Have you ever played a game that you have been so immersed with ? You probably were too addicted that you skipped meals trying to finish a goal or a mission.Have you ever wondered how games as simple as Bejeweled, or as huge as World of Warcraft captivated the hearts and mind of both the young and the old? Well, blame it to game design.These 2 games are very well-designed that once you start playing it, it’s hard to let go.

So how can you say that a game is well-designed. There is at least 3 prerequisites(properties) to well-designed games ,namely:

a) Planned- well-thought-of; plans are usually drafted a number of times before finalization

b) Functional- it works the way it should be ; it should achieve its purpose

c) Tested -ensure everything is going according to plans before implementation

Designing is an essential part of things created. Buildings are carefully and meticulously designed by engineers. Even the government plans are designed for short term and long term ,to make sure that the country is working accordingly.So for games, the design process is also crucial.

To differentiate a good game from what is not , may be purely subjective, but applying the 3 properties which we have previously mentioned, can make an objective design process. We could say that a game is well-designed if it can be played well. A game is also functional if it achieves its primary goal,which is to be fun. Lastly, a game is very well tested if bugs seldom show up or if the bugs which do show up, are easily fixed.

How does one actually design a game ?Let us look at a summarized design process

• First, the nature of the game should be planned. You should ask yourself, “What kind/type of game will I be making? Will there be a story to it?Shall it be an action,,a first person shooter,a puzzle, or a combination, or maybe a new type of game?”.The current trend is to make casual games which are intended for people of all ages and for social networking sites. In this stage, you have to choose whether your game would be played by 1 or more persons. If it will be played by more than 1 person simultaneously , you should have some background on Game Networking.
• Second, think about your intended audience. Shall it be for kids , or for all ages?There are pros and cons in designing a game for a specific audience. The audience you choose to play are the ones who will probably play and pay for it.Take for instance the games played on Wii. Wii was a big hit in 2009 because it opened the gaming area to families from young to old, instead of the usual teens only, kids only, or mature only gamers. Of course, if you designed a game for the whole family, then you should be careful in its game contents .For example, having violence as a theme for a family game is not a good idea.
• Third, think about the platform it is intended for? Is it for a phone, a PS3, or for a personal computer?The most widely used platform is the personal computer but when designing for this platform,you have to cosider if your audience has a low-end computer,a high-end computer, or somewhere in between.Your phone is also a great platform for games, though its drawback is its limited computing capabilities. Most likely, the best games for your phones are the casual games that require little computing power. On the other hand, if you designed a game for PS3 or an Xbox, then you can probably utilize its powerful hardware , which will enable you to make realistic looking games.
• Fourth, choose whether you are designing a game from “scratch” or use current tools. By designing a game from ’scratch”, you need a lot of background on both the hardware of the platform, and a sofware, so a“scratch game design” is only for those applications. For the new ones in the game design and game creation field, learning an SDK(Software Development), and using a combination of available Tools(free or paid) in making your game is the better choice.For example, the engine of Warcraft III inspired a new gametype called Tower Defense. On the other hand, the Doom engine inspired the first generation First Person Shooters. 
• Lastly,review your game. The design process is proactive. It doesn’t mean that you need to stop designing and redesigning just because you have finished making your game. You need to stress test ,bug test, and maybe revise the game itself. It is an ongoing process . This part is probably the longest of all the game design process because revising and testing the game can range from simple test or revisions, to revising and testing the whole game design.

As a game designer, learning game design skills are important,but first, you should have the basics to be successful in this field.

• You should be creative. Creativity spices up anything you do, especially in game design. There are probably hundreds, or thousands, or even millions of game designers. Creativity can distinguish you from the rest.

• You should have perseverance.

  You should be committed to your work. It’s not always that you will be making a

  successful game. There will be successes and failures. Bill Gates nor Warren Buffett didn’t become billionaires in one night.

  It took time and a lot of hard-work.

• You should also be persistent,especially in practicing.
  Practice, practice,practice. By practicing, you would develop the game design skills needed to help you climb the ladder of success. You need these to grow in this field.

• Lastly, you should love it, or you should learn to love it.
  

  Whether this is your work or your hobby , commitment and devotion to it is important.

Game design is an arduous task if you take it seriously,but everything will be worth it if you see that people are actually playing your game.

Here is a visual overview of the gamedesign short:

GameDesign Summary