Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design

Putting It Together

Balancing a game is a complex and demanding task. This chapter has discussed a number of approaches to the problem of balancing gameplay. The following list summarizes these points.

A balanced game should:

• Be internally consistent.

• Ensure that victory is determined by player skill, not random factors.

• Ensure that all players have access to the same or functionally equivalent core options.

• Ensure that attributes for which the player pays with points are orthogonal.

• Ensure that combination and emergence don't destroy the balance.

• Provide a consistent challenge.

• Provide the player with a perceivably fair playing experience.

• Avoid stagnation.

• Avoid trivialities.

• Allow setting of difficulty level (where appropriate).

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