Humans enjoy problem solving, so all games involve some form of problem solving.
- Find a way to get more points than the other team.
- Find a way to get to the finish line before the other players.
- Find a way to complete the level.
- Find a way to destroy the other player before he destroys you.
- Find a way to take the right calculated risks and make as much money as possible.
- Find a way to control fate and win the game of chance. If you realize fate is uncontrollable and the problem is unsolvable, it is no longer a game, just an activity.
(The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell, Carnegie Mellon University, 2008. Page 34-35)
Problem Solving Steps
- State the problem we are trying to solve. Define a clear goal.
- Frame the problem. Determine its boundaries and the nature of the problem space. Determine what methods we are allowed to use to solve the problem or determine the rules of the problem. Our minds set up an internal, minimized, simplified version of reality that only includes the necessary interrelationships needed to solve the problem. Essentially, we establish a closed, formal system with a goal.
- Work to reach that goal, which is usually challenging because it involves some kind of conflict.
- We become engaged in solving it, kind of forgetting about the real world since we are focused on our internal problem space. Since this problem space is not the real world, elements in the problem space quickly gain an internal importance, if they get us closer to our goal of solving the problem, and this importance does not need to be relevant outside the context of the problem.
- We defeat the problem or are defeated by it, thus winning or losing.
(The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell, Carnegie Mellon University, 2008. Page 36)
Game Design: The Lens of Problem Solving
Think about the problems your players must solve to succeed at your game.
- What problems does my game ask the player to solve?
- Are there hidden problems to solve that arise as part of gameplay?
- How can my game generate new problems so that players keep coming back?
(The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell, Carnegie Mellon University, 2008. Page 37)