Tag: game design psychology

Mechanical Foreshadowing: Teach The Rule Before The Test

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Analysis, Blog, Game Design

A lot of difficult moments in games are not actually difficult. They are simply unexplained. The player enters a room, touches something they did not know was dangerous, and dies. A hidden sniper fires from outside the frame. A floor collapses without warning. An enemy suddenly becomes immune to the strategy that worked five minutes earlier. The game may technically be challenging the player, but the player is not being tested on understanding. They are being punished for missing information they were never given...

The Simulation Mask: Why Players Need to Become the Character

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Analysis, Blog, Game Design

Most games tell players who they are. You are a detective, a soldier, a thief, a hunter, a wizard, or a survivor. The problem is that being told something and feeling something are not the same thing. A game can spend hours explaining who your character is through dialogue, cutscenes, lore entries, and exposition, but if the player’s behaviour never changes, the fantasy remains superficial. They are controlling the character, not inhabiting them...

The Simulation Compass: Why Players Need Direction Before They Need Freedom

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Analysis, Blog, Game Design

One of the biggest myths in game design is that player freedom automatically creates immersion. It doesn't. Freedom only matters when players understand what they can actually do with it. This is where many systemic games fail. Designers spend months building interconnected mechanics, emergent interactions, and multiple solution paths. The systems are there. The depth is there. The possibilities are there. The player never sees them. Instead, they walk into a space, identify the most obvious solution, and move on. Not because they don't want to experiment, but because the game never taught them how to recognise opportunity. This is what the Simulation Compass solves...

Responsibility in Immersive Design: Why Consequences Create Meaning

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Analysis, Blog, Game Design

Most games want players to feel like their choices matter, immersing them in a world where every decision has weight and significance. The problem is that many of those choices don't actually change anything meaningful within the game. You pick dialogue option A or dialogue option B, often leading to interactions that feel strikingly similar despite the initial differences in choice. You choose one path over another, venturing into distinct story arcs that ultimately converge at the same destination. You spend resources one way instead of another, believing that your strategy will yield varied outcomes. Yet somehow, the game quietly bends itself back into the same shape, leaving players questioning the impact of their decisions...

The Simulation Meaning: Why Mechanics Need a Purpose

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Analysis, Blog, Featured, Game Design

You can usually tell when a game knows what it wants to be. Not because of its story. Not because of its graphics. Because every system seems to be pulling in the same direction. The opposite is also true. Some games have perfectly functional combat, progression, crafting, and exploration systems, yet the experience feels strangely hollow. Nothing appears broken, but nothing feels meaningful either. The player is busy, but they are not immersed. This is often a simulation meaning problem. Simulation meaning is what happens when the rules of your game world express the deeper purpose of the experience. It is not enough for a system to be fun in isolation. It needs to support the fantasy the player is stepping into. The meaning comes from how the player interacts with the world, not just what the story tells them...

Enhancing Player Satisfaction with the PENS Model

Posted on by Myles Blasonato in Analysis, Blog, Game Design

In game design, understanding the psychological needs of players can significantly enhance their experience and keep them engaged for the long term. The Player Experience of Needs Satisfaction (PENS) model is a framework developed by research psychologists to address core psychological needs that, when fulfilled, can drive player satisfaction, loyalty, and immersion. By focusing on these needs in game development, designers can create deeper, more meaningful gaming experiences...