Welcome to another edition of How to Write a Game series, this one focused on game design. Initially, I had wanted to cover both mechanics design and layout design, but we’re going to use this one to talk mechanics and rules only. We’ll have a follow up about layout design later.
"Princess with a Cursed SRD" by Anna Anthrophy, and the Wretched and Alone SRD by Sealed Library and Chris Bissette.
For some game designers mechanics are very important, but also terribly tricky. There’s a balance between creating something new, and taking inspiration from other’s works without copying them directly. My biggest piece of advice for new game designers is to start yourself off with a softball: Play lots of games, find out what you like, and see if there is a System Resource Documents (SRD) for it. SRDs can be a lifesaver, especially if you’re wanting to create a game that is similar to another designer’s.
A good SRD will give you all the information you need to create a “new” version of the original game you played. Many SRDs will explain why a certain mechanic was used, or what type of game works best with their system. For example, the Princess Sword SRD explains that because the system uses a tarot deck it may be best suited for fantasy-style games, as many tarot decks do not feature modern or sci-fi imagery and may not evoke the right vibe for your game. SRDs will also include information on how to properly label and cite your work, indicating that your game uses a specific framework and you’re authorized to do so.
For me, personally, building games whole cloth is challenging. I find that I do my best work when building off a framework, creating something something that fits my vision around those mechanics. There are a few games in my library that are original creations, but just as many are based off the work of other creators who have inspired me with their games.
Mechanics in TTRPGs are important: Leaving your players with questions about how particular things work can lead to games being left unplayed, and so I find it is best to ensure that your ruleset is written in clear and concise language. Even if your game has a lot of moving parts, your players should be able to understand why each mechanic exists and what it does for the rest of your game. In one of my upcoming games, I’ve included a coin flip mechanic to tell the player if they are alone on a turn or if they have crew members with them. While this is a mechanic that could be left out, or a choice left up to the player to decide, I opted to include it and leave that choice up to chance. That mechanic could also be completely overlooked or unused and it wouldn’t change anything about the game and its end results: A journal documenting their playthrough.
The concept of mechanics in indie TTRPGs also takes on a multitude of different concepts and ideas. In the game Ten Candles, your group literally has 10 lit candles in their playing area and when they have all burned out, the game is over. In 32%, the color of the card you draw has different meanings based on what your character is doing. The Wretched uses a tumbling block tower to relay the condition of your ship. It doesn’t all have to be dice rolls.
In the end I think the most important part of mechanics and game design is ensuring that your rules and mechanics for each rule, the how and why behind them, are clear. You can only go so far on concept alone, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box! Utilize tokens to represent health, use a lit stick of incense to create a timer, create instructions for making a little paper cut out lighthouse that the players can put together (that one’s in The Lighthouse at the Edge of the Universe, so maybe don’t do that, but you know what I mean). The sky’s the limit, and I’m so excited to see what you do!
If you’re new here and you like this post, you can check out the others in this series via the Game Design tag. Be sure to scroll all the way down and sign up for our newsletter - A biweekly round up of our posts, games we’re playing, and other such fun things. Thanks for checking us out!