thesis conclusions
Throughout my thesis I looked at a variety of game elements and how they affect the transformational gameplay experience.
The idea I looked at the most was about text that touches on a game’s transformational goals; spelling these goals out in a manner that might help some players reflect, but might annoy other players. This touches on a broader concept, the debate about how subtle one should be about the transformational goals of one’s game, balancing the stink of “oh I don’t want to play a boring educational game” with the worry that being too subtle will make players miss the actual goals of the game.
Of course there’s so much I could say, but if I only had a few minutes with a designer, here’s the advice I’d give them based on my work:
- The gold standard for a transformational game is always intrinsic integration, building mechanics interwoven with your transformational goals. By engaging with those mechanics, players will naturally understand and internalize your game’s goals.
- If playtesting identifies that there are concepts that players are struggling with, and there are no mechanics that tie well with those auxilliary goals, try adding more direct text, though it’s better if it is diegetic (as described in the urban planning game design chapter).
- Even if the text can’t be made diegetic, it can still have benefits, though again, care needs to be taken to make sure it is as meaningful and timely as possible.
Finally, I’d mention that a player’s existing interest in a topic may be important to get them to play a game in the first place, but once they’re playing, it may not actually be as relevant as you’d think.
