All stories are about desire, even if it's just to survive or be left alone. Usually the desire is obtainable. Screenwriting teacher Frank Daniel says the plot to all movies is a variation of "somebody wants something and is having trouble getting it." Humans are driven by desire, both base (food, water, air) and lofty (self-esteem, respect, creative expression), and relate to stories about people struggling to achieve things. In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Luke wants to rescue the princess and stop the Death Star.
If no one wants anything or is pursuing anything, the story is uninteresting. Without a clear goal, there is no direction for the protagonist or player. Easily achieved goals make for dull stories.
Game
A core aspect of any game. The main objective of the game for the player and for the protagonist is to "slay the dragon." It corresponds to the protagonist's "want." It moves the narrative forward, even though if the want is never met, the problem is never solved, and the end is never reached.
In tower defense games, you want to defend your base by placing defenses. In escape games like No Exit, the dragon is the room the player is trapped in.
In adventure game Gone Home, you want to uncover the mystery and find answers in the mansion.
Puzzle games, racing games, sports sims, and casino games are richer and more engaging to more players when set in a compelling story context or game world.
Classic board games expressed it as The Object of the Game at the top of the instructions.
(Slay the Dragon: Writing Great Video Games by Robert Denton Bryant & Keith Giglio, 2015. Page 41, 62-63, 90-91)
Object of the Game
The rule at the foundation of all the others. Games are about achieving goals. You must be able to state your game's goal and state it clearly. Often there is not just one but a sequence - state each and how they relate to one another. A clumsy statement is off-putting to players right from the beginning. If they don't completely understand the purpose of their actions, they cannot proceed with any certainty. The more easily you can understand the goal, the more easily you can visualize achieving it, and the more likely you are going to want to play the game.
Game goals have three important qualities:
- Concrete - Players understand and can clearly state what they are supposed to achieve.
- Achievable - Players need to think that they have a change of achieving the goal. If it seems impossible to them, they will quickly give up.
- Rewarding - If the goal has the right level of challenge, just achieving it at all is a reward in itself. Go further by giving the player something valuable upon reaching the goal. Use the Lens of Pleasure to find different ways to reward the player and make them proud of their achievement. It is equally or more important that players appreciate the goal is rewarding before they have achieved it, so they are inspired to attempt to achieve it. Don't overinflate their expectations - if they are disappointed with the reward for achieving a goal, they will not play again.
Make sure each goal in your game has these qualities, but also have a good balance of goals in your game with some short-term and some much longer-term. Let your players feel they know what to do immediately and what important and magnificent goal they ultimately will achieve.
(The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell, Carnegie Mellon University, 2008. Page 148-149)
Game Design: The Lens of Goals
To ensure the goals of your game are appropriate and well-balanced, ask yourself
- What is the ultimate goal of my game?
- Is that goal clear to players?
- If there is a series of goals, do the players understand that?
- Are the different goals related to each other in a meaningful way?
- Are my goals concrete, achievable, and rewarding?
- Do I have a good balance of short-term goals and long-term goals?
- Do players have a change to decide on their own goals?
Try picking up the Lens of the Toy, the Lens of Curiosity, and the Lens of Goals to see how these aspects of your game influence each other.
(The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell, Carnegie Mellon University, 2008. Page 149)