Dev Journal

Your game is brilliant. You've worked on it for years. You've brainstormed and playtested and tracked every scenario. You've got the art and the theme and the mechanics purring like a non-maniacal kitten.

Then, suddenly, it happens. Someone plays your game... wrong. Another player makes each round grind to a halt as they ponder the meaning of existence. Yet another player has brought with them their "+2 Shoes of Suffering" or "+4 Attitude of Superiority", making a less-than-ideal social environment.

Basically, no matter how well you design a game, there are things that are beyond your control. That's not a flaw of the game; this is your game flying from the nest and encountering gail-force winds or torrential downpours. Ultimately, all games have to deal with environmental and human factors that it's virtually impossible to plan for. Games that can withstand these tend to be the ones that people return to; not because there are built-in mechanics to compensate for them, but because they create enjoyable moments despite them.

Recently one of our games was being playtested at a gaming con. The environment was one conducive to gameplay; I mean, it's a gaming con. But, the lighting in the hall was weird: bright yet somehow dim. And the noise level can be a bit much for some people. This particular group was made up of a couple of parents, two of their teenage kids, and another two teenagers with another parent watching.

While the gameplay unfolded, the inevitable occurred: the two groups of teens started chatting and bringing out phones. Gameplay ground to a halt each time it was one of their turns. The game took about 30 minutes longer than it should. One of the teens even mentioned they were "done with this." As an observer, I was crushed. I thought, "The game isn't enjoyable enjough to keep them off their phones. It's not engaging enough to keep them focused for their turns." The parents and some of the teens filled out the review forms, and I braced myself for the inevitable remarks: slow gameplay, boring, not challenging, took too long.

What I received surprised me: the parents enjoyed the game and left tremendous feedback. The teens enjoyed the game, and even the one who was "done with this" wanted to know when it was coming out and signed up for our newsletter. I was so focused on the game and gameplay itself that I misread the entire situation! The two sets of teens actually shared contact info and had bonded over a new game. The parents watched their teens enjoy each other's company, while they enjoyed the deeper strategies of the game.

The game had done what games should do: create a moment of time, an event that can foster connections, evoke emotions, and ultimately be enjoyed, regardless of how the game is played or the things happening around it. The game is the vehicle by which people take a journey. So even if the players didn't pay as much attention as I feel they should've, or played slowly, or got distracted, that's all okay. So long as they had a good time, that's the point.

Yes, games that engage you and keep you focused are awesome. But come on: we went up against four teens with cellphones. That's a win! As a designer, you should do what you can to help fight against those external factors: text that's readable in low light. Clear, concise rules that are easy to understand. Reference cards to remind players of important features. Quickstart guides to help people get into your game faster. But beyond those things, what you need to ensure is your game creates the moments and evokes the emotions you designed for. 

People will misread rules, or just decide to play their own way. People will have good attitudes and bad. But ultimately, people should enjoy your game, in spite of the factors you cannot control.