The 12 design principles of chronerion entertainment
1 – RESPECT THE GAME.
2 – CUT THE CUTSCENE.
3 – DON’T TAKE CONTROL AWAY.
4 – GRANT QUICK ACCESS.
5 – FUN IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ART.
6 – FUN IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHALLENGE.
7 – CHALLENGE IS OPTIONAL.
8 – DON’T PUNISH.
9 – DON’T LOCK THE PLAYER.
10 – BE SHORT, BE FUN.
11 – GAME ENDING FIRST.
12 – SOUND. USE THE POTENTIAL.
1 – RESPECT THE GAME.
Games should be respected, honoured and treated as what they are, and not mixed up with other media. And if this is done, there should be a very good reason for it. Cinematic style elements, text and voice output should be incorporated as minimized as possible. Environmental Storytelling is to be favored: Don’t tell or show it – play it.
2 – CUT THE CUTSCENE.
Cinematic cutscenes as the primary medium to further the story are to be avoided. Cutscenes should only be used if there is no other option and should be as rewarding as possible.
3 – DON’T TAKE CONTROL AWAY.
The actions of the player should, wherever possible, have an effect on the game. It must be possible to cut short every non-interactive situation. Static menus should also react in some way to player input – even it does not have a function in the game.
4 – GRANT QUICK ACCESS.
From the decision to play the game to the start of the game proper, as little time as possible should pass, and as few steps as possible should be required. All menus and functions (saving data included) should be directly accessible without delay. Leaving the game quickly is just as essential as well.
5 – FUN IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ART.
High expectations for game art are desirable of course, but games should be products for entertainment first instead of works of art.
6 – FUN IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHALLENGE.
The times of arcade halls are past. Games are entertainment and should therefore be entertaining and fun. Every gamer has the right to enjoy and experience the entire game, conclusion included.
7 – CHALLENGE IS OPTIONAL.
Challenge in the sense of a demanding level of difficulty or elements that require practiced skills should be optional in addition to the main goals of the game. The player should not be forced to master a challenge but be able to decide whether s/he wants to.
8 – DON’T PUNISH.
The gamer should not be punished. Failure should motivate to try anew. In no way is the player to be punished if s/he chooses to forgo a challenge and play the game on easy mode.
9 – DON’T LOCK THE PLAYER.
Any situation that hinders the player from continuing the game because there is only one way to solve it (e.g. puzzle, difficult quest, skill test…) is to be avoided.
10 – BE SHORT, BE FUN.
A short game that is fun all the way is to be preferred over an artificially dragged out game.
11 – GAME ENDING FIRST.
Even if only a small portion of all players will ever see the ending, it has to be a memorable experience for the player. It will binds him/her to the game, the brand and the developer, and will remember it positively when the next game comes out. The ending of the game should therefore be treated as a central element in the game design process from an early stage on.
12 – SOUND. USE THE POTENTIAL.
Sound is a potent tool and its meaningful application should be considered from the beginning in the design process.