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Clockwork Game Design
Only by finding and focusing on a core mechanism can you further your pursuit of elegance in strategy game design.
Clockwork Game Design is the most functional and directly applicable theory for game design. It details the clockwork game design pattern, which focuses on building around fundamental functionality. You can then use this understanding to prescribe a system for building and refining your rulesets. A game can achieve clarity of purpose by starting with a strong core, then removing elements that conflict with that core while adding elements that support it.
Filled with examples and exercises detailing how to put the clockwork game design pattern into use, this book is a must-have manual for designing games.
Clockwork Game Design is the most functional and directly applicable theory for game design. It details the clockwork game design pattern, which focuses on building around fundamental functionality. You can then use this understanding to prescribe a system for building and refining your rulesets. A game can achieve clarity of purpose by starting with a strong core, then removing elements that conflict with that core while adding elements that support it.
Filled with examples and exercises detailing how to put the clockwork game design pattern into use, this book is a must-have manual for designing games.
- GenresGame Design
136 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 28, 2021
Interesting book with some good ideas of how to structure/think about your game design, using a method that while it can seem "simple", is not given to many designers.
With a heavy focus on philosophy of design instead on "how to design", it is actually more helpful than a lot of other books on the subject.
While I don't agree with everything that is said in the book, the author makes some very good observation and lays his case methodically.
Recommanded
With a heavy focus on philosophy of design instead on "how to design", it is actually more helpful than a lot of other books on the subject.
While I don't agree with everything that is said in the book, the author makes some very good observation and lays his case methodically.
Recommanded
October 8, 2020
this is a must read view on game design.
even though I disagreed in half the points he is trying to make maybe..
but this deep analytical thinking of what a strategy game should improve your game if you think about them critically.
even the point I disagreed with were somehow new questions that I had to answer. with a strong opinion of why they work.
in addition to this there are many interesting concepts like input randomness vs output randomness and when does randomness becomes harmful to the game..
really deep stuff backed with experience of actually applying these methods on his games
I could not recommend this book enough for game designers or even any players who are genuinely interested in games.
even though I disagreed in half the points he is trying to make maybe..
but this deep analytical thinking of what a strategy game should improve your game if you think about them critically.
even the point I disagreed with were somehow new questions that I had to answer. with a strong opinion of why they work.
in addition to this there are many interesting concepts like input randomness vs output randomness and when does randomness becomes harmful to the game..
really deep stuff backed with experience of actually applying these methods on his games
I could not recommend this book enough for game designers or even any players who are genuinely interested in games.
July 3, 2024
A nice perspective on game design.
It seems the theory he proposes would lead to good games but wouldn't encapsulate all the possible ways we can reach a good game. A counter-example, which he uses in the book but doesn't expand on, would be Civilization game. A patchwork design, but a good game, I guess? How come it works for that game?
And that's where my biggest issue with the book lies: it is too short. It should have taken more time to establish what is and what is not a good game.
But I guess being too short is also a compliment. It is packed with nice pragmatic ideas and I will try to use them while designing my next game (especially if it is a shorter, game jam experience).
It seems the theory he proposes would lead to good games but wouldn't encapsulate all the possible ways we can reach a good game. A counter-example, which he uses in the book but doesn't expand on, would be Civilization game. A patchwork design, but a good game, I guess? How come it works for that game?
And that's where my biggest issue with the book lies: it is too short. It should have taken more time to establish what is and what is not a good game.
But I guess being too short is also a compliment. It is packed with nice pragmatic ideas and I will try to use them while designing my next game (especially if it is a shorter, game jam experience).
November 7, 2019
Clockwork game design has a very heavy emphasis on Mechanics, the core mechanics, why there should be only one at any given time and how to support that one and most importantly why mimicking mechanics without understanding how they work can result in a patchwork.
That's what that made it clearly a different and unique experience apart from other more general game design books.
I recommend it to whom interested to learn more deeply about mechanics, which are basically the core of all gameplays.
That's what that made it clearly a different and unique experience apart from other more general game design books.
I recommend it to whom interested to learn more deeply about mechanics, which are basically the core of all gameplays.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews