SCVNGR’s Secret Game Mechanics Playdeck

http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/25/scvngr-game-mechanics/

by ssclafani • 16 years ago

40 15 16 years ago

techcrunch.com

vyrotek3• 16 years ago

Very nice. Those 47 points are basically the Bible of Game Mechanics.

mattmanser• 16 years ago

I disagree.

This is totally missing most of the fundamental game mechanics that make FPSes fun, platformers fun, etc.

In fact it misses out much of what makes WoW fun for end level raiders.

Re-reading it this feels more like a deck of false rewards to make people think they're playing a game when they're not.

vyrotek3• 16 years ago

I'm generally more interested in the 'motivation' aspect of Game Mechanics. (see profile for startup info) The 'fun' you speak of in FPSs is a bit different than the 'fun' that can come from a normal web application which offers some sort of incentive or status for your contributions.

TheEzEzz• 16 years ago

Exactly.

These aren't game mechanics, they're psychological hacks. Classic game designers used all these 'mechanics' as a sort of spice, to enhance the solid gameplay already in place. Games like Farmeville are refined and condensed spice. No meat, just flavor.

Personally, after playing Diablo as a kid for god knows how long, I vowed to never play a 'grinding' game again. I suspect (but definitely am not certain) that most new casual gamers will go through their own experience, and come out the other side more immune to these hacks.

Eddie_Knox• 16 years ago

No offense man, but it sounds like you are making aggrandizing generalizations to simply sound smarter than the guy who built the deck.

I find the list fascinating, and plan to use it to build a solid DnD campaign (in 3.5, 4.0 is WAY too restricting!)

superk• 16 years ago

How so? Many of the mechanics listed are "rewards in and of themselves" types:

1. Achievement 6. Blissful Productivity 10. Companion Gaming 17. Epic Meaning 22. Fun Once, Fun Always

etc, etc.

gojomo• 16 years ago

Great list, but I sense in a year or two a backlash by users who develop 'game-resistance': "Stop toying with me!"

vyrotek3• 16 years ago

Interesting, do you think StackOverflow.com users are going to be part of this backlash? If done right, the game mechanics aspect of an application shouldn't feel like a separate feature or game.

exit• 16 years ago

what parts of stackoverflow.com are game-mechanics? if it's what shows up in that yellow bar, i wouldn't know because it's too annoying to pay attention to.

replicatorblog• 16 years ago

Jesse Schell should get credit for the game cards concept ttp://artofgamedesign.com/cards/ as well as popularizing a lot of the talk about Game Mechanics.

dkasper• 16 years ago

One complaint: the reward schedule rules are scattered all throughout, fixed, interval, variable, etc.

19. Fixed Interval Reward Schedules

20. Fixed Ratio Reward Schedule

...

23. Interval Reward Schedules

...

34. Ratio Reward Schedules

...

38. Reward Schedules

...

44. Variable Interval Reward Schedules

45. Variable Ratio Reward Schedules

What's with the ordering? It doesn't even go from most general to most specific? Is the list ordering a game mechanic itself (that would be meta)

dwynings• 16 years ago

The mechanics are ordered alphabetically.

drv• 16 years ago

In my experience, "Fun once, fun always" is the real key to a game that continues to be fun (and therefore keeps players). In a game about shooting virtual guns or driving virtual cars or building virtual cities, those basic actions had better continue to be enjoyable; no amount of rewards layered on top will fix a game with a poor basic mechanic.

(As a side note, my first thought when reading "Rolling physical goods" was "Donkey Kong".)

SCVNGR’s Secret Game Mechanics Playdeck

Related Stories