Alexander Obi’s Post

You know that Chess is a great game, but do you know why? Originally Invented in India as "Chaturanga" around the 600 A.D, Chess has made its name as an intellectual and elite game that still has numerous players today. Here are the game design tools that make chess a great game (from a game designer). 👑 Balanced Feedback Loop - At the start of the game, both players are presented with equal sets of game pieces with equal abilities. - You don't get a special upgrade on the board even if you've been playing Chess for 10 years. - This promotes balance and encourages new players to participate. 👑 Reinforced Feedback Loop + Progression + Power up + Reward - To whom more is given, more is expected. - The "better" player is rewarded with the opportunity to convert "pawns" (the weakest piece) to stronger pieces (Knight, Rook, Bishop, Queen). - Humans love a sign of progress and rewards. 👑 Interesting Decisions - Chess is filled with interesting decisions. Every decision has a serious consequence. - The various game pieces / parts are also designed with different abilities to achieve a common goal. - This taps into the player's rational brain and makes the experience memorable. Sometimes, it can make it stressful 😂. 👑 Systemic Gameplay - Decisions and feedback lead to Systemic Gameplay in Complex Systems. - There's no particular way to play Chess. You decide (within the rules). - This makes the game feel alive! 👑 Replayability + Emergent Gameplay - Systemic games are replayable since the game is alive. - Many small different decisions = a big decision. - You can go on multiple rounds, taking different steps to achieve the same goal. 👑 Social Gameplay - Humans are hardwired to seek connection. - People stick around much longer with games they can play with other humans. Do you play Chess? PS: Do you think you can spot similarities between Chess and King's Candy Crush with the listed Game Design tools? 😂 #games #chess #gamedesign