Chapter 4
~Matching 79-100 ~
Games are essentially complex systems of patterns, our brains crave pattern matching. Pieces that behave in unique but prescribed manners as they move within the rules of the game. Fun is formed as you figure out the patterns and master them.
Matching and sorting games are a simple form of pattern matching which makes them accessible and well suited to casual games. Players engage with the game but reading the game area and discerning how to chunk the noise into more organized patterns.
Bejeweled : The Casual Idea
Normal Mode :
- Limited movement - only able to progress if there is a correct move (creating a matching 3 or more)
- Game end - Game ends if there is no moves to match
- Anxiety - Struggle to find the match while dealing with limited movement
- Liberation - Sometimes hard to see matching but find resolve in the fact the game has not ended (meaning there is at least 1 solution on the game board)
- No Strategy - You match as best you can in that moment (Casual game play)
- Hints cost points, Points lead to the next level (board reset). Possible to plan a few moves ahead to ensure matches can be made - randomness of dropping gems make it hard to plan to far ahead (2-3 moves at most)
- Due to sorting the board into matching colours, some gems will become impossible to match. This builds tension into the game as there are fewer and fewer choices for the user to take the longer the game goes on.
Timed :
- Timer and Points are the same thing. The more matches (points) you make the more time you get, which leads onto the next level. Each level the timer depletes faster and requires more matches (points) to achieve the next level. This adds more challenge to the game and possible win scenario to the game where as normal is just to see how high a score you can achieve.
The game does not allow a wrong move, and there is no punishment if a wrong move is taken. This keeps the game from degrading into an annoying activity while at the same time not turning it into a long-term strategy game.
As the game designer, you are always looking for new, hopefully natural-feeling arbitrary constraints to impose on activities.
Easy mechanic to pick up and master within a few minutes of playing the game, where as hardcore players mostly believe that mastering a mechanic should be hard to attain.
Easy mechanic to pick up and master within a few minutes of playing the game, where as hardcore players mostly believe that mastering a mechanic should be hard to attain.
Match making games are flexible and can be integrated into other game mechanics, this is because matching is a very clear goal and gives feedback for each move.
A works aesthetic reflects the sensibilities of its creator. When judged by a sensitive
audience, the aesthetic must always display a great sense of cohesion. Great
artists are careful not to include something that just doesn't belong.
Fewer Mechanics, Better Game
by John Rose
Sandbox games with a lot of mechanics can become more like life than a game. Games are systems to be understood, fun is learning and the payoff is in our influence over it.
The Play Aesthetic
Designers
must engineer their play aesthetics in the same manner. The overall look and feel
should be something palpable. If part of a game feels "tacked on," the
designers have violated this rule
Players must think that they sufficiently understand the
system of the game world. Therefore we must make our systems strong enough to
be understandable.
Play Your Own Way
Possibly more mechanics than the player will explore in a single play through.
John Rose argues that a few well developed mechanics in a strong play aesthetic will always be more enjoyable. The more mechanics the less structured the game system becomes - turnings into sandbox
To many choices can confuse and irritate the player.
Trimming The Fat
it's important to settle on the game's overall feel before
deciding on any game mechanics. It's not acceptable to add features and make
sure the resulting play aesthetic is okay. Instead, we must engineer the
correct mechanics to fit a certain feel.
There's no reason to add mechanics that don't appeal to the
game's demographic
Feature
creep is more evident and dangerous in game mechanics than any other area of a
game. Everyone agrees that mechanics require constant perfecting before they
feel right.
Getting the Most from Mechanics
We like
to imagine that our audience will invest countless hours in our games but most players will only experience the game's core concepts, and everything else
is effectively useless. We simply can't afford to pander to the few when the
mainstream is unsatisfied.
It's well known that if players aren't confident with a game
mechanic, they simply won't use it. They demand a set of influences that they
understand.
Human
minds can only manage a small number of choices at any one time (7) and game mechanics are no exception.
Players should never be punished for failing a
secondary task, and only a few mechanics can represent the primary thrust of
any game.
For a
mechanic to be completely successful, a game should fully exhaust its
possibilities for fun.
