Guidelines for Strategy Game Design

For a game of strategy to be compelling, there must be multiple compelling strategies to pursue. To be compelling, a strategy needs to be a reasonable path to victory.

Quickly after beginning the game, players should understand the conditions of victory and how they can use the tools at their disposal to achieve victory.

A game can have a lot of decisions without offering a lot of strategy. When the right move is obvious or automatic, the decision isn’t meaningful.

Gameplay exists in the space between understanding and mastery. That space is what we call Depth.

It’s important that a game clearly communicates its pitch, both through visual style and through layout and design.

Regardless of your audience or your game’s topic, you should be able to explain your game in just a few words.

Play can only exist in the space between understanding and mastery.

What skills will a player need in order to succeed at this game?

As players pursue the activities you told them about in your pitch, it’s important to let them do those activities! Moves should engage with the activities, not stand between the player and the activities.

Most games consist of several different activities. However, all of those activities should thread through the game’s central mechanics and engage the game’s key skills.

What will you be doing in this game? A good game lets you know right up front what activities are going to occupy your time while you sit at the table.

A game is successful if it delivers on the promise that convinced players to sit down and give it a try.