9 Rules of Great Game Design

Just gathered the fundamental principles for creating engaging and memorable games.

𝟭. Put the Player Promise First 🎯
• Define the core player fantasy in one sentence.
• What do I get to be?
• What do I get to do?
• Every single feature must serve this promise.

𝟮. Clarity Beats Cleverness 💡
• Players should understand goals and controls instantly.
• Make feedback clear and immediate.
• Remove all ambiguity first.
• Then you can add depth.

𝟯. Teach by Doing 👆
• Tutorials should be playable levels, not lectures.
• Introduce a concept (telegraph).
• Let the player test it.
• Reward them quickly, within 30 seconds.

𝟰. Agency over Automation 🕹️
• Give players meaningful choices.
• Present real trade-offs, not obvious best picks.
• Choices must affect the outcome.
• Go beyond simple cosmetic changes.

𝟱. Fair Challenge, Readable Failure 💔
• Players must understand why they failed.
• Show them how they can improve.
• Punish time, not the player’s dignity.
• Make recovery feel close and achievable.

𝟲. Depth from Simple Rules 🧩
• Start with a few simple rules or actions.
• Create many possible interactions.
• Allow systems to combine in unexpected ways.
• This creates emergent, deep gameplay.

𝟳. Consistency with Delightful Exceptions ✨
• Establish stable rules to build player trust.
• Surprises should work within these rules.
• You can break a rule once for dramatic effect.
• Make sure to foreshadow it first.

𝟴. Reward Curiosity and Mastery 🔍
• Reward players for exploring the world.
• Rewards should offer real utility, not just trinkets.
• Skill improvement should increase efficiency.
• It’s not just about bigger numbers.

𝟵. Listen, Measure, Iterate 📊
• Use playtests and data to guide your decisions.
• Don’t let your ego get in the way.
• Be ruthless when cutting features that don’t work.
• Add new features sparingly and with purpose.