What if you would need a good game?
All existing systems can be transformed and adapted into games.
Gamification is an extremely effective way to offer an interactive immersion in a given universe, to give another filter of vision of a process or to pose the stakes, the environment and the solutions of a problem.
By offering a ludic filter to stakeholders that allows them to act upon -and within- the environment and to be involved in the proposed objectives, we obtain a much more active participation. Then, we solicit the imagination and potential innovations in a much more intense way than the ones proceeding from a classic brainstorming or work session.
Having an extensive knowledge of many game formats (Video Game, Boardgame, Wargame, Roleplaying, LARP, Escape game, etc.) I can design a gamification adapted to any paradigm – beginner, insider or expert level.
This playful creation can be applied as a tool – to serve interactions within a company.
Or it can be applied as an effective contribution to an already existing game on any scale – ranging from the large scenography of a Theme Park to the private, individual Board Game. There, I can intervene on the invention or the coherence of the rules, the design, the scoring, the testing or the gameplay.
What is Game Design?
Game Design encompasses the 3 necessary axis for the creation of a Game, which are : The Game Mechanics (the container), the Gameplay (the content) and the Player Experience (the benefit of the player).
Game Mechanics bring together all the rules and the structuring framework -in the broadest sense of the term- in which the game takes place. Personally, when I design a game, I also think very soon of its graphic design ; as the sensory experience the player will have when confronted with the rules will influence them and vice versa.
Gameplay represents “playability” and how the player interacts with Game Mechanics ; whether it is a turn-based Boardgame or a shooting video game in subjective view, this notion defines the fluidity and ease the player will have to master and influence the game world he is partaking of.
The Player Experience covers a very wide range of “rewards” resulting from the Gameplay interaction with the Game mechanics:
It can be Emotional (fun, feeling of power, construction, “wow” effect) -typically the benefit of Boardgame type or Video Game). It can be Reflexive (gain of knowledge, strategic practice, simulation) -typically the benefit of Gamification for companies or armies . Or it can be a combination of these two benefits.
Personally, I assert that even a reflexive game must be fun and immersive – alluring even! Because the narrative unfolding of a game associated with the emotional involvement of the players will allow a better quality of learning and experience.
Each game has its own design and each design has its own story.
What is Level Design?
Level Design is a fundamental discipline that is part of Game Design and contributes to Gameplay ; it is practiced in video games but can also extend to certain Boardgames.
Its principle is to create a certain number of maps or levels inside the game which meet the requirements of Game Design and propose a variety of stages which constitute a narrative frame, a progression diagram or an alternative of environments and challenges depending on the type of game played.
When I create a level for a specific game – Video Game or Boardgame – I use my scriptwriting and art director skills to add narrative and artistic value to the level design ; because it is not simply a question of creating a playful challenge but also of conceiving a strong emotional and visual experience that can be remembered while satisfying the requirements of narrative logic and Game Mechanics.
It is very important to know the tools of Level Design and the Game Mechanics. Most of the challenges offered to the player will have to test his ability to understand and master them in a progressive and hierarchical way ; consequently, that will give him a deserved sense of accomplishment. In addition, the design processes will not be the same if you use a map editor specific to the game (Video Game) or if the level must be designed autonomously (Boardgame).
It is always necessary to work in close collaboration with the developers, the artistic directors and/or the scenarists in order to know the extreme limits of the game to be able to design a satisfactory and coherent gradation of challenges.
