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Practical Game Design
Practical Game Design

Practical Game Design: Learn the art of game design through applicable skills and cutting-edge insights

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Profile Icon Kramarzewski Profile Icon Ennio De Nucci
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€52.99
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5 (2 Ratings)
Paperback Apr 2018 476 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€36.99 €41.99
Paperback
€52.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Kramarzewski Profile Icon Ennio De Nucci
Arrow right icon
€52.99
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5 (2 Ratings)
Paperback Apr 2018 476 pages 1st Edition
eBook
€36.99 €41.99
Paperback
€52.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m
eBook
€36.99 €41.99
Paperback
€52.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m

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Practical Game Design

Introducing the Game Production Process

Welcome to the games industry! It's an ever-changing world where competition is fierce, publishing platforms and business models come and go (crowdfunding has appeared and seemingly peaked in just a few years), whole genres of products disappear (only to be revived or reinvented 15 years later), and big publishers and small independent studios alike fight for an ever-limited resource: player attention. We're often giving away more and more (if not all) of our content for free, hoping to monetize users later down the line.

At the time writing, Valve's Steam dominates publishing on PC, while Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo keep fighting for their share of the console pie. Exclusively handheld consoles are on the back foot, quick being replaced by phones and tablets. The mobile industry itself is all but dominated by Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store and while the mobile market keeps on growing, it has become much, much harder for small developers to break through and make a profit. User acquisition is extremely challenging (read: expensive) and lack of support from the platform holder can sink your profitability. Premium (paid-for) mobile games are a minority, and most financially successful products are what we consider freemium or free to play. In this crowded market, games are becoming more and more expensive to make, market, and operate. What worked in 2010 works no more; the best bet for small groups of indie devs is now with Steam, though that market has also been flooded with the introduction of the now-defunct Steam Greenlight. According to the data exposed by http://steamspy.com/, there were 379 games published on Steam in 2012; by 2016, that number grew to 4,207. Developers now face a market that's increasingly hit-driven, and unless you sit on a billion-dollar brand such as FIFA or Call of Duty, playing it safe is no longer an option. If you do not adapt and innovate quick enough, you're sure to face commercial failure. As the stakes go higher, teams either balloon out of proportion or grow ever leaner.

Now, the reality might have sounded a little grim, and make no mistake, while it's very difficult to make a great game, it's even harder to make it successful. But for those who keep on trying, for those who do not hold back and surrender after their first, fifth, or even twentieth canceled or failed game, this can be the best industry on the planet and within it, being a game designer can be the most rewarding and fulfilling job.

We'll start this book by delving briefly into the basic machinations of the games industry, exploring game design roles and responsibilities, production methods, and development milestones. There's a lot to cover, and probably much more exciting stuff to follow so... Are you ready? Let's begin!

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Key benefits

  • Implement the skills and techniques required to work in a professional studio
  • Ace the core principles and processes of level design, world building, and storytelling
  • Design interactive characters that animate the gaming world

Description

If you are looking for an up-to-date and highly applicable guide to game design, then you have come to the right place! Immerse yourself in the fundamentals of game design with this book, written by two highly experienced industry professionals to share their profound insights as well as give valuable advice on creating games across genres and development platforms. Practical Game Design covers the basics of game design one piece at a time. Starting with learning how to conceptualize a game idea and present it to the development team, you will gradually move on to devising a design plan for the whole project and adapting solutions from other games. You will also discover how to produce original game mechanics without relying on existing reference material, and test and eliminate anticipated design risks. You will then design elements that compose the playtime of a game, followed by making game mechanics, content, and interface accessible to all players. You will also find out how to simultaneously ensure that the gameplay mechanics and content are working as intended. As the book reaches its final chapters, you will learn to wrap up a game ahead of its release date, work through the different challenges of designing free-to-play games, and understand how to significantly improve their quality through iteration, polishing and playtesting.

Who is this book for?

Whether you are a student eager to design a game or a junior game designer looking for your first role as a professional, this book will help you with the fundamentals of game design. By focusing on best practices and a pragmatic approach, Practical Game Design provides insights into the arts and crafts from two senior game designers that will interest more seasoned professionals in the game industry.

What you will learn

  • Define the scope and structure of a game project
  • Conceptualize a game idea and present it to others
  • Design gameplay systems and communicate them clearly and thoroughly
  • Build and validate engaging game mechanics
  • Design successful business models and prepare your games for live operations
  • Master the principles behind level design, worldbuilding and storytelling
  • Improve the quality of a game by playtesting and polishing it
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Publication date : Apr 19, 2018
Length: 476 pages
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Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781787121799
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Product Details

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Length: 476 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781787121799
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Table of Contents

16 Chapters
Introducing the Game Production Process Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Game Concept Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Scoping a Game Project Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Design Documentation Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Adaptation of Mechanics Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Invention of Mechanics Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Prototyping Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Games and Stories Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Level Design Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Characters Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
User Interface and User Experience Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Accessibility Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Balancing Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
The Final 10% Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Games As a Service Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Other Books You May Enjoy Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
(2 Ratings)
5 star 100%
4 star 0%
3 star 0%
2 star 0%
1 star 0%
Pete Bungo Aug 17, 2019
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This book has so much information, from descriptions of what that person does on designers team, to definitions of the terms, to how to build a game and it’s mechanics
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Tan Sep 25, 2022
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
A lot of priactical knowledge and insights about mobile games, eSport, etc. Thank you, this was a good reading!
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

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  2. American Samoa
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  4. Brunei Darussalam
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  9. Iran
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  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
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