The 400 Project
The 400 Project is attempting to find and list 400 (just a rough number) rules that apply to Game Design. The project began in 2003 and so far has compiled a list of 112 rules. The project is managed by Hal Barwood and Noah Falstein. Most of the rules have been written by Noah Falstein, although anyone can submit a rule.
Each rule has a name, a statement (description) and a domain to which the rule belongs. Each rule has an example or two from well known games as well as counter-examples that show the consequence of not following the rule.
For example,
Provide Clear Short-Term Goals
Always make it clear to the player what their short-term objectives are. This can be done explicitly by telling them directly, or implicitly by leading them towards those goals through environmental cues. This avoids the frustration of uncertainty and gives player’s confidence that they are making forward progress.
Noah suggests that rules are useful when you are stuck with your game design or evaluating the game you are making against each rule in the list.
Good Game, a TV program in Australia, ran a short story on the 400 Project, last year and the clip is available on YouTube.
During the coming weeks we’ll look at some of these rules and how they apply to the game experience. We would love to hear your thoughts on these rules.