Source: Levelica Canonical: https://www.levelica.com/en/guides/game-design # Game Design ## Summary Designing the rules, mechanics, core loops, narrative, and balance that give players meaningful choices. ## Description 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. --- ## Level Overview | Level | Proficiency Stage | Hashtags | | ----- | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | Lv.1 | Entry | #MDA #CoreLoop #GDD #GameGenres | | Lv.2 | Practice | #PaperPrototype #Playtesting #DifficultyCurve #LevelEditor | | Lv.3 | Independent Design | #SystemDesign #NumericalBalancing #UXFlow #OnboardingDesign | | Lv.4 | Integrated Ops | #GameEconomy #NarrativeDesign #LiveOps #ABTesting | | Lv.5 | Meta Design | #MetaLoop #PlayerSegmentation #DesignProcess #KPIAnalysis | | Lv.6 | Methodology | #LeadDesigner #GDCTalk #DesignPhilosophy #TalentDevelopment | | Lv.7 | Paradigm | #GenreDefinition #DesignCanon #CulturalImpact #SchellLens | > The proficiency stages are grounded in the O\*NET game designer competency framework (basic design→system design→industry influence) and SFIA responsibility levels (Follow→Enable→Advise→Initiate), adapted into the Levelica 7-level framework. Level boundaries follow the autonomy and impact scope criteria of the Levelica 7-Level Reference Table. > **Integrated Framework:** This guide's 7-level structure is not a mapping of a single competency model but an integration of four independent axes. O\*NET and SFIA provide the **System Design axis** (from basic mechanics authoring to industry-defining design philosophy), MDA and playtesting provide the **Player Psychology axis** (from surface-level fun recognition to deep behavioral modeling), shipping milestones provide the **Production Maturity axis** (from paper prototypes to live-service operations at scale), and creative leadership provides the **Creative Vision axis** (from executing assigned tasks to originating new genres). Each level boundary is determined at the intersection of these four axes. > **Cross-Validation:** The level boundaries of this guide were established by confirming that three independent frameworks converge on the same boundaries. > > - **L2↔L3 boundary**: O\*NET's basic design→system design competency transition ≈ SFIA's Level 3→4 responsibility transition (Follow→Enable) ≈ MDA's aesthetics awareness→independent mechanics design. Convergence on shifting from prototyping to independent system design > - **L4↔L5 boundary**: O\*NET's integrated operations→project management competency transition ≈ SFIA's Level 4→5 responsibility transition (Enable→Advise) ≈ MDA's single system→full dynamics design. Convergence on shifting from integrated operations to meta design > - **L5↔L6 boundary**: O\*NET's team lead→industry influence competency transition ≈ SFIA's Level 5→6 responsibility transition (Advise→Initiate) ≈ MDA framework's educational application stage. Convergence on shifting from meta design to methodology systematization --- ## Level 1 #MDA #CoreLoop #GDD #GameGenres ### Summary Learning fundamental concepts and documenting simple game ideas. ### Description You can distinguish the core components of a game — mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics — and understand the basic structure of a game design document (GDD). You begin consciously analyzing rules and fun elements while playing existing games. You can organize simple ideas into documents, but cannot yet consider feasibility or balance. ### Checklist - [ ] Can explain the differences between mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics - [ ] Can list the basic sections of a game design document (GDD): overview, mechanics, target audience, etc. - [ ] Can diagram the core loop of at least one existing game - [ ] Can document a simple game idea in a one-page format - [ ] Can describe the characteristics and representative titles of at least three genres (RPG, FPS, puzzle, etc.) - [ ] Can clearly define win conditions and loss conditions for a game > If you've checked off most of this list, you're ready for the Practice stage, building prototypes yourself and validating fun through playtesting. Schell's Book of Lenses approach suggests consciously observing MDA elements while playing existing games and documenting those experiences to build your design intuition. --- ## Level 2 #PaperPrototype #Playtesting #DifficultyCurve #LevelEditor ### Summary Building simple prototypes and validating fun through playtesting. ### Description You can quickly realize game ideas using paper prototypes or simple digital tools. You conduct playtests, collect feedback, and revise your designs accordingly. You understand the basics of level design — difficulty curves and spatial layout — and can design simple levels. ### Checklist - [ ] Can create at least one paper or digital prototype and run a test session - [ ] Can conduct three or more playtests and record feedback in a structured format - [ ] Can incorporate playtest feedback to iterate on a design at least once - [ ] Can explain the concept of a difficulty curve and design levels with three or more stages - [ ] Can write a game design document of five or more pages and share it with team members - [ ] Can use basic features of a level editor (e.g., Unity, Unreal) to compose a simple space > If you've checked off most of this list, you're ready for the Independent Design stage, independently designing game systems and managing numerical balancing and UX flow. Hunicke, LeBlanc & Zubek's MDA framework suggests studying how skilled designers analyze playtest feedback and gradually expanding your scope of independent iteration. --- ## Level 3 #SystemDesign #NumericalBalancing #UXFlow #OnboardingDesign ### Summary Designing game systems independently and balancing their numbers. ### Description You can independently design and document individual systems such as combat, progression, and rewards. You use spreadsheets to create balancing tables and verify results through simulation. You design UX flows that optimize the player's path from entry to the core loop. You can collaborate at a basic level with other disciplines on the development team. ### Checklist - [ ] Can independently design and document at least one system (combat, progression, or rewards) - [ ] Can create numerical balancing tables in a spreadsheet and run simulations - [ ] Can create a UX flow diagram and share it with the team - [ ] Can design a player onboarding (tutorial) sequence and propose churn-rate benchmarks - [ ] Can clearly communicate design intent to programmers and artists and reach agreement - [ ] Can write a comparative analysis report on the same system across three or more competing games - [ ] Can maintain a change log for design revisions and document the rationale for each change > If you've checked off most of this list, you're ready for the Integrated Ops stage, integrating game economy and narrative design and leading live service operations. Schell's Book of Lenses approach suggests running numerical balancing simulations with specific target metrics and comparing results to systematically improve weak areas. --- ## Level 4 #GameEconomy #NarrativeDesign #LiveOps #ABTesting ### Summary Integrating economy and narrative while leading live operations. ### Description You handle in-game economy (currency flow, production-consumption balance), monetization models, and narrative design in an integrated manner. You use analytics tools to analyze player behavior and design A/B tests to validate design hypotheses. In a live service environment, you can lead season updates, event planning, and balance patches. You anticipate interactions and side effects across multiple systems. ### Checklist - [ ] Can model in-game currency production-consumption flow and control inflation - [ ] Can design a monetization model (free-to-play, battle pass, etc.) and project expected revenue - [ ] Can design narrative structures (branching, world-building) integrated with game mechanics - [ ] Can track core KPIs (DAU, retention, ARPU) using analytics tools (GA, dashboards, etc.) - [ ] Can design A/B tests and make design decisions based on the results - [ ] Can lead at least one full cycle of a live service season update - [ ] Can identify three or more potential side effects arising from cross-system interactions in advance > If you've checked off most of this list, you're ready for the Meta Design stage, designing the overall meta structure of a game, leading teams, and setting direction through data-driven decisions. Schell's Book of Lenses approach suggests documenting successful A/B testing and live operations decisions systematically to build confidence for designing complex integrated systems. --- ## Level 5 #MetaLoop #PlayerSegmentation #DesignProcess #KPIAnalysis ### Summary Shaping meta structure, mentoring teams, and steering with data. ### Description You lead meta-level design that spans the full game lifecycle — concept, pre-production, production, and live. You mentor junior designers and standardize design processes. You develop content strategies based on player segmentation and determine long-term operational direction through large-scale data analysis. As a cross-functional team leader, you coordinate overall development schedules and priorities. ### Checklist - [ ] Can design the core loop, meta loop, and social loop of a game as an integrated whole - [ ] Can mentor two or more junior designers and lead design reviews - [ ] Can standardize design processes (documentation, review, iteration) and apply them to the team - [ ] Can classify players into three or more segments and produce a content prioritization document based on per-segment retention metrics - [ ] Can establish and manage design milestones from pre-production through live operations - [ ] Can report data analysis results to executives and use them as the basis for strategic decisions - [ ] Can intuitively identify player confusion points within the first 3 minutes of a playtest and share them with the team along with observational evidence - [ ] Can document in advance the potential for a meta-loop change to trigger second-order chain effects (e.g., economic inflation→content consumption acceleration→retention drop) > If you've checked off most of this list, you're ready for the Methodology stage, creating original IPs, establishing industry standards, and systematizing game design methodologies. Schell's Book of Lenses approach suggests analyzing unexpected player behaviors during meta design and continuously improving the design process through structured reflection. --- ## Level 6 #LeadDesigner #GDCTalk #DesignPhilosophy #TalentDevelopment ### Summary Formalizing design philosophy into methodology and shaping the field. ### Description You have completed a commercially successful game project as lead designer and systematized the design philosophy formed through that process into a methodology. You present at industry conferences (GDC, NDC, etc.) to influence the design community. You architect studio-level design capability frameworks and develop future lead designers. You ship games that differentiate themselves in the market through novel genre combinations or system innovations. ### Checklist - [ ] Can systematize your own design philosophy into a methodology document of ten or more pages and have it adopted as the team's design review criteria - [ ] Can present on game design topics at industry conferences such as GDC or NDC - [ ] Can design competency evaluation criteria and growth paths for a studio design team - [ ] Can analyze conventions of existing genres and propose differentiated system innovations - [ ] Can develop at least one junior lead designer and delegate a project to them - [ ] Can reframe design intent for the concerns of programmers, artists, and executives respectively, and have secured buy-in from all three disciplines on at least one occasion - [ ] Can reverse-engineer the gap between original design intent and actual player behavior from post-launch data, and systematically classify unintended but positive emergent behaviors to inform subsequent designs > If you've checked off most of this list, you're ready for the Paradigm stage, shifting game design paradigms and leaving a legacy that influences future generations. Hunicke, LeBlanc & Zubek's MDA framework suggests sharing methodologies and engaging in mutual critique at conferences like GDC to refine your design philosophy through community feedback. --- ## Level 7 #GenreDefinition #DesignCanon #CulturalImpact #SchellLens ### Summary Pioneering genres, shifting paradigms, and leaving a lasting legacy. ### Description You create games that pioneer new genres or fundamentally transform the paradigms of existing ones. Your design philosophy is adopted across the industry and becomes the subject of textbooks and academic research. You leave behind books, lectures, and frameworks that shape the thinking of future game designers. You contribute to cultural and social discourse through the medium of games. ### Checklist - [ ] Can release a game that defines a new genre or fundamentally redefines the rules of an existing one - [ ] Can demonstrate cases where your design methodology is cited in the industry or adopted in educational curricula - [ ] Can publish a book, framework, or official lecture series on game design - [ ] Can demonstrate three or more cases where a released game is cited as a design reference by subsequent titles - [ ] Can demonstrate a project that sparked social or cultural discourse through the medium of games, with at least one press coverage or academic citation - [ ] Can document cases where three or more core concepts from your design methodology have been naturally internalized into the vocabulary and thinking frameworks of junior designers > If you've checked off most of this list, you're at the forefront of game design, shaping how future generations think about and create games. Schell's Book of Lenses approach suggests questioning the assumptions behind existing genres and design conventions to present new paradigms that change how future designers think about their craft. --- ## References - [O*NET OnLine — Video Game Designers (15-1255.01)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/15-1255.01) — U.S. Department of Labor / O*NET - [SFIA Games Developer Role Profile](https://www.forgov.qld.gov.au/recruitment-performance-and-career/career-development/develop-digital-and-ict-capabilities/skills-framework-for-the-information-age-sfia-role-profiles/games-developer) — SFIA Foundation / Queensland Government - [The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses (3rd Edition)](https://www.routledge.com/The-Art-of-Game-Design-A-Book-of-Lenses-Third-Edition/Schell/p/book/9781138632059) — Jesse Schell / CRC Press (Routledge) - [MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research](https://users.cs.northwestern.edu/~hunicke/MDA.pdf) — Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, Robert Zubek / AAAI