So, are you an experienced web designer who has had a long history of designing the most compelling UI for your clients? If yes, you can foresee the benefits that a specific game can offer to a perfect user interface design. But if you’re a rookie game developer, how would you proceed with designing the best gaming experience? 

You’ve done it! You’ve dreamt of being a game developer and you’ve finally become one! Congratulations! There is no doubt that game development and game designing is one of the best ways of showcasing your creativity and now that you’re into it, you should be proud of your abilities. It’s amazing that you’ve thought of giving it a try! 

Now that you’re ready to continue your journey as a game developer, you need help from the experts. We have compiled a list of the best tips that serve as a guide to help you evolve as a professional game designer. No, you may not have to follow all this advice for your initial few projects but you can certainly keep them in mind as your work expands.

#1: Give first priority to your users

In order to help your users, enjoy the gameplay, you should give utmost importance to great user experience (UX). User interfaces and menus which are extremely tough to navigate through or those that are not designed up to the mark can frustrate players. Therefore, your best bet is to keep your design theory simple, consistent, and intuitive while designing the feel and look of your game. 

#2: Try to determine the hook of your game

What is the hook of your game? Is it the characters or the story or the aesthetic or the mechanics of the game? If you don’t know what ‘hook’ means, it is the factor that makes the game lovable to the players. It is the USP or the Unique Selling Proposition that lures the attention of the player from the start of the game and hooks him till the end. Determining the hook of the game is something that you should decide early as this will have retain the long-term appeal of your game. 

#3: Level up the viral quality of the game

Being a designer of video games, you should have a clear idea of what is working in the gaming industry. Now that you’re planning to capitalize your game and you want to earn money out of your craft, you should take into consideration mass appeal. In case you can design your characters, mechanics, and game levels that has a viral quality and that attracts people to play your game. Trending memes, topics, achievements, rewards, homages to different forms of media, are the main features that contribute to the virality of any video game. 

#4: Sound effects should be of best quality

Whether you’re designing a fully-immersive 3D video game or a casual game for mobile devices, playing the right sounds at the right time is a vital part of forming that gameplay experience. Often it is seen that sounds serve as an indirect command to a player, allowing them to navigate by listening to audio cues. They can also predict the result of their actions. Above all, the right kind of sound design can set the mood and secure it throughout the complete game. You can get help from Digital Marketing Agency Melbourne for the best game sound designing ideas. 

#5: Focus the most on retaining the fun element

This is definitely the most obvious tip for a game designer – you have to hyperfocus on the fun element of the game. Being a designer, it is important to take into account the various fun elements of a game. While some players can experience fun through funny and interesting characters, some others can feel interested in the story of the game. The way you experience fun with a game has a direct relation with how you interact with the game. Learn how to provoke fun by utilizing specific designing styles that intrigue players or by triggering emotional responses. 

#6: Work on the gameplay structure

If you’ve yourself been into playing video games, you’d know that there’s nothing worse than being involved in a game that gives you a disconnected feeling. If your game has weapons and arms that don’t deal appropriately with the damage caused or has gaming levels that are extremely confusing or has AI enemies that don’t throw worthy challenges, these are signs of a poor gameplay. You should know how to strike a balance of the gameplay. This is, in fact, one of the biggest challenges faced by any video game designer. Remember that this balance usually shifts with each game you create in your gaming career.

#7: Make sure game controls are intuitive

It can’t be denied that the control scheme of your game is directly related to a proper user experience. They also have a direct relation to how effectively and easily players learn the game. These gaming controls decide the progression of the player throughout the game. Hence, it is one of the best ideas to make your mouse or keyboard functionality and game controller as easy and straightforward as it is possible for you. 

#8: Your game should be unique

Games are nothing but entertainment. Your drive for designing a game should be to make it a fun game. And there’s no doubt about the fact that the fastest ways of adding that fun element to your game are by making it unique and interesting. Since there are numerous games in the market, you should make sure your game stands out in the crowd. The design and mechanics elements are pivotal in deciding the uniqueness of the game. 

Now, are you ready to pull off the businessperson mode? When your game is ready to set out in the market, promotion is important. In order to make people play your game, they should know it exists in the market. Invest in marketing your game through social media, use the right hashtags, post screenshots of the video, and put yourself in the market as a game designer.