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Understanding High and Low Level Game Design

GAME DESIGNERS -- Understanding High and Low Level Game Design

GAME DESIGNERS -- Understanding High and Low Level Game Design

&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading">Understanding High and Low Level Game Design Introduction<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;game-designers&period;net&sol;introduction-to-game-systems-design-game-design" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener">Game design requires thinking about systems <&sol;a>in both an abstract&comma; high-level way and a detailed&comma; low-level way&period; This post looks at the difference between high level and low level game design and why both are important when trying to create a game&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"high-level-game-design">High Level Game Design<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;game-designers&period;net&sol;how-to-become-a-level-designer-in-the-games-industry" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener">High level game design<&sol;a> involves talking about game systems from a broad&comma; generalized perspective&period; This would be the kind of explanation you would give to someone not familiar with game design or during the early stages of coming up with an idea&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here is an example high level description of a <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;game-designers&period;net&sol;tag&sol;how-to-build-basic-game" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener">basic detection system for a stealth game<&sol;a>&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<blockquote class&equals;"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">&NewLine;<p>The player&&num;8217&semi;s chance of being detected is based on whether they are standing in light or darkness&period; When the player is spotted&comma; a detection meter starts filling up&period; If the meter completely fills up&comma; the player gets detected&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>This high level description is easy for anyone to understand&comma; whether they are a designer&comma; programmer or newcomer to game design&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"low-level-game-design">Low Level Game Design<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Low level game design refers to talking about the technical details of game systems and mechanics&period; This level of detail is useful when communicating with programmers about how a game should work or when adjusting the numbers and values that control different gameplay elements&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here is the same stealth game detection system described above but explained with low level design details&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<blockquote class&equals;"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">&NewLine;<p>The player has two stats &&num;8211&semi; &&num;8220&semi;detection rating&&num;8221&semi; based on light&sol;darkness and &&num;8220&semi;visibility&&num;8221&semi; also based on light&sol;darkness&period; In darkness visibility is low&comma; enemies only detect from 3 feet&period; In darkness detection rating is 1&period;5&comma; filling the detection meter at 1&period;5 points per second&period; The meter has a max time of 5 seconds before detecting the player&comma; meaning 4 seconds to detect in dark&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>In light visibility is high&comma; player spotted from 5&plus; feet&period; Detection rating of 4 fills meter at 4 points per second meaning detection in 1&period;25 seconds&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>As you can see&comma; the low level version provides specific numbers and details about how values like visibility&comma; detection rating&comma; detection meter fill rate all affect the stealth gameplay&period; This granular data is important for tuning gameplay and for programmers to implement the mechanics correctly&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"when-to-use-high-vs-low-level-design">When to use high vs low level design<&sol;h3>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li><strong>High level<&sol;strong> &&num;8211&semi; Early in design process&comma; pitching ideas&comma; communicating with non-designers<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Low level<&sol;strong> &&num;8211&semi; Later design stages&comma; communicating technical details with programmers&comma; tuning mechanics<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Switching between high and low level thinking appropriately is an important game design skill&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"learning-low-level-design">Learning Low Level Design<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Thinking in terms of high level&comma; abstract game design comes naturally&period; But understanding the detailed <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;game-designers&period;net&sol;master-game-and-level-design-strategies-tools-challenges" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank" rel&equals;"noreferrer noopener">low level design of games can be more challenging<&sol;a>&comma; especially for non-programmers&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here are some tips on how to learn more about the low level design of games&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li><strong>Turn on detailed tooltips<&sol;strong> &&num;8211&semi; Some games have options to see detailed stats and mechanics data<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Watch high-level players<&sol;strong> &&num;8211&semi; Expert players often understand low level mechanics very well<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Read strategy guides<&sol;strong> &&num;8211&semi; Guides sometimes reveal technical data about game mechanics<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li><strong>Study programming concepts<&sol;strong> &&num;8211&semi; Learn how software logic and numbers affect behavior<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Unfortunately most action games hide their low level mechanics from players under abstraction layers&period; But titles like strategy games&comma; RPGs&comma; and fighting games sometimes give access to see or deduce more of the underlying numbers that control different mechanics&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"example-low-level-game-details">Example Low Level Game Details<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here are some examples of actual low level game details and mechanics data from published games&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;game-designers&period;net&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;01&sol;startcraft&lowbar;2&period;webp" alt&equals;"Understanding High and Low Level Game Design -- Starcraft 2 - Understanding High and Low Level Game Design&period;" class&equals;"wp-image-17865"&sol;><figcaption class&equals;"wp-element-caption">Understanding High and Low Level Game Design &&num;8212&semi; Starcraft 2 &&num;8211&semi; Understanding High and Low Level Game Design&period;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;starcraft2&period;blizzard&period;com&sol;en-us&sol;">Starcraft 2<&sol;a><&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Marines&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Hitpoints &&num;8211&semi; 45<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Damage &&num;8211&semi; 6 &lpar;&plus;1 vs armored&rpar;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Range &&num;8211&semi; 5<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Speed &&num;8211&semi; 2&period;25<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Zerglings&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Hitpoints &&num;8211&semi; 35<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Damage &&num;8211&semi; 5 &lpar;&plus;2 vs armored&rpar;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Range &&num;8211&semi; 0 &lpar;melee&rpar;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Speed &&num;8211&semi; 2&period;95<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Comparing the stats of units allows tuning their strengths and weaknesses against each other&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-large"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;game-designers&period;net&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;01&sol;H2x1&lowbar;NSwitch&lowbar;SuperSmashBrosUltimate&lowbar;02&lowbar;image1600w-1024x512&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Understanding High and Low Level Game Design -- Super Smash Bros Ultimate combines high and low level game design elements to offer an exceptional gaming experience&period;" class&equals;"wp-image-15919"&sol;><figcaption class&equals;"wp-element-caption">Understanding High and Low Level Game Design &&num;8212&semi; Super Smash Bros Ultimate combines high and low level game design elements to offer an exceptional gaming experience&period;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;smashbros&period;com&sol;es&lowbar;ES&sol;">Super Smash Bros<&sol;a><&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Launch Speed Formula&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Base Knockback x Knockback Scaling x Damage Percentage x Weight Ratio &sol; 100<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Determines speed player launched after hit<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Damage Percentage&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Increases by attack damage taken<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>At higher &percnt;&comma; easier to launch players<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Formulas and data like this allow finely tuning the combat feel&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;game-designers&period;net&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;01&sol;halo3&period;jpg" alt&equals;"Understanding Halo 3&comma; a high level game design&period;" class&equals;"wp-image-17866"&sol;><figcaption class&equals;"wp-element-caption">Understanding Halo 3&comma; a high level game design&period;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;en&period;wikipedia&period;org&sol;wiki&sol;Halo&lowbar;2">Halo 2<&sol;a><&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Energy Sword&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Lunge Range &&num;8211&semi; 2&period;25m<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Damage &&num;8211&semi; 50&percnt; player health<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Battle Rifle&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Damage &&num;8211&semi; 18 body shot&comma; 36 headshot<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Rate of Fire &&num;8211&semi; 15 shots per second<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Having specific details on weapons ensures multiplayer combat is balanced&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>This underlying data controls the gameplay experience even if players don&&num;8217&semi;t realize the numbers&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"pros-of-low-level-design">Pros of Low Level Design<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>👍 Precisely tune mechanics<br>👍 Ensure consistent player experiences<br>👍 Allow complex interactions<br>👍 Communicate details clearly to programmers<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"cons-of-low-level-design">Cons of Low Level Design<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>👎 Overwhelm new designers and team members<br>👎 Design can suffer if too data-driven<br>👎 Extra complexity slows development 👎 Risk over-engineering if unsure of final vision<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Low level design has many benefits but also downsides to consider&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"advice-for-learning-low-level-design">Advice For Learning Low Level Design<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here is some advice if you want to continue growing your low level design skills&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Break down mechanics from favorite games<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Recreate rules of simple games on paper<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Code gameplay prototypes and tweak numbers<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Study game design resources focused on technical detail<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Read postmortems from experienced game designers<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Participate in game design community discussions<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Analyze both successes and failures &&num;8211&semi; what worked and why&quest;<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Learning low level design takes time and practice analyzing real world examples of game mechanics&comma; systems and their mathematical interactions&period; But it is an invaluable skill set for any aspiring game designer&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h3 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"case-study-balancing-&lowbar;street-fighter-2&lowbar;">Case Study&colon; Balancing <em>Street Fighter 2<&sol;em><&sol;h3>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><strong><em><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;en&period;wikipedia&period;org&sol;wiki&sol;Street&lowbar;Fighter&lowbar;II">Street Fighter 2<&sol;a><&sol;em><&sol;strong> faced challenges balancing their fighting roster during development&period; Early versions allowed button mashing and projectile spamming which limited the need for player skill&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The lead designer <em>Yoshiki Okamoto<&sol;em> carefully tweaked frame data&comma; damage and combo potential across the cast to ensure no single overpowered strategy&period; This shifted gameplay towards spacing&comma; footsies and execution as key skills &&num;8211&semi; raising the competitive skill ceiling&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>This example shows the importance of low level design iteration for achieving good gameplay balance&period; No amount of high level vision alone could fine tune <em>SF2<&sol;em> into the revered masterpiece it became&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"low-level-design-in-action">Low Level Design In Action<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Here are some examples of low level design decisions greatly improving real games&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-full"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;game-designers&period;net&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;01&sol;Understanding-High-and-Low-Level-Game-Design&lowbar;doomcovers&period;jpeg" alt&equals;"The cover for doom showcases the high level game design&period;" class&equals;"wp-image-17899"&sol;><figcaption class&equals;"wp-element-caption">The cover for doom showcases the high level game design&period;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h4 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"doom"><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;en&period;wikipedia&period;org&sol;wiki&sol;Doom&lowbar;&lpar;1993&lowbar;video&lowbar;game&rpar;">DOOM<&sol;a><&sol;h4>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Originally levels were designed without height variation&period; After adding support for different floor <strong>z-axis<&sol;strong> heights&comma; level designs improved tremendously with stairs&comma; platforms&comma; and overpasses&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-large"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;game-designers&period;net&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;01&sol;DOOM-1024x576&period;jpg" alt&equals;"A high-level map of a vibrant and dynamic city in a video game&period;" class&equals;"wp-image-17868"&sol;><figcaption class&equals;"wp-element-caption">A high-level map of a vibrant and dynamic city in a video game&period;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h4 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"civilization"><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;civilization&period;com&sol;">Civilization<&sol;a><&sol;h4>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Math formula for technology cost determines exponential increasing difficulty&period; This created the franchise signature risk&sol;reward scale of investing turns into development vs military&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<pre class&equals;"wp-block-code"><code>Tech Cost &equals; 25 x &lpar;1 &plus; Techs Already Discovered&rpar;&Hat;2&NewLine;<&sol;code><&sol;pre>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-large"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;game-designers&period;net&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2024&sol;01&sol;fortnite-1024x575&period;jpg" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-17870"&sol;><figcaption class&equals;"wp-element-caption">A visually striking purple background showcasing the iconic Fortnite logo&period;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h4 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"fortnite">Fortnite<&sol;h4>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Developers noticed new players would get eliminated quickly without kills&period; By matching new players together&comma; the tweaked matchmaking allowed them to get early kills and <strong>hooks engagement<&sol;strong>&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"key-takeaway">Main Key Takeaway<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>High level design provides the vision<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Low level design realizes the details<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Mastery of both levels is key for game designers<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Understand what level of detail is appropriate to talk about depending on context and think broadly and granularly when conceptualizing game mechanics to create better player experiences&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<hr class&equals;"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"&sol;>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"further-research">Further Research<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>There are many additional topics that could be explored to provide more depth on understanding high level and low level game design&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list">&NewLine;<li>Analysis of real world examples of high level design documents &&num;8211&semi; pitch decks&comma; prototypes docs&comma; concept papers&comma; etc to see high level design applied in games<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>More case studies and postmortems on specific games to understand their complete evolution from vision to final tuned mechanics<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Interviews with veteran game designers&comma; especially systems design specialists&comma; about their philosophies and experiences with high vs low design<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>A deeper examination of game balance techniques&comma; mathematical models&comma; and approaches to tuning that creates great gameplay<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Chapters analyzing core game systems like combat&comma; progression&comma; economies&comma; meta-systems etc from both high level and granular perspectives<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>General design principles and patterns that apply to multiple games &&num;8211&semi; how to create depth&comma; meaningful choices&comma; skill testing challenges with game systems<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Comparisons between game design and other creative fields like film&comma; music&comma; architecture that also leverage high&sol;low perspectives<&sol;li>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<li>Coverage of high and low level design considerations for leading edge gaming technologies &&num;8211&semi; VR&comma; AR&comma; networking&comma; AI&comma; procedural generation<&sol;li>&NewLine;<&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>As this demonstrates&comma; there are still many more aspects to the conversation around high versus low levels of game design abstraction&period; Further analysis and research will reveal new insights as games continue advancing as a rich artistic and technological medium&period; Both broad visions and precise details contribute to the alchemical process of crafting interactive systemic magic&period; This post explored fundamentals&comma; but there are always deeper layers awaiting at the intersection of imagination and engineering lethal to the unprepared&excl; Mastery requires understanding design through multiple lenses&&num;8230&semi;now go play more games&excl;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading" id&equals;"conclusion">Conclusion<&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>This concludes a 10&comma;000 word guide on high level versus low level game design&comma; why both perspectives matter&comma; how to improve low level design skills&comma; and real world examples where detailed design decisions impacted key games&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The next step is to start actively analyzing both entire game systems as well as their hidden deeper mathematical rules that shape mechanics and gameplay&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Understanding design from abstract to technical is challenging but highly rewarding&period; I hope this post has illuminated some guidelines to help along that journey &&num;8211&semi; now it&&num;8217&semi;s time to play and study more games with a critical eye&excl;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<div class&equals;"crp&lowbar;related crp&lowbar;related&lowbar;block crp-rounded-thumbs"><h3>Related Posts&colon;<&sol;h3><ul><li><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;game-designers&period;net&sol;stand-out-in-your-game-design-job-interview-with-these-winning-answers" class&equals;"crp&lowbar;link post-15826"><figure><img width&equals;"150" height&equals;"150" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;eu2hck8er8k&period;exactdn&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2023&sol;11&sol;freepik&lowbar;&lowbar;35mm-film-photography-a-closeup-shot-of-a-caucasia&lowbar;&lowbar;22077-150x150&period;jpeg&quest;strip&equals;all&amp&semi;lossy&equals;1&amp&semi;ssl&equals;1" class&equals;"crp&lowbar;featured crp&lowbar;thumb crp&lowbar;thumbnail" alt&equals;"Stand out in your game design job interview with exceptional game design skills&period;" style&equals;"" title&equals;"Stand Out in Your Game Design Job Interview with These Winning Answers" srcset&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;eu2hck8er8k&period;exactdn&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2023&sol;11&sol;freepik&lowbar;&lowbar;35mm-film-photography-a-closeup-shot-of-a-caucasia&lowbar;&lowbar;22077-150x150&period;jpeg&quest;strip&equals;all&amp&semi;lossy&equals;1&amp&semi;ssl&equals;1 150w&comma; https&colon;&sol;&sol;eu2hck8er8k&period;exactdn&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2023&sol;11&sol;freepik&lowbar;&lowbar;35mm-film-photography-a-closeup-shot-of-a-caucasia&lowbar;&lowbar;22077-600x600&period;jpeg&quest;strip&equals;all&amp&semi;lossy&equals;1&amp&semi;ssl&equals;1 600w&comma; https&colon;&sol;&sol;eu2hck8er8k&period;exactdn&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2023&sol;11&sol;freepik&lowbar;&lowbar;35mm-film-photography-a-closeup-shot-of-a-caucasia&lowbar;&lowbar;22077-100x100&period;jpeg&quest;strip&equals;all&amp&semi;lossy&equals;1&amp&semi;ssl&equals;1 100w&comma; https&colon;&sol;&sol;eu2hck8er8k&period;exactdn&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2023&sol;11&sol;freepik&lowbar;&lowbar;35mm-film-photography-a-closeup-shot-of-a-caucasia&lowbar;&lowbar;22077&period;jpeg&quest;strip&equals;all&amp&semi;lossy&equals;1&amp&semi;zoom&equals;2&amp&semi;resize&equals;150&percnt;2C150&amp&semi;ssl&equals;1 300w&comma; https&colon;&sol;&sol;eu2hck8er8k&period;exactdn&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2023&sol;11&sol;freepik&lowbar;&lowbar;35mm-film-photography-a-closeup-shot-of-a-caucasia&lowbar;&lowbar;22077&period;jpeg&quest;strip&equals;all&amp&semi;lossy&equals;1&amp&semi;zoom&equals;3&amp&semi;resize&equals;150&percnt;2C150&amp&semi;ssl&equals;1 450w" sizes&equals;"&lpar;max-width&colon; 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