the 8 filters of game

design
in his book "the art of game
design", Jesse Schell talks
about 8 filters to decide if
your game is "good enough".

the design process mainly

consists of stating your
problem, getting an initial
idea, and finding a way to get
it past all eight filters...
the 8 filters are:

1. artistic impulse
2. demographics
3. experience design
4. innovation
5. business and marketing
6. engineering
7. community
8. playtesting

Let's explore them one by

one!
#1: Artistic impulse

You, as the designer, ask yourself

whether the game “feels right”
to you.

here, Your gut feeling is key.

Key Question: “Does this game feel

right?”
#2: demographics

this is the audience for your

game. It might be an age bracket,
a gender, or a specific group (e.g.
tennis enthusiasts).

Key Question: “Will the intended

audience like this game enough?”

#3: experience design

this is everything related to

creating a good experience (from
usability to group dynamics...)

Key Question: “Is this a well-

designed game?”

#4: innovation

there needs to be something

new about your game;
something players have not
seen before.

Key Question: “Is this game novel

enough?”

#5: business and marketing

in order to have a sustainable

business, your game should make
money. is it appealing to
consumers? who are the
competitors? what's the cost of
producing it?

Key Question: “Will this game be

profitable?”

#6: engineering

until you have built it, a game

idea is just an idea (and ideas are
not bound by the constraints of
what is possible or practical). to
pass the filter, answer the
question: how am i going to build
this?
Key Question: “Is it technically
possible to build this game?”

#7: community

it is not enough for a game to be

fun. some of the design goals may
require a strong social
component, a strong viral com-
ponent, or the formation of a
thriving community around your
game.

Key Question: “Does this game meet

our community goals?”

#8: playtesting

It is one thing to imagine what

playing a game will be like, and
quite another to actually play
it, and yet another to see it
played by your target audience

Key Question: “Do the playtesters

enjoy the game enough?”

using the eight filters is a very

useful way to evaluate your
game :)

know of any other tips?

share them in the comments!

stefy bolaños
teamlogiq.com