Imagination - the amount of content the game makes visible to the player versus the amount of the fictional world the player has to imagine. Though complex systems can lead to deeper gameplay, there is something to be said for a few simple, elegant rules that may lead to high levels of emergence.ġ2. Complex - the amount of learning required to understand and master the game. As Schell points out, sometimes the game designer only needs to provide the illusion of agency for freedom to be acheived.ġ1. Controlled Experience - how much agency the player has over the events of the game. The right amount of punishment makes certain actions more risky, which leads to more meaningful choices.ġ0. Punishment - the frequency and impact of negative consequences of certain actions a player does in a game. Rewards - the frequency and impact of helpful items or powers given to a player for completing a task.ĩ. Game length can often be best manipulated through mechanics.Ĩ. Often, elements of both can coexist in a game, making for an interesting experience.ħ. Cooperation - how much players work together versus how much they work against each other. The ratio of head to hands depends on the type of experience a designer is looking to createĦ. Hands - having the right amount of puzzle solving and strategy (head) versus challenging physical activity or dexterity (hands).
Chance – too much focus on skill often makes the game predictable, while too much chance makes it less fun for the playersĥ. A good way to balance for this is through triangularity.Ĥ. Meaningful Choices – the choices the player has in a game ought to be equally meaningful in some way, and dominant strategies (strategies that lead to victory every time) ought to be avoided. Challenge versus Success – a game designer must find the balance between a game being too easy and too difficult for players.ģ. Asymmetrical games can be more interesting as players are given different resources, powers, and goals, but are much more difficult to balance.Ģ. Symmetrical games ensure that all players have the same starting resources and play by the same rules, and are relatively simple to balance in this respect. Fairness – ensuring that any player feels they have adequate resources to overcome the challenges the game presents, either from the computer or other players. In The Art of Game Design, Jesse Schell sets out a list of the twelve most common types of game balance:ġ.
Part of this involves keeping the mechanics, aesthetics, story, and technology in support of each other, but many other elements within games need balancing as well. Game balance refers to adjusting game elements in order to make a coherent and enjoyable game experience.
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