Designing the rules, mechanics, core loops, narrative, and balance that give players meaningful choices.
Game design is the ability to craft rules, mechanics, narratives, and economic systems that deliver meaningful choices and fun to players. It combines sub-skills such as core loop construction, level design, numerical balancing, UX optimization, and live service operations. Understanding player psychology and data-driven decision-making are the key factors that distinguish higher-level designers.
Systematizes 19 key skills and 6 knowledge domains for game designers, providing the basis for setting the depth and scope of required competencies (design, programming, psychology, math, etc.) at each level.
Defines level 4-5 competencies (system development management, animation development, professional advisory) within the SFIA 7-level responsibility framework, used for setting upper-mid level boundaries.
The canonical textbook for game design, with over 100 design lenses (mechanics, narrative, psychology, technology, playtesting) providing concrete behavioral evidence for checklist items.
The foundational academic paper establishing the MDA (Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics) framework, providing scholarly evidence for the L1 checklist MDA distinction items and design analysis perspectives across all levels.
