1. Gameplay Design Patterns
A language to support game design
Staffan Björk
Interactive Institute & Gothenburg University

2. Takeaway

The idea behind Gameplay Design Patterns
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How these can be used to externalize your
knowledge
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How these can be used to develop game concepts

3. Who am I?
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Associate Professor,
Gothenburg University
Senior Researcher,
Interactive Institute
Gamer
Not so much game
designer

Made one game – a paperrock-scissors pancake game
where all game components
are eatable…

4. What do I do?

9. The need for a Gameplay
Design Language

10. 10/58

11. Differences between Design and Craftwork
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Knowledge transferal
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Crafts are primarily learned
by imitation
Practitioners can not
motivate why one does
things one way
Unintentional trial-and-error
experiments
Information about designs
are only recorded in the
produced artifact

13. Challenges in Gameplay Design
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Exploit new platforms and technologies
Understanding differences between games
Explore value of different design
possibilities
Explain values of novel game concepts
Gain understanding within teams
Communication between developers and
stakeholders
Depersonalize intended gameplay
Describe gameplay problems
Specify foci of gameplay evaluations
13/58

14. Design is typically a Wicked Problem
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Characteristics of Wicked Problems
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Not understood until after solutions are found
Have no stopping rule
Solutions are not right or wrong
Every problem is essentially novel and unique
Every solution is a 'one shot operation'
Solutions have no given alternatives
How to Mitigate Wicked Problems?
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Methods
Language to discuss aspects or parts of the problem

15. Design Languages
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Convey meaning

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In design process
In product
Components
 Collection of elements
 Principles of
organization
 Qualifying situations
15/58

16. Gameplay
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The goal-driven activities related to a game system
whose values are solely described in direct relation to
that game system
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Boundaries
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Not Diegetic Aspects
Not Interfaces Aspects
Not Narrative Aspects
But these are often interrelated in game designs

17. Gameplay Design
Patterns

18. Gameplay Design Patterns
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A way to describe reoccurring design choices
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A guide of how to make similar design choices in
game projects
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Offers possible explanations to why these design
choices have been made
Codify unintentional features so they can be
intentional choices in later designs
What is required to make a pattern emerge
What consequences do a pattern have?
Not only problem solving
Gameplay Design Patterns a way to describe
components on all levels within the design
language

19. Gameplay Design Pattern Examples
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Power-Ups
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First Person Views
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Sequences of storytelling where players cannot act
Parallel Lives
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The act of taking aim at something and then shooting at it
Cut Scenes
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Players are shown the game world as if they were inside it
Aim & Shoot
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Game elements that activate time-limited advantages when
collected
Game elements that when individually lost do not interrupt
gameplay, but do so when all are lost. High
High Score Lists
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The storing of scores after games have finished so the they
can be compared

20. But what about Game Mechanics?
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“methods invoked by agents, designed for
interaction with the game state” (Sicart, 2008)
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“game mechanics are best described with
verbs” (Järvinen, 2008)
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Inspired by OO-programing
Move, Attack, Climb, Take, Push, etc.
Agents not only players

21. What is the difference?!?
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Basically, relations
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Sicart does talk about the need to trace
relationship but does not argue for documenting
general relations
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Only specific ones found in specific games
Patterns includes more abstract phenomena
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Not only verbs
Observable features and experiences

22. Gameplay Design Pattern Relations
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Small changes in a game can have large effects on
gameplay and overall game experience
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This due delicate balances, risk/reward, meaningful choices, etc.
Patterns related to each other
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Explains effects of having a pattern
Proposes possible causes for a pattern to be in a design
Provides alternatives how to make a pattern emerge in a design
Suggests ways of modifying patterns
Alerts of possible incompatibilities

23. Types of relations
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Can Instantiate
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α(β)→ α⃰
High Score Lists ( Tiebreakers ) → High Score Lists⃰
Potentially Conflicting With
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α←β
Cut Scenes ← Dedicated Game Facilitators
Can Be Modulated By
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β(α)→β⃰
Game World ( First-Person Views ) → Game World ⃰
Can Be Instantiated By
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Parallel Lives → Attention Swapping
Can Modulate
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α→β
First-Person Views ≠ God Views
α≠β

24. Relations between GDPs
Surprises
Limited Foresight
Analysis Paralysis
Randomness
Luck
Fixed Distributions
Drawing Stacks
Cards
D4
Dice
D6
D8
D10
D12
D20

26. Mechanics, Dynamics,
Aesthetics
http://algorithmancy.8kindsoffun.com/
Marc LeBlanc
(Ultima Underworld II, System Shock, Flight
Unlimited, Terra Nova, Thief I-II, Deus Ex, NFL 2K2,
NBA 2K2, Oasis, Field Commander)

27. The MDA model
Code
Processes
Requirements
Rules
Game Sessions
“Fun”
Mechanics
Dynamics
Aesthetics

28. MDA - Eight Kinds of "Fun"
1. Sensation
Game as sense-pleasure
2. Fantasy
Game as make-believe
3. Narrative
Game as drama
4. Challenge
Game as obstacle course
5. Fellowship
Game as social framework
6. Discovery
Game as uncharted territory
7. Expression
Game as self-discovery
8. Submission
Game as pastime

29. Different Levels of Patterns
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Patterns fit into the MDA framework
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Mechanical gameplay patterns
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Dynamic gameplay patterns
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E.g. Power-Ups, Aim & Shoot, Cut Scenes
E.g. Red Queen Dilemmas, Choke points
Aesthetical gameplay patterns
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E.g. Player Adaptability, Camaraderie

30. Thematic
Consistency
Spectacular
Failure
Enjoyment
Tension
Replayability
Higher-Level
Closures as
Gameplay
Progresses
Stimulated
Planning
Luck
Emotional
Engrossment
Instakills
Helplessness
Surprise
Attacks
Stealth
Micromanagement
Challenging
Gameplay
Combat
Enemies
Roaming
Enemies
Movement
Budgeted
Action
Points
Loss of
Control
Risk/Reward
Avalanche
Effects
Randomness
Line of
Sight
Uncertainty of
Information
Time
Limits
Save-Load
Cycles
Tradeoffs
Irreversible
Events
Character
Development
Positive
Feedback
Loops
Inventories
Equipment
Slots
Rotate
In Place
Transfer
of Control
Time Unit
System
Lingering
Effects
Equipment
Poison
Fog of War
Exploding
Objects
Levels
2-phase
Actions
Incompatible
Goals
Progress
Evaluations
Achievements
Permadeath
Difficulty
Levels
Technology
Trees
Privileged
Abilities
Talent
trees
Increased statistics
Ironman Mode
Most patterns mention from X:EU and X:UD (Green indicates presence in both games,
red only in X:UD, and blue only in X:EU). Solid lines indicate instantiating relations and
dashes lines modulating ones. Boxes without outlines are mechanics.

31. Examples of other uses of
patterns

32. Identify Design Spaces within Games
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Basically analyzing games to see how well
they contain features some theory describes
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Identifies specific design possibilities
Lacking features are also design possibilities
Examples
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Designing believable NPCs
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Own agenda, Dissectible bodies…
Social NPCs
Dialogue systems

33. Classify Games Based on Patterns
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Pervasive Games
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120 game examples
a set of 75 possible
patterns

35. CRPGs genres using combat patterns
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40 games/series
300+ patterns…
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Four main categories
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Ubiquitous
Cluster Distinguishing
Flavor
Meta

36. Iteration #4

37. Dark Patterns
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“Patterns used intentionally by a
game creator to cause negative
experiences for players which are
against their best interests and
likely to happen without their
consent.”
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Examples
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Grinding
Playing by Appointment
Pay to Skip
Pre-Delivered Content
Monetized rivalries
Social Pyramid Schemes
Impersonation
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38. Advantages of Design Languages


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


Explain values of novel game concepts
Understand differences between games
Gain understanding within development teams
Communicate with stakeholders
Exploit new platforms and technologies
Depersonalize intended gameplay
Describe gameplay problems
Specify foci of gameplay evaluations

39. Thank you!
Questions?