yr9 game design lesson 0

• Computing
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)

 Game Design Documents

What do you need to include in a Game Design Document (GDD)?

Game Ideas and Examples

Time-Shift Detective

Genre: Mystery/Puzzle

Concept: Players are detectives who can time-travel back to key moments in a case. Each shift reveals clues, but every time-travel attempt can change small details of the present. Players must balance solving the case without creating paradoxes or unwanted changes.

Labyrinth Architect

Genre: Puzzle/Strategy

Concept: The player is a dungeon architect who designs mazes for a mystical kingdom. They must place traps, hidden rooms, and solve security challenges to prevent rogue adventurers from reaching the treasure while making sure the maze is "fair" to navigate.

Nomad of the Stars

Genre: Open World Exploration

Concept: As an interstellar nomad with a sentient spaceship, players travel from planet to planet, forming alliances with alien cultures and solving interplanetary mysteries. Players explore each unique world, gather resources, and customize their ship to survive in deep space.

Game Overview

Game Title

Genre

Platform

Target Audience

Game Summary

Unique Selling Points (USPs)

Game Overview

Game Title: Working title of the game.

Genre: Define the genre (e.g., platformer, RPG, strategy).

Platform: Specify target platforms (e.g., PC, consoles, mobile).

Target Audience: Outline the intended audience in terms of age, interests, and demographics.

Game Summary: A brief description that encapsulates the main idea and gameplay.

Unique Selling Points (USPs): Key elements that differentiate the game.

Task 1: Game Overview

Write your game's overview.

Remember to include:

• Game Title: Working title of the game.
• Genre: Define the genre (e.g., platformer, RPG, strategy).
• Platform: Specify target platforms (e.g., PC, consoles, mobile).
• Target Audience: Outline the intended audience in terms of age, interests, and demographics.
• Game Summary: A brief description that encapsulates the main idea and gameplay.
• Unique Selling Points (USPs): Key elements that differentiate the game.

Task 2: Core Gameplay and Mechanics

Write your game's overview.

Remember to include:

• Objective: Main goal(s) the player will be trying to achieve.
• Core Loop: Describe the primary cycle of gameplay, including repetitive actions the player will perform.
• Controls and Inputs: Outline player controls and interactions.
• Game Mechanics: Detailed breakdown of key mechanics, such as combat, crafting, exploration, etc.
• Progression System: Levels, achievements, or other mechanisms for player advancement.
• Risk and Reward System: Describe how players are challenged and rewarded.

Core Gameplay and Mechanics

Objective

Core Loop

Controls and Inputs

Game Mechanics

Progression System

Risk and Reward System

Core Gameplay and Mechanics

Objective: Main goal(s) the player will be trying to achieve.

Core Loop: Describe the primary cycle of gameplay, including repetitive actions the player will perform.

Controls and Inputs: Outline player controls and interactions.

Game Mechanics: Detailed breakdown of key mechanics, such as combat, crafting, exploration, etc.

Progression System: Levels, achievements, or other mechanisms for player advancement.

Risk and Reward System: Describe how players are challenged and rewarded.

What is your game's USP?

Describe your game's core gameplay loop.