10 Ways to make a bad casual game
This is my personal adaptation of keynote presented at Casuality Europe by Jason Kapalka, co-founder and chief creative officer at PopCap Games during Casuality Amsterdam, on February 8, 2006.
Yes, a bit old, and not exclusively Flash-oriented, but these rules did not change during the last three years, so… here they are:
1) Make it really hard!
Not enough playing time in your game? Kick it up to SUPER MAX DIFFICULTY!
Make people fail each level 5 or 6 times, at least.
Punish newbies with violent death. They deserve it! Heavy Weapon was probably too hard for new players…
What to do instead…
Don’t punish new players who click around randomly at first. Give them time to experiment.
No casual game ever failed for being too easy. But plenty have failed for being too hard.
Games that depend entirely on skill can be intimidating. Games that rely entirely on chance can be boring.
Bad tutorials can make an easy game seem much, much harder. Lavish lots of time and energy on teaching people how to play.
2) Have a dozen mediocre game modes instead of one good one
Which of these modes is good? Which to play first?!
Difficulty level… do I want Easy? Normal? Hard???
If you can’t decide on one version of the game that’s actually fun, just throw every iteration in there! Quantity will make up for quality.
What to do instead…
Extra modes do provide value, but focus on making sure the main game is as good as it can be.
Selectable difficulty levels are problematic. New players have no way to know what subjective terms like “Easy” or “Normal” mean in this new game. Avoid if you can!
Be sure to explain alternate game modes as clearly as you can before users have to choose what to play. But see Rule 8! Nobody wants to read!
3) Make it a 600mb download that requires 2 next-gen video cards and 4gb of RAM and test it on just 1 computer
3d texture bump mapping is awesome, let’s toss that into our Solitaire game just for fun!
Nobody still uses a modem anymore. Do they?
QA, shmoo A. It works fine on my computer. Anyway, we can always patch it later.
What to do instead…
Don’t use 3d. Or have a 2d fallback mode.
Remember that every extra technical requirement you add shrinks your potential audience for the game… whether that is a newer processor, more memory, a larger download footprint, etc.
Test thoroughly.
Beware of requiring weird plugins or the like for your web game. Users are not keen on installing the latest JVM. Similarly, any apps you require to be present on the user’s machine for a downloadable game, whether that is the latest version of DirectX, or some arcane video player, are problematic and risky.
4) Price your game at $35. Or $3.50. And sell it only from your myspace home page
I dunno, that price just feels right to me.
We don’t need no stinking contracts or partners! We’ll launch this game on our own!
Someone offered us a deal! No time to read the fine print! Sign!
What to do instead…
If you price too low, people will think your game is probably garbage.
Be polite and reasonable when talking to publishers. It’s a small industry and word gets around if you’re difficult.
Consider your upsell incentives very carefully.
5) Use the Right Mouse Button
Making critical control elements rely on the right mouse button or the mouse wheel is cool. Doesn’t everybody have an RMB?
For that matter, why not use the keyboard to control stuff too?
Mouse AND keyboard at the same time? Even better! How about a flightstick?
What to do instead…
Casual game players prefer to use a mouse, and they don’t like to right-click or use the mousewheel or keyboard.
Many players run games in windows… be aware of the interface problems this poses.
Players do not generally have the patience to master complex or fidgety control schemes… if they don’t “get it” in 5 minutes they will move on.
6) Give it a terrible name or theme
Everyone knows casual game players love dungeons. In space. With robots. And skulls. Right?
How about a game with robot skulls… in a SPACE DUNGEON?
Remember to use words that resonate with your target audience, like “blood,” “war,” and “assault.”
What to do instead…
Pick an easy-to-spell, easy-to-pronounce title.
Make sure you can trademark the title.
Find non-violent, bright themes that appeal to casual gamers.
Make sure your theme meshes well with the mechanics of the game.
7) Award low scores
It’s not logical to award 10 points when 1 point will do.
It doesn’t matter if people think the game is low-scoring.
Touchy-feely psychological factors have no place in game design!
What to do instead…
Award lots of points!
Set up as many combos and bonuses as you can, to reward the player for anything positive they do. Reinforce with audio and video.
If something “feels” fun, pursue it whether or not it seems to make sense in “normal” game design terms.
8) Expect users to read
If the game is complex, we’ll just put a few pages of instructional text at the beginning.
What do you mean you didn’t get that part? There’s a three-paragraph pop-up that explains it!
It’s best to explain everything all at once so people understand the function of every single thing in the game before they start playing.
What to do instead…
Use as little text as possible.
Show, don’t tell. Use illustrations and animations whenever possible.
Lead users by the hand… make the instructions interactive and engaging.
Use big, readable fonts, and pay attention to layout and typography. Don’t make whatever text you do have hard to read.
The more text you have, the more difficult it will be if you ever have to localize it.
If you’re producing a game in a language that isn’t your native tongue, do not skimp on getting a good writer who is fluent. Writing very clear instructions in a very small space is NOT an easy task, and style matters.
Be careful with stories. It’s very easy to put in way too much text, so that people will just ignore or skip it. You should probably never have more than a single screen of story stuff at any given point, eg. between levels. Keep in mind some people will skim or skip it no matter what.
9) Make it challenging and cerebral
People LOVE really hard, really challenging mental puzzles. The kind that can totally stump and/or frustrate you for HOURS.
Well, some people do, don’t they? People who play Sudoku or the New York Times Crossword puzzle?
What do you mean those people aren’t the same ones playing casual games? That’s just crazy talk!
What to do instead…
Strive to make games compelling, addictive, and replayable.
Avoid stumping the player so that they can no longer proceed in the game.
Be generous with hints. Let them play the way they want to play.
The model for most casual games is closer to Solitaire than the New York Times Crossword Puzzle.
Remember that many casual players want to relax when they play a game… they don’t want to be challenged, frustrated, or agitated. This is in stark contrast to the typical console title, which is aimed at producing excitement.
10) Ignore what everyone else says about your game
What the hell does my MOM know about games, anyway?
These testers have been playing the game for 6 months now! So I trust their opinion on how new players will feel.
If you don’t get it, you’re… you’re just stupid!
Use the Mom Test.
Get fresh audiences frequently to see how newbies will respond to your game.
The less interested and experienced a person is with games, the more you should listen to their comments about your game.
(16 votes, average: 4.38 out of 5)
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This post has 15 comments
Michael J Williams
“How about a game with robot skulls… in a SPACE DUNGEON?”
Hahahaha
vlouchk
I take benefit of this very interesting article to thank his author whose site I’m following for a long time is very inspiring for newbies like me and motivating to explore flash.
At this time I released only one game.
Success was not there (11,246 impressions at this time), even if it’s not shameful.
Especially because some players played it tens and even hundreds of hour (like me and for fun not for testing).
I wanted (i will) write a text about the launch failure and the how and why.
The main ones IMHO recover this thread, especially the part about skill and hardness (even if a kid can play it, strategies and mechanisms to master it are subtle and tricky).
On portals, most people do not open the tutorial so they come try a few second, fail (in my case because rules are simple but not intuitive) and leave (but do not forget to give you bad marks ;) ).
But the problem for me is that’s exactly the kind of game I like (like you say New York Times Crossword Puzzle or Sudoku, especially for me the hardest ones ;) )
I enjoy challenging games.
I can improve graphics, tutorials, add new rules but if it simplifies too much (even a little bit), I feel it like a regression.
So at this time the second version is still in development.
I think there is room on internet for hard games. I hope so because these are the games I like.
And if you know some, share them.
Emmanuel
ps : if you want to see what i’m talking about,
video tutorial : http://www.haikudon.com/RulesPowerNumber.swf
some strategy tips : http://vlouchk.free.fr/?p=122&lang=en (but i should rewrite it because i improved my strategies with time)
and the game : http://games.mochiads.com/c/g/powernumber/powernumber_obfuscated.swf
Michael Awesome
So is it a bad thing if I would immediately click and play a game called “RobotSkulls in a Space Dungeon”? Because I definitely would :D
sp
I’ll add a few:
a – Don’t make a mute button.
b – Don’t make separate mute buttons for music and sound effects. Often people want to mute the music, because they are listening to their own music, but still want the sound effects.
c – Put mute, menu and whatever buttons in the right click menu.
d – Don’t put a menu button. It’s annoying to have no way to return to the menu, other than playing until you die.
c – Make confusing or unusual control scheme. Nobody want’s to have to read stuff to play the game.
d – Load mochiads highscores automatically after end of game. Often people want to just play again, instead of submitting, and don’t want to wait for the highscores to load.
Israel Lazo (Cerebral Games)
I feel offended, my games are cerebral!
great post ;-) keep the good job.
10 Ways to make a bad casual game : Emanuele Feronato
[...] 3) Make it a 600mb download that requires 2 next-gen recording mettlesome and 4gb of RAM and effort it on meet 1 organisation . 3d texture strike function is awesome, let’s throw that into our Solitaire mettlesome meet for fun! … Beware of requiring unearthly plugins or the same for your scheme game. Users are not stabbing on instalment the stylish JVM. Similarly, whatever apps you order to be inform on the user’s organisation for a downloadable game, whether that is the stylish edition of DirectX, or whatever arcane … View example here: 10 Ways to attain a intense unplanned mettlesome : Emanuele Feronato [...]
kegogrog
Arr, yesh. The combo thing could have been beneficial. With some particle explosions and sound. Oh what the list of small things (that may be not even noticed) to put in a game is growing.
Guest
Yes, there is room on internet for hard games, but the learning curve should be fair and accessible by the average player… i think.
About rule #5… i HATE when a game is controlled by keyboard BUT ask you to CLICK “continue” (or any button)…. or when the game is controlled by mouse, and they ask you to PRESS -spacebar- to Start/Continue/etc
Good post Emanuele, thanks!
SJG
Hard Games Vs, Casual games…
Its a huge debate. One that is fueled by money.
I worked for EA for a few years, my main area was Ultima Online but I got to see the devolution of both Ultima and other EA titles for mass appeal.
I grew up on wargames, companies like SSI and SSG were my bread and butter games. Now I am developing games in an industry sector where the big players have almost no game design or depth.
The simple problem is complex games, hard games, detailed games, “Grongard” games do have a market but it is much smaller than the mass market.
Look at Mafia Wars… No game design, no depth, no nothing… But it makes as much money as World Of Warcraft…
Now let me approach it from a player angle. I’m 39 and trying to run a start up game company. I’m lucky if I have time for something as complex as plants vs zombies… :) I’d love to sit down and play something from Matrix games…but who has the time :)
Sarcasmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Errr…
11) Use LOTS of sarcasm! Suddenly switch from sarcasm to tips and advice right in the middle of a paragraph! Confuse your blog readers with wierd contradicting statements full of sarcasm and non-sarcasm and obsessive use of the word “Instead”! Blog readers LOVE to be confused!
Instead, use clear sentences and whenever possible, please, Please, PLEASE! Don’t overuse sarcasm, because it gets pretty annoying to the “[casual] blog readers” after the first few paragraphs….. (:
Sarcasmmmmmmmmmmmmm
(Sorry ignore my last post please, everything inside the triangle brackets were deleted so I have to substitute square brackets)
[Sarcasm]
11) Use LOTS of sarcasm! Suddenly switch from sarcasm to tips and advice right in the middle of a paragraph! Confuse your blog readers with wierd contradicting statements full of sarcasm and non-sarcasm and obsessive use of the word “Instead”! Blog readers LOVE to be confused!
[/sarcasm]
Instead, use clear sentences and whenever possible, please, Please, PLEASE! Don’t overuse sarcasm, because it gets pretty annoying to the “[casual] blog readers” after the first few paragraphs….. (:
Christopher Gregorio
1) The Worlds Hardest Game
2) Boxhead The Zombie Wars
3) Sonny
4) Not flash related
5) Not flash related
6) Dinosaurs that shoot laser beams when they roar
7) Several of these
8) First one I agree on
9) 3D logic
10) Second one I agree on
Try Again Please
casual games downloads
Success was not there (11,246 impressions at this time), even if it’s not shameful.
Especially because some players played it tens and even hundreds of hour (like me and for fun not for testing).
Spyros
I totally agree with these opinions Emanuele. I really like game programming myself and i think that it is very important that each game we create is pleasurable for the people that will play it and not make them mad.
Porter
All very important things to avoid doing. I love how common sense all of these are, but even some of the biggest names out their forget to do follow them sometimes.