Video game design is the process of designing the rules and content of video games in the pre-production stageBrathwaite, Schreiber 2009, p. 2 and designing the gameplay, environment, storyline and characters in the production stage. Some common video game design subdisciplines are world design, level design, system design, content design, and user interface design. Within the video game industry, video game design is usually just referred to as "game design", which is a more general term elsewhere.

The video game designer is like the director of a film; the designer is the visionary of the game and controls the artistic and technical elements of the game in fulfillment of their vision.The Making of a Great Modern Game Designer Glassner, Andrew. Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. However, with complex games, such as MMORPGs or a big budget action or sports title, designers may number in the dozens. In these cases, there are generally one or two principal designers and multiple junior designers who specify subsets or subsystems of the game. As the industry has aged and embraced alternative production methodologies such as agile, the role of a principal game designer has begun to separate - some studios emphasizing the auteur model while others emphasizing a more team oriented model. In larger companies like Electronic Arts, each aspect of the game (control, level design) may have a separate producer, lead designer and several general designers.

Video game design requires artistic and technical competence as well as sometimes including writing skills.Adams, Rollings 2003, pp. 20, 22-25 Historically, video game programmers have sometimes comprised the entire design team. This is the case of such noted designers as Sid Meier, John Romero, Chris Sawyer and Will Wright. A notable exception to this policy was Coleco, which from its very start separated the function of design and programming. As video games became more complex, computers and consoles became more powerful, the job of the game designer became separate from the lead programmer. Soon, game complexity demanded team members focused on game design. A number of early veterans chose the game design path eschewing programming and delegating those tasks to others.

Overview

Video game design starts with an idea,Bates 2004, p. 3Adams, Rollings 2003, pp. 29-30Bethke 2003, p. 75Chandler 2009, p. 3 often a variation or modification on an existing concept.Adams, Rollings 2003, pp. 31-33 The game idea will fall within one or several genres and designers will often experiment with mixing genres.Bates 2004, p. 6Oxland 2004, p. 25 The game designer usually produces an initial game proposal document containing the concept, gameplay, feature list, setting and story, target audience, requirements and schedule, staff and budget estimates.Bates 2004, pp. 14-16

Multiple design decisions are made during the course of a game's development; it is the responsibility of the designer to decide which elements should be implemented. For example, consistency with the game's vision, budget or hardware limitations.Bates 2004, p. 160 Design changes will have a significant impact on required resources.Bates 2004, pp. 160-161

The designer may use scripting languages to implement and preview design ideas without necessarily modifying the game's codebase.Bates 2004, p. 161Oxland 2004, pp. 297-298 A game designer often plays video games and demos to follow the markets' development.Bates 2004, pp. 161-162

Over time, it has become common for a game designer's name to misleadingly be given an undue amount of association to the game, neglecting the rest of the development team.Bates 2004, p. 162 This is in stark contrast to the industries' origins, when creators were often given little to no recognition. Coincidentally, this lack of credit lead Warren Robinett to create the first Easter egg in a video game.

Funding, traditionally provided by game publishers, who may have specific expectations from a game,Bates 2004, p. 12 must be taken into account, as most video games are market-driven—developed to sell for profit.Adams, Rollings 2003, pp. 47-48 However, if financial issues do not influence designer's decisions, the game can become design- or designer-driven; but few games are designed this way,Adams, Rollings 2003, pp. 48-49 with it becoming more common among indie game developers, alongside alternative sources of funding, like Early Access or Crowdfunding. Alternatively, a game may be technology-driven, such as Quake (1996),Adams, Rollings 2003, p. 51 to show off a particular hardware achievement or to market the game engine. Finally, a game may be art-driven, such as Myst (1993) and Journey (2012),Adams, Rollings 2003, p. 52 mainly to show off impressive visuals designed by artists.

In Rules of Play (2004), Katie Salen and Eric Zimmermann write:

Game designer A game designer is a person who designs gameplay, conceiving and designing the rules and structure of a game.Salem, Zimmerman 2003Oxland 2004, p. 292Moore, Novak 2010, p. 74 Multiple designers start their career in testing departments, other roles in game development or in classroom conditions, where mistakes by others can be seen first-hand.Bates 2004, p. 179

A lead designer coordinates the work of other designers and is the main visionary of the game.Oxland 2004, pp. 292-296Bethke 2003, p. 40 The lead designer ensures team communication, makes large design decisions and presents design outside of the team.Oxland 2004, pp. 293-294 Often the lead designer is technically and artistically astute.Oxland 2004, pp. 294, 295 Keeping well-presented documentation also falls within lead designer responsibilities.Oxland 2004, pp. 295-296 A lead designer may be the founder of a game development company or a promoted employee. A game mechanics designer or systems designer designs and balances the game's rules. A level designer or environment designer is a position becoming prominent in recent years. A level designer is a person responsible for creating the game environment, levels and missions.Moore, Novak 2010, p. 76Shahrani 2006, part IOxland 2004, pp. 296-297Bethke 2003, pp. 40-41 Planner is a term used in the Japanese video game industry where game designers are typically credited as planners.

Compensation In 2010, a game designer with more than six years of experience earned an average of US$65,000 ( sterling), () with three to six years of experience and $44,000 () with less than 3 years of experience. Lead designers earned $75,000 () with three to six years of experience and $95,000 () with more than six years of experience. In 2013, a game designer with less than 3 years of experience earned, on average, $55,000 (). A game designer with more than 6 years of experience made, on average, $105,000 (). The average salary of these designers varies depending on their region."Top Gaming Studios, Schools & Salaries ". Big Fish Games. As of 2015 the salary of experienced workers has shifted to approximately US$87,000 () As of January 17, 2020, the average annual pay for a game designer in the United States is $130,000 a year.

Disciplines

World design

World design is the creation of a backstory, setting and theme for the game; often done by a lead designer.Brathwaite, Schreiber 2009, p. 5 World design can also be the creation of a universe or a map, as well as topics or areas that are likely to be pursued by the player. It is a map referenced for creation of everything as it shows where it is and allows for the most logistical design in any given game. World design shapes the direction the game goes towards.

System design System design is the creation of game rules and underlying mathematical patterns. System design is the enacted simulation of a game designed to interact or react with the player. The "experience" a player has with a game is attributed to how the game's system is designed. A complex system with depth leads to a more unpredictable strand of events to immerse the player into the video game.

Content design Content design is the creation of characters, items, puzzles, missions, or any aspect of the game that is not required for it to function properly and meet the minimum viable product standard. In essence, content is the complexity added to a minimum viable product to increase its value.

Game writing

Game writing involves writing dialogue, text and story.

This is one of the first steps that go into making a video game. This encompasses a number of different elements of the process. Writing in video games also includes the elements in which the literature is presented. Voice acting, text, picture editing and music are all elements of game writing.

Level design

Level design is the construction of world levels and its features.

Level design makes use of a range of different fields to create a game world. Lighting, space, framing, color and contrast are used to draw a player's attention. A designer can then use these elements to guide or direct the player in a specific direction through the game world or mislead them.

User interface design User interface (UI) design deals with the construction the user interactions and feedback interface, like menus or heads-up displays.

The user interface also incorporates game mechanics design. Deciding how much information to give the player and in what way allows the designer to inform the player about the world, or perhaps leave them uninformed. Another aspect to consider is the method of input a game will use and deciding to what degree a player can interact with a game with these inputs. These choices have a profound effect on the mood of the game, as it directly affects the player in both noticeable and subtle ways.

User interface (UI) design in video games involves distinct objectives, primarily regarding how much information is conveyed to the player. Game UIs do not necessarily require absolute streamlining. Because players expect challenges within gameplay, the generally adapt to more complex interfaces if the overall experience is sufficiently rewarding. Consquently, navigating or interaction with a game's UI can be satisfying without the need to be effortless.

Audio design Audio design involves the process of creating or incorporating all of the sounds that are in the game, like music, sound effects or voice acting. This includes the theme song and jingles used in title screens and menus.

User experience design The disciplines listed above all combine to form the discipline of game feel. It ensures that the flow of the game and the user interaction with the game elements are functioning smoothly.

Game elements

Narrative

Numerous games have narrative elements which give a context to an event in a game, making the activity of playing it less abstract and enhance its entertainment value, although narrative elements are not always clearly present or present at all. The original version of Tetris is an example of a game apparently without narrative. Some narratologists claim that all games have a narrative element. Some go further and claim that games are essentially a form of narrative. Narrative in practice can be the starting point for the development of a game or can be added to a design that started as a set of game mechanics.

Gameplay

Gameplay is the interactive aspects of video game design. Gameplay involves player interaction with the game, usually for the purpose of gameplay is entertainment, education or, training.

Design process

Conceptualization The design process varies from designer to designer and companies have different formal procedures and philosophies.Bates 2004, p. 151