No two opinions are the same when it comes to the definition of a good game. Whether you think a game is good largely depends on individual preferences. Yet, some games do make it to top of the charts, while others remain unpopular and unnoticed. Below is our take on the typical characteristics of a great game from both gamers’ and developers standpoint.
A player’s experience
An alternative universe, a unique feel, a distinct atmosphere: the whole gaming experience is supposed to take us to a fantasy realm. A good game will help us escape the mundane reality and make our experience memorable. For games that have a story, a high-quality narrative is nearly as important as complicated mechanics and dynamics. Some gamers say a good story starts with a simple beginning (A high schooler is convinced to join a literature club full of cute girls, An Ex-Soldier joins a band of eco-terrorists hell bent on destroying an energy company) and then unfolds into something unpredictable. Others can tell if a game has a ‘soul’ and assume that rather than simply completing the technical task, developers have also put their hearts and souls into it.
No game can become a great hit, if the developers haven’t been building it with passion – admittedly, this argument is hard to beat. What also matters from a player’s perspective is a sense of satisfaction and completion a game brings: that great feeling of an overcome challenge. A good game is “easy to learn but difficult to master”, a gamer says in a Quora response.
The existent game genres are numerous: adventure, combat, sports, simulation, first person shooters, educational, RPGs; all in all, there are 12 most popular game types, each with its own set of quality demands and standards. Technically speaking, though, there are basic parameters, that help make a game memorable.
So how does a player experience translate into technological characteristics?
This simple checklist should set you on the right track:
Game mechanics
Simply put, game mechanics are a set of rules that make the game, the if/then interdependencies that help create game scenarios. Every game is rule-based, which means that each character, object and element of the game has its behavioral patterns and interacts with other parts of the game in a particular fashion. Ultimately, it’s the game mechanics that launch game dynamics, an important ingredient of gaming experience.
Game dynamics
Game dynamics are plots and scenarios that emerge as a result of applying particular game mechanics. We know a game has great dynamics if we experience it as fun and engaging. In other words, game dynamics is a type of response we get from a certain input and experience we get by this response.
Game aesthetics
Finally, it’s the aesthetics that help create a unique game atmosphere. Aesthetics have a great impact on creating immersive experiences, engagement and emotional response. The graphics, the sounds that plug the players into the game environment and help them enter the state of flow.
The best game development platforms will offer you asset libraries with customizable objects, characters, sounds and images easily integrated into a game. Some of these assets are free, some are available on a paid basis. Advanced game development tools like Unity and Unreal Engine will enable you to create 2d and 2D games with state-of-the-art graphics.
But can you create a great game experience with simple graphics and sounds? The answer is – yes! You can build a great game using minimalistic assets as long as you ensure great gameplay: the mechanics, the dynamics and players’ engagement. What will help give your gameplay a solid foundation is a great backend.
Why game backend is important?
The advent of cloud, mobile gaming and the omnipresence of Internet have set the stage for the emergence of multiplayer games. Many of them are web-based or come in a form of a mobile app. A lot of independent developers publish their games to the web or mobile app stores to make them accessible to everyone. Surprisingly enough, game publishers often overlook the importance of an easily scalable and sustainable backend.
A solid game backend is something players will never really see, but it’s exactly what ensures the quality of their experience and the smoothness of player-to-player interactions. When it comes specifically to mobile gaming, we suggest that you take a closer look at BaaS solutions for mobile development. BaaS, an acronym for Backend-as-a-Service, is a transitional architecture between SaaS (software-as-a-service) and PaaS (platform-as-a-service) addressing the demand for faster development of mobile applications.
As of today, major tech giants like AWS, Google and Microsoft have BaaS offerings (AWS mobile, Google Firebase). If you’re looking for something easily customizable and lightweight, though, consider VARTEQ Festi Cloud Platform. This sleek and affordable solution will enable you to easily build social multiplayer games, will scale on demand and support real-time interactions such as streaming queries, chats and push notifications.