What is a core game mechanic? A core mechanic is the main gear of your game. Every game has a core mechanic. Here are some examples:

Super Mario: Utilises moving platforms to jump, avoid, or defeat enemies.

Pac-Man: Eat all the dots in the maze whilst evading ghosts.

Minecraft: Break, place, and craft different blocks and items.

Pokémon: Catch wild monsters and use them to battle other monsters.

With that said, these games do have more complex mechanics added on top of the core gameplay. It is crucial to keep the core as simple and clear-cut as possible. You want to be able to summarise your core game mechanic in a single sentence.

Though it is not necessary, I find that I and most of my friends tend to enjoy and immerse ourselves in games that offer a singular lesson or message.

Having a strong central message can make the experience more meaningful and memorable. A central message can also give your game more purpose and direction, making players relate more to the game.

Your message does not have to be shoved down the throats of your players; instead, it should be on the sidelines where players who want to dig deeper can discover it for themselves.

Rules and constraints form the foundation of a game. They are guidelines that inform the players on what they can and can’t do.

Without rules, games would have no direction, making the game feel chaotic and unplayable. It is important to find the right balance of rules and constraints, as having too many will lead the player to feel restricted and make the game difficult to learn.

Rules also allow players to be creative in their playthroughs. For example, in the game Portal, the core mechanic is to use the portal gun to move through the levels.

Here's where the rules come in: the portals can be placed anywhere if the area is large enough, but you will need a blue and orange portal for the gateway to be created. This singular constraint allows players to be extremely creative in where and how they place these portals.

Players want to know whether they are going in the right direction, which is why it's important to give feedback to the players when they complete a puzzle or defeat a boss. This feedback can be visual, auditory, or textual.

These moments can also be a way to include rewards in your game. Rewards allow players to have a mini burst of serotonin and give them a goal to strive for.

These rewards can be short-term, like gaining experience or gold, or long-term rewards like acquiring a new weapon or power-ups.

Goals and objectives are one of the most important parts of a game. They let players know what to do next.

There are two kinds of goals:

Long-term goals: These overarching goals span the whole game and are often the endpoints of games.

Short-term goals: These small goals keep players motivated to continue playing.

It is vital to keep goals clear-cut and simple, as overly complicated objectives can make players frustrated and quit the game. Adding visual and auditory cues in the form of highlighted areas, arrows, audio cues, or even dialogue to emphasize something may be a good idea.

Goals and objectives work well alongside rules and constraints. Players will have to be creative and find new solutions instead of using the same skills repeatedly. It can give the player a refreshing change of pace.

Game controls and mechanics should be easy to grasp at first glance.

In my personal experience playing games, if I have to read more than four sentences to understand the controls, I will end up just brute-forcing through the game, often leading to an unenjoyable experience.

Keeping your game simple can also broaden your player base, as more players can understand and enjoy the game. As players start to understand your game mechanics, you can gradually add new mechanics to give them a sense of accomplishment in how far they've come.

Here's another blog for you to read if you’re interested in learning about how to create intuitive yet challenging game mechanics.

Accessibility is something that at first glance may seem unnecessary, as most players will know the basic controls.

However, it is important to have these quality-of-life changes as they can make your game much more inclusive. They can allow grandparents or younger kids who have trouble or are still developing motor skills to play with more experienced players.

A few examples of quality-of-life changes would be toggleable subtitles, difficulty modes, and larger text options. Though these accessibility settings would be designed for disabled players, I can tell you that these settings tend to end up helping everyone.

It is important to note that these settings must be considered right at the very beginning, as implementing these settings at the last minute can cause them to be half-hearted or cost much more than expected.

Although it is not always necessary, being able to replay games can help with your game's longevity and improve your storytelling.

There are many ways you can add replayability to your games, such as adding multiple endings and game modes. My personal favourite is adding foresight into the story of the game.

Here's an example: Imagine a story where you, as the main character, figure out who the main villain is. Then, while replaying the game, you realize all the little hints and clues that the game gives you.

Developing with replayability in mind can also help players try out new tactics or find new easter eggs and surprises.

Having a good storyline can add a layer of depth to your game, making the experience much more immersive and memorable.

A well-crafted, compelling narrative can provide more context to the world you are creating. It also sets a certain tone for the game. Engaging stories can help draw a player into a personal adventure instead of feeling like they're just playing a game. Having good art can also help set the themes for a good story.

I personally find that games should focus more on world-building, as games are meant to allow players the freedom of choice. Try watching Avatar: The Last Airbender; that show is one of the best in subtle world-building, in my opinion.

Although most people think of playtesting as something you do when you have an almost completed game, in reality, as long as there is something to play, you should start playtesting. It can help you detect and fix problems early in the development process.

You will never know what your testers may think of a story or mechanic. It can also help you realize that you may have made things too difficult, as developing a game for months on end can make some mechanics feel self-explanatory.

Remember that when you are playtesting your game, don't take what your testers say blindly. Take note of their body language, the order of their comments, and everything possible.

Also, game developers will always have a bias against their games, so it is important not to brush away your tester's comments, as they may not be talking about the same issues you're thinking of.

Games are a complex amalgamation of many different systems and mechanics. But these principles of game development should give you a start on how and what to do when you create your game.

Game development can be tough and challenging at times. I hope that my blog post has been of help to you on your journey to making your game!

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions on game development; I will do my best to reply!