2004 Web and Downloadable Games White Paper 

IGDA Online Games SIG 

Players respond to the emotions expressed by other players as through chat. Feedback from the 

game or a game character can also affect how the player feels, such as in 

Rocket Mania

 where 

the  old  Chinese  dragon  says   Get  Ready!   at  the  start  of  a  round,  or   Well  Done!   after  a 

particularly good move, or when the game advances the player from  Inquisitive Child  to  Young 

Salamander  to  Curious Badger . These aspects evoke different player emotions and keep them 

encouraged and engaged. 

Offer  enough  context  and  story  in game  without  bogging  down  game  play.  Ideally  emotion  in 

games  should  come  from  doing,  not  from  watching.  If  cut  scenes  or  animated  sequences  are 

used,  make  sure  experienced  players  can  skip  them.  Similar  to  a  film  where  mixing  emotions 

increases the intensity of the experience, offer a variety in game elements such as the different 

types of foods in 

Tamale Loco

 (Shockwave.com) that keep the game from being too repetitive. 

The excitement in the audio ( Cheese!   Onion! ) is contagious making the player smile, while the 

unusual  combinations  such  as  pickles  for  a  burrito  create  emotional  responses  as  players 

imagine what that might taste like. 

Support Social Interaction 

 Shared Experiences are Compelling Experiences     Walt Disney 

In addition to player emotions, another major benefit of games is social. People play to connect to 

others or to have something in common to talk about after the game is done. Games are often 

shared experiences either during game play or afterwards. Interaction between players increases 

challenge  as  well  as  emotional  responses.  Games  increasingly  offer  multi player  options,  high 

score boards and chat rooms. Playing against other people makes simple games instantly more 

challenging, while other games offer a lower level of interaction and opportunity to socialize. 

To  appeal  to  more  players,  provide  opportunities  to  compete,  cooperate,  communicate,  and 

otherwise connect with other players. These social systems can be integrated into game play. For 

some, reducing the challenge provides an excuse for social interaction so that players can talk 

with each other during game play. People play what their friends play. If you don't provide social 

systems players will make their own. For example, in 

InkLink,

 player answer bubbles are used to 

encourage,  discourage,  and  otherwise  talk  to  other  players.  Sometimes  this  communication 

dominates the game. 

Conclusion: 17 game design principles for Internet games 

In researching successful games we have observed the following principles: 

1.  Easy to Learn, Lifetime to Master 

2.  Simple obvious controls and rules that are easy to master 

3.  Allow players to discover controls and goals through simple exploration. 

4.  Provide clear, immediate, and meaningful feedback. 

5.  Offer clear and obvious short term and long term goals. 

6.  Players should be able to succeed in the first 10 minutes or earlier. 

7.  Support short session times of 10 15 minutes as well as longer. 

8.  Offer consistent controls and labels. 

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