Situational Game Design

by Brian Upton

Situational Design lays out a new methodology for designing and critiquing videogames. While most game design books focus on games as formal systems, Situational Design concentrates squarely on player experience. It looks at how playfulness is not a property of a game considered in isolation, but rather the result of the intersection of a game with an appropriate player. Starting from simple concepts, the book advances step-by-step to build up a set of practical tools for designing player-centric playful situations. While these tools provide a fresh perspective on familiar design challenges as well as those overlooked by more transactional design paradigms.

Key Features

Introduces a new methodology of game design that concentrates on moment-to-moment player experience

Provides practical design heuristics for designing playful situations in all types of gamesOffers groundbreaking techniques for designing non-interactive play spacesTeaches designers how to create games that function as performancesProvides a roadmap for the evolution of games as an art form.

Genres: Game Design, Nonfiction, Games, Design, Gaming

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2017

Reviews

[Mateusz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally I found a book I can recommend to people that want to know more about the top-down approach to design. When designing levels, I often think about decision points and scenarios that can be played-out in these spots. This book describes it in a bit different words but the core idea is exactly the same.

[Alper Yılmaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read so many approaches to game design that either start from the bottom-up (which in my opinion is a more fitting method for games criticism than for actual design) or just place you dab-smack in the middle of things without tracing the steps to get there or laying down a baseline approach to the craft.

This book provides a very satisfying method that is more top-down and, therefore, more conducive to actually creating an experience and realizing a vision to a satisfying extent. I'll be reading Brian Upton's other work shortly after this, as he's convinced me beyond doubt that he very much knows what he's talking about.

[Turnipboys]

Read for game design class