answering these questions will tell you a lot about the structure of the game you’re making.
The structure of games not only depends on the desired gameplay experience but also on the...