How Game Design Shapes Player Decisions

When most people think of game design, visuals, and mechanics are among the first things that come to mind. However, there’s a lot more to game design than these two elements. If we dig a little deeper, we can see that the design of a game shapes how players interact, feel, and make decisions within the virtual game world. Game designers do things like construct narratives in a certain way to provide psychological insights and environmental cues to subtly help players make choices as they progress in a game.

While it may not be immediately apparent when you’re playing a game, these design choices have a big impact on how engaged and immersed you feel in the title you’re playing. In this article, we look at how the elements of a game influence player decisions and the role developers play in making this happen.

Game Mechanics and Rules

One of the first things gamers notice when they pick up a game is the mechanics, even if they don’t realize it. A game’s mechanics tell you how a game works. They’re the rules that let you know what you can do in a game and things like the player’s objectives and rewards. You can see this clearly in a card game like poker, where mechanics dictate the flow of the game and influence how players make decisions.

As online poker has become increasingly popular, more and more gamers have participated in promotions like the PokerStars Power Path that give them an opportunity to progress through increasingly challenging stages with the ultimate goal of competing in online tournaments or the European Poker Tour. Players must have a solid understanding of the mechanics and rules of poker as they progress through the different stages and it’s a challenge many of them enjoy.

In traditional video games, core game mechanics will have a significant impact on how a player’s strategies and decisions, just like in poker. Think about elements like health systems, inventory limits, and skill trees that force you to adapt and come up with new strategies as you play through a game. If a game gives you limited health resources, you’ll have to go out and explore to find elixirs or potions to heal yourself. Most games have tutorials that help gamers learn these mechanics and teach them how to make decisions effectively. All of these design choices are calculated and designed to make games enjoyable.

The Psychology of Player Decisions

As you play through a video game, you might get the sense that it’s guiding you in some way, and what you perceive and how you react is being shaped by the game.  

Whether you’re playing on an iPhone or a gaming console, that’s not a coincidence; game designers intentionally build psychology into games, often presenting players with the “illusion of choice” where they’re given several options that lead to similar outcomes. They do this so players feel like they’re in control of the game while operating in a guided framework.

Players often confront games that make them think about the risk of doing something versus the reward. These setups encourage players to think about the benefits and consequences of their actions as they progress through a title. For example, a game may give you an opportunity to take on a high-risk challenge for valuable loot, but you have to weigh whether it’s worth it, something that makes the game more exciting as you strategically plan your next move.

Level Design and Navigation

When you start a new title, it might seem overwhelming, but slowly but surely, you find your way to where you need to go. That’s because a well-designed game will subtly direct you through the levels without spelling out exactly where you need to go or what you need to do. Designers use visual cues like lighting and contrasting colors to guide you as you play. We’ve all seen a brightly lit doorway or a distinct path through the rubble that has naturally pushed us to where we needed to be. Even in open-world games where players are given lots of freedom to explore, games nudge them forward, making playing the game feel intuitive and rewarding.

About Author

Patrice Shankman

See author's posts