Details

Subject(s)

• Computer games—Design [Browse]
• Alexander, Christopher 1936- [Browse]

Summary note

Chris Barney's Pattern Language for Game Design builds on the revolutionary work of architect Christopher Alexander to show students, teachers, and game development professionals how to derive best practices in all aspects of game design. Using a series of practical, rigorous exercises, designers can observe and analyze the failures and successes of the games they know and love to find the deep patterns that underlie good design. From an in-depth look at Alexander's work, to a critique of pattern theory in various fields, to a new approach that will challenge your knowledge and put it to work, this book seeks to transform how we look at building the interactive experiences that shape us. Key Features: Background on the architectural concepts of patterns and a Pattern Language as defined in the work of Christopher Alexander, including his later work on the Fifteen Properties of Wholeness and Generative Codes. Analysis of other uses of Alexander's work in computer science and game design, and the limitations of those efforts. A comprehensive set of example exercises to help the reader develop their own patterns that can be used in practical day-to-day game design tasks. Exercises that are useful to designers at all levels of experience and can be completed in any order, allowing students to select exercises that match their coursework and allowing professionals to select exercises that address their real-world challenges. Discussion of common pitfalls and difficulties with the pattern derivation process. A guide for game design teachers, studio leaders, and university departments for curating and maintaining institutional Pattern Languages. An Interactive Pattern Language website where you can share patterns with developers throughout the world (patternlanguageforgamedesign.com). Comprehensive games reference for all games discussed in this book. Author Chris Barney is an industry veteran with more than a decade of experience designing and engineering games such as Poptropica and teaching at Northeastern University. He has spoken at conferences, including GDC, DevCom, and PAX, on topics from core game design to social justice. Seeking degrees in game design before formal game design programs existed, Barney built his own undergraduate and graduate curricula out of offerings in sociology, computer science, and independent study. In pursuit of a broad understanding of games, he has worked on projects spanning interactive theater, live-action role-playing game (LARP) design, board games, and tabletop role-playing games (RPGs). An extensive collection of his essays of game design topics can be found on his development blog at perspectivesingamedesign.com.

Bibliographic references

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Preface: How to Use This Book
• Pattern Library Website
• Acknowledgments
• Author
• Section I Introduction
• Chapter 1 Introduction
• What Is This Book For?
• Why Is This Book for You?
• Why Am I the Person Writing This Book?
• Patterns, Creativity, and Art
• Why Are There Patterns?
• Back to Art
• Is There Room for Creativity and Innovation?
• Different Designers, Different Patterns
• Forming Patterns vs. Accepting Tropes and Stereotypes
• Section II Background
• Chapter 2 Background on A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander
• Pattern Theory
• Criticisms
• Implications for Games
• Chapter 3 Background on the Use of Pattern Languages in Other Fields
• Computer Science
• Social and Behavioral Science
• Chapter 4 Background on the Use of Patterns in Game Design
• Books
• Patterns in Game Design
• Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design
• Scholarly Articles
• "The Case for Game Design Patterns"
• "Developing a Pattern Language for Flow Experiences in Video Games"
• "Design Patterns in Games: The Case for Sound Design"
• "Patterns and Computer Game Design Innovation"
• Other Game Design Pattern Projects
• LARP Pattern Language
• Kind Fortress
• Interactive Institute Swedish ICT
• Section III An Introduction to Patterns in Game Design
• Chapter 5 An Introduction to Patterns in Game Design
• What Does a Pattern Look Like, and How Can I Find It?
• The Pattern Template
• Example Pattern: Mystery-Driven Exploration
• Introduction to Pattern Exercises
• Chapter 6 Common Problems in Proposed Patterns
• Patterns Should Address a Design Problem
• Shallow Patterns
• Circular Pattern
• Patterns Should Be Prescriptive
• Jumping to Conclusions
• Anti-Patterns
• The Desire to be the Authority/Kill Your Babies.
• Section IV Pattern Exercises
• Chapter 7 Pattern Exercises
• Example Exercises and Patterns
• Chapter 8 Basic Pattern Exercise
• Basic Pattern Exercise
• Pattern Purpose
• Example Basic Pattern Exercise
• Exercise
• Pattern: One of These Days That's Going to Get You Killed
• Chapter 9 Structural Pattern Exercises
• Higher-Order Patterns
• Example Higher-Order Pattern
• Pattern: The Three Bears Theory of Level Size
• Lower-Order Patterns
• Example Lower-Order Pattern
• Pattern: Old Me Was Afraid of Old You, But New Me Is Stronger! … And Now I'm Afraid of New You
• Formal and Functional Design Elements
• Formal Patterns
• Example Formal Pattern
• Pattern: Don't Intellectualize My Pain!
• Bonus Student Example: Temporally Unavailable Space
• Pattern: Temporally Unavailable Space
• Functional Patterns: Patterns from Rules
• Example Functional Pattern
• Pattern: Fight Like You Live
• Emotional Patterns
• Example Emotional Pattern
• Pattern: Oh! That Went Unexpectedly Well
• Player Experience Pattern
• Example Experience Pattern
• Pattern: The Risk of Knowing You
• Theme Patterns
• Example Pattern
• Pattern: Bringing About the Apocalypse
• Chapter 10 Focused Patterns
• Patterns from Micro, Macro, and Meta Circulation Patterns
• Example Pattern from Micro, Macro, and Meta Circulation Patterns
• Pattern: I Could Be Bounded in a Nutshell and Count Myself a King of Infinite Space
• Boss Encounter Patterns
• Example Boss Encounter Pattern
• Pattern: We're Going to a Dark Place Together
• Emergent Narrative Patterns
• Pattern Purpose.
• Example Emergent Narrative Pattern
• Pattern: The Three Pillars of Meaning in Emergent Narrative
• Embedded and Environmental Narrative Patterns
• Example Embedded and Environmental Narrative Pattern
• Pattern: I Thought You Should Know
• Chapter 11 Patterns That Break the Mold
• Breaking Spaces Patterns
• Example Breaking Spaces Pattern
• Pattern: Know Your Past, Know Your Future, Know Yourself
• Player Manipulation Patterns
• Example Player Manipulation Pattern
• Pattern: Coercive Ludonarrative Resonance
• Patterns in Innovation
• Example pattern
• Pattern: There Had Better Be a Very Good Explanation for This
• Section V The Fifteen Properties
• Chapter 12 Taking a Step Back: What We Have Learned So Far
• Chapter 13 The "Fifteen Fundamental Properties of Wholeness" in Game Design
• Levels of Scale
• Strong Centers
• Boundaries
• Alternating Repetition
• Positive Space
• Good Shape
• Local Symmetries
• Deep Interlock
• Contrast
• Graded Variation
• Roughness
• Echoes
• The Void
• Inner Calm
• Not Separateness
• Section VI Advanced Pattern-Generation Exercises
• Chapter 14 Advanced Pattern-Generation Exercises
• Patterns from Core Mechanics
• Core Mechanics
• Example: Pattern from Core Mechanics
• Pattern: Greater Choice Requires Greater Motivation
• Finding Missing Patterns
• Example Finding Missing Pattern
• Pattern: And Now I Guess We're Doing This
• Finding Negative Patterns
• Example Negative Pattern
• Pattern: Game, Know Thyself
• Finding Positive Patterns from Negative Ones
• Example Positive Pattern
• Exercise.
• Pattern: Familiarity Breeds Contempt, or at Least High Expectations
• Using Patterns for Understanding
• Understanding Techniques
• Pattern: More or Less Running Away
• Understanding Tropes
• Pattern: Can I Do This Alone?
• The First Choice
• Pattern: It All Depends on How You Look at It
• Audience Patterns
• Example Audience Patterns
• Pattern: This Game Isn't about You … But It Is for You
• Theoretical Patterns
• Example Theoretical Patterns
• Pattern: I See Where You Are Going with This
• Section VII Building a Language
• Chapter 15 Connecting Patterns into a Language
• Introduction to Pattern Language Construction
• Building a Pattern Language
• 1. Make Sure You Have Enough Patterns
• 2. Add Keywords
• Sample Keywords List
• 3. Understand the Scope of Your Language
• Pattern Categories
• Categories from Disciplines
• Categories from Game Mechanics
• Categories from Genre
• Categories from Patterns in Game Design
• Categories from Pedagogy
• Categories from Live-Action Role-Playing Game (LARP) Design
• Meta-, Macro-, and Micro-Level Patterns
• 4. Adding Existing Parent Patterns
• 5. Adding Existing Child Patterns
• 6. Linking Other Related Patterns
• 7. Suggest New Parents and Children
• 8. Use Exercise 24: Theoretical Patterns to Find Related Patterns
• 9. Link Confidence
• Chapter 16 Organizing and Maintaining a Pattern Language
• Integrating Patterns from Other Sources
• Pattern: I'm Doing It As Hard As I Can
• The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses
• Exercise 25: Creating Patterns from Lenses
• Example Pattern from Lenses.
• Pattern: Just Look at What You've Become
• Pitfalls of Pattern Relationships
• Combining Patterns
• Eliminating Patterns
• Chapter 17 Creating New Pattern Exercises
• Framing the Intent of the Exercise
• Listing and Describing Examples
• Analyzing the Examples
• Articulating the Pattern
• Chapter 18 Designing with a Pattern Language
• Integrating Pattern Language Use into Existing Design Processes
• Pattern Language as the Basis of Design
• Chapter 19 Teaching Yourself or Students with Pattern Languages
• An Institutional Pattern Language
• Developing with Patterns
• Providing Feedback
• Assessing Patterns from Others
• Developing with Other People's Patterns
• Group Pattern Exercises
• Dividing the Examples
• Reviewing Other's Projects
• Creating Keywords
• Categorizing Patterns
• Assessing a Pattern Language
• Design Exercise Using Patterns
• Afterword
• Games Reference
• References
• Index.

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ISBN

9780367633950

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