Game Design Patterns

Jussi Holopainen, Nokia Research Center

Staffan Björk, Interactive Institute

Our perspective: Interaction Design The design area which

focuses on interaction Computational technology a

powerful enabler Describing the interaction in

games Game Design Patterns

Describing the facilitators of that interaction Component framework Elements of a game

What are game design patterns? A way to describe design choices (or emergent

features) that reoccur in many games Offers possible explanations to why these design choices

have been made A guide of how to make similar design choices in

game projects What is required to make the pattern emerge What consequences can the pattern have on game play?

We will not talk about the origins of design patterns in architecture nor its use within software engineering, human-computer interaction or interaction design

Again, what are game design patterns?

Examples Power-Ups Boss Monster Paper-Rock-Scissor Cut Scenes

Role Reversal Parallel Lives Orthogonal Unit

Differentiation Social InteractionAsteroids®, Civilization®, Missile Command® and Pong® screenshots

courtesy of Atari, Inc. All rights reserved.

Pac-Man® © 1980 2004 Namco Ltd. All rights reserved. Courtesy of Namco Holding Corp.

Why is this interesting?

Need a vocabulary for talking about games Describe and compare games while focusing on

the interaction provided in games Need to discuss and do game designs in a

structured fashion Provide a tool for, especially experimental,

game design

Yet again, what are game design patterns? Important characteristics

Recurring game mechanics or elements of interaction in games

Semi-formal inter-dependent descriptions Can be intentional or emergent in game designs

No canonical definition Our definition (others are possible)

Not only a collection of patterns The methods in which they can be used

Our pattern template

Name Description

Core Definition General Description Examples

Using the pattern Consequences Relations References

Works upon a component framework (game sessions, rules, players, actions, goals, closures, modes of play etc.)

Our pattern template, cont.

Name Preferable short, specific, and idiomatic

Description Concise description of the pattern Description of how it affects the structural

framework (if it does) Examples of games in which the pattern is found

Our pattern template, cont.

Using the pattern What components from the framework are

required to use the game Patterns that can be used to instantiate or

modulate the pattern Consequences

What effects the game pattern has on game play What other patterns the pattern supports Potentially conflicting patterns and why

Our pattern template, cont.

Relations Instantiates/Instantiated by Modulates/Modulated by Potentially conflicting patterns

References To descriptions of the phenomena not using

patterns Games exemplifying the pattern Patents

Example pattern - Producer-ConsumerNameProducer-ConsumerDescriptionThe production of resource by one game element that is consumed by

another game element or game event.Producer-Consumer determines the lifetime of game elements, usually

resources, and thus governs the flow of the game play.Games usually have several overlapping and interconnected Producer-

Consumers governing the flow of available game elements, especially resources. As resources are used to determine the possible player actions these Producer-Consumer networks also determine the actual flow of the game play. Producer-Consumers can operate recursively, i.e. one Producer-Consumer might determine the life time of another Producer-Consumer. Producer-Consumers are often chained together to form more complex networks of resource flows.

Producer-Consumer

Example: in Civilization the units are produced in cities and consumed in battles against enemy units and cities. This kind of a Producer-Consumer is also used in almost all real-time strategy games.

Example: in Asteroids the rocks are produced at the start of each level and are consumed by the player shooting at them. The same principle applies to many other games where the level progression is based on eliminating, i.e. consuming, other game elements: the pills in Pac-Man, free space in Qix, and the aliens in Space Invaders.

Pac-Man® © 1980 2004 Namco Ltd. All rights reserved. Courtesy of Namco Holding Corp.

Asteroids®, Civilization®, Missile Command® and Pong® screenshots courtesy of Atari, Inc. All rights reserved.

Producer-Consumer Using the patternAs the name implies, Producer-Consumer is a compound pattern of Producer and Consumer and as

such this pattern governs how both of these are instantiated. The effect of producing and consuming Resources or Units often turns out to be several different pairs of Producer-Consumers as the produced game element can be consumed in many different ways. For example, the Units in real-time strategy game such as the Age of Empires series can be eliminated in direct combat with enemy Units, when bombarded by indirect fire, and finally when their supply points are exhausted. The Producer-Consumer in this case consists of the Producer of the Units with three different Consumers.

Producer-Consumers are often, especially in Resource Management games, chained together with Converters and sometimes Containers. These chains can in turn be used to create more complex networks. The Converter is used as the Consumer in the first Producer-Consumer and as the Producer in the second. In other words, the Converter takes the resources produced by the first Producer and converts them to the resources produced by the second Producer.

This kind of Producer-Consumer chains sometimes have a Container attached to the Converter to stockpile produced Resources. For example, in real-time strategy game StarCraft something is produced and taken to the converter and then converted to something else and stockpiled somewhere. Investments can be seen as Converters that are used to convert Resources into other forms of Resources, possibly abstract ones.

Producer-Consumer

ConsequencesAs is the case with the main subpatterns Producer and Consumer of Producer-

Consumer, the pattern is quite abstract but the effects on the flow of the game are very concrete. The Producer-Consumers simply govern the whole flow of the game from games with a single Producer-Consumer to games with complex and many layered networks of Producer-Consumers.

The feeling of player control is increased if players are able to manipulate either the Producer or the Consumer part or both. However, in more complex Producer-Consumer chains this can lead to situations where players lose Illusions of Influence as the effects of individual actions can become almost impossible to track down and the process no longer has Predictable Consequences. Also, adding new Producer-Consumers that the players have control over gives them opportunities for more Varied Gameplay. Producer-Consumer networks with Converters and Containers are used in Resource Management games to accomplish the Right Level of Complexity. The game usually starts with simple Producer-Consumers and as the game progresses new Producer-Consumers are added to the network to increase the complexity.

Producer-ConsumerRelations

Instantiates: Varied Gameplay, Resource Management

Modulates: Resources, Right Level of Complexity, Right Level of Complexity, Investments, Units

Instantiated by: Producers, Consumers, Converters

Modulated by: Container

Potentially Conflicting with: Illusions of Influence, Predictable Consequences

Uses of game design patterns Inspiration Creative design tool Design verification Problem-Solving for Game Interaction Design Communication and analysis

Inspiration

Avoid getting stuck in the same thoughts Avoid missing possible ideas Each pattern is an example of possible

interaction in a game No need to distill ideas from existing games

Can be used tarot-like for brainstorming

Inspiration: example

Brainstorming session Game for future mobile phones 9 participants

Design requirements: number of required players 3-12 technical details: has to use Instant Messaging etc. use of certain patterns from Bluffing, Social Interaction,

Cooperation, Competition, Hovering Closure, Uncommitted Alliances, Tension, Producer-Consumer etc.

Creative Design Tool

A collection of patterns as the starting point for a game concept

Refinement can be done by examining and choosing additional patterns, gradually building a more concrete game design

Creative Design Tool: example Stimulated Social Interaction

Trading -> Producer-Consumer -> Asymmetric Distribution -> Collection

Mutual Goals Shared Rewards

Tension Bluffing -> Asymmetric Information Betrayal -> Uncommitted Alliances ->

Collaborative Actions -> Delayed Outcome

Design Verification

Use of the patterns and structural framework to check design against intentions Spot gaps in design Spot overemphasizes Spot redundancies Spot opportunities

Problem-Solving in Interaction Design Understanding why a design has certain

wanted and unwanted characteristics NOT why the game isn’t fun or good!

Give examples of what can be added to, or removed from, a design to achieve a certain effect

Communication and Analysis

Offer a neutral definition instead of relying on that subjective understandings match

Patterns can be used as concise definitions that make descriptions shorter and more specific

Makes the design process more visible Explain design decisions Identify new patterns

Communication and Analysis

Avoid jargon specific to profession Allows comparisons with other games

How same pattern used in different ways The selection of patterns used How the patterns relate to each other

Communication and Analysis: example Patterns as design requirements

Common understanding of the features of the game with all stakeholders (publisher, producer, development team, marketing)

Easier to check if the features present in design Design decisions easier to explain

“To achieve Social Interaction I used Trading in such and such way…”

Conclusion

A possible common language for game design

A collection of game design knowledge Tool for

Inspiration Structured creative design Problem-solving Communication and Analysis