CHAPTER 3

Core Game Design Concepts

You have an idea for a game, a vision in your head about how it can be played, so how do you begin to put it all together? Perhaps you've sketched out an amazing-looking character and want to spin an entire game around that. For the most part, that approach won't serve you as well as you may hope. There are sounder methods for developing a game.

Amazing characters and stunning environments are just part of the entire package. Developing the gameplay is the primary step, and that begins with the story, which helps define the actions of the game and reasons why things happen the way they do. Couple that with the type of game you're creating (refer to Chapter 2, “Gameplay Styles,” for a review) and who your audience ...

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