The Two Types of Random

1. Input randomness (support strategy.)

a. A random event occurs before the player gets to make a decision.

b. Examples: procedurally generated levels in a roguelike, drawing a hand of cards before taking your turn in a deckbuilder.

c. How to use it wrong: unpredictable starting conditions can massively decide the likelihood of success.

d. How to improve it: give players additional bonuses to encourage them to play for a session of time, and control the randomness and reduce the chaos through some well-organized setting up steps.

2. Output randomness (undercut strategy.)

a. Player makes a decision and then luck takes over and the game tells player what happened.

b. Examples: hit chances in XCOM, or not knowing what the enemy will do until after you press "End Turn".

c. Why designers use them: make the game more realistic, and force players to think about risk management.

d. How to use it right: get away from binary hit or miss mechanics, show the player the odds, lie about the actual chances of things happening, use dices or cards to make math less abstract, and have output randomness in places that will ONLY ever be in the player's favour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwI5b-wRLic

Game topics

1. Classical Fantasy, Middle Grade/Age Fantasy

a. Related works: A Song of Ice and Fire, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia.

b. Related games: Baldur's Gate, World of Warcraft, Diablo series.

c. Tags: Black Plague, Dragon, Knight, Princess, Magic, Wizard, Witch, Elf, Dwarf, Troll and Orc.

2. Myth of Europe

a. Related works: Marvel, Percy Jackson & the Olympians.

b. Related games: Hades, God of War.

c. Tags: Olympus, Greece, Heidis, Poseidon, Ragnarok, Vikings.

3. Goth, Gothic (especially focus on architecture and cloth)

a. Related works: Van Helsing, Vampire Hunter D.

b. Related games: Don’t Starve, Darkest Dungeon, Devil May Cry.

c. Tags: Church, Gargoyle, Coffin, Vampire, Cloak, Rose, Tattoos, Plague doctor, Crow.

4. Age of Discovery

a. Related works: Pirates of the Caribbean, OnePeace

b. Related games: Uncharted Waters, Return of the Obra Dinn

c. Tags: Pirates, Spice, Gold and Jewelry, Parrot, Pirate Flag, Treasure Chest, Treasure, Shipwreck, Ghost Ship, Mermaid, Treasure Map, Compass and Brass Telescope, rum, wooden prostheti leg, gold teeth.

5. Jungle, Ancient Ruins (Tawantinsuyu, Mayan, Ancient Egypt)

a. Related works: The Mummy, Tomb Raider, Indiana Jones.

b. Related games: Uncharted, Far Cry, Tomb Raider.

c. Tags: Jungle, Relic, Trap, Treasure, Curse, Tomb, Pyramid, Tattoos.

6. Cthulhu

a. Related works: H.P. Lovecraft's novel.

b. Related games: The Room, Hearthstone, Sunless Skies.

c. Tags: Tentacle, Ocean, Ancient Ones.

7. Western

a. Related works: A Fistful of Dollars, Westworld.

b. Related games: Red Dead Redemption.

c. Tags: Pioneer, Cowboy, Indian, Sheriff, Cigar, Revolver, Jukebox, Lasso, Saddle, Spurs, Duel, Circus.

8. Modern Military (Guns)

a. Related works: Any film about war.

b. Related games: Counter-Strike, Hearts of Iron IV, Command & Conquer: Red Alert.

c. Tags: Guns, Bullets , Tanks, Bombing, WW2.

9. Steampunk

a. Related works: Steamboy, Laputa：Castle in the Sky, Howl's Moving Castle.

b. Related games: BioShock, The Outer Worlds.

c. Tags: Brass, Gear, Vapor, Vacuum tube, Image tube, Pressure gauge.

10. Apocalyptic

a. Related works: The Walking Dead, Mad Max, I Am Legend.

b. Related games: Fallout, The Outer Worlds, Resident Evil, L4D2, The Last of Us.

c. Tags: Zombie, Radiation, Pollution, Mutation, Desert, Shelter.

11. Cyberpunk

a. Related works: Ready Player One, Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell.

b. Related games: Cyberpunk2077, Overwatch.

c. Tags: Hi-tech, Hacker, Virtual projection, AI, Dystopia, Mechanical prosthetics.

12. Sci-fi

a. Related works: Star War.

b. Related games: StarCraft, Warframe.

c. Tags: Aliens, Spaceships, Black holes, Colonization, Galaxy.

13. Japanese Culture

a. Related works: Naruto, Rurouni Kenshin.

b. Related games: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Samurai Warriors, Nioh.

c. Tags: Samurai, Katana, Ronin, Ninja, Taidao.

14. Japanese myth

a. Related works: Onmyoji, ZENKI, hell teacher nūbē.

b. Related games: Okami, Onmyoji.

c. Tags: Amaterasu, Abe Qingming, Shikigami, Miko.

From: https://reurl.cc/W4K0nO

15. New World Order (Illuminati )

a. Related works: Angels and Demons.

b. Related games: Watch_Dogs® 2.

c. Tags: Conspiracy theory, Coup, Terrorist attack, Mass surveillance,

Population control, Mind control.

16. Dinosaur

a. Related works: Jurassic World, Jurassic Park.

b. Related games: Jurassic World Evolution, ARK: Survival Evolved.

c. Tags: Dinosaur, Jungle, Gene modification, Breeding.

Mobile Session Design: Easy In, Easy Out

Games that are designed specifically for mobile must always realize one thing :

Your users are distracted.

DO

⦁ Remind the user what it is they are supposed to do when they return.

⦁ Have access to reference for information they are required to remember from previous sessions.

⦁ Have a clear “task list” which pushes the user to complete as many small chunks of gameplay they can.

⦁ Have constant small chunks of gameplay actions with breaks which allow the player to leave at opportune times.

⦁ When returning to the game, pause the action and allow the player to ease back into the game.

DO NOT

⦁ Require the player to remember things from previous sessions.

⦁ Have a long intricate story the user is required to remember each time they play.

⦁ Have many complex steps for each step in the gameplay.

⦁ Penalise the player for leaving in any way.

⦁ Require the player to play for over 1 minute continuously.

From: http://mobilefreetoplay.com/mobile-session-design/