Geniuses like Shigeru Miyamoto seem to be few and far between as games are developed by people who can create massive 3D models that come out of the TV and dance in your living room – but fail to understand what makes a video game fun.

I have broken this article into pieces for two reasons: One is that you don’t have to read an extensive piece all in the one hit. The second is it gives you time to digest the information and appreciate it.

Some sections will overlap because often one leads to another.

So in no particular order – here is the first 4 things you need to consider when making a great video game!

1/ The number of players.

Me and my brother have long been video game buddies and I can assure you that nearly every multiplayer game is a frustrating experience.

What goes wrong:
The biggest mistake video game designers make is having a one player mode where everything is unlocked, and then a multiplayer mode. On paper this might work. In theory this might work. But let me tell you how it works in reality:

I purchase Wave Race for the Gamecube. Me and my brother grab a controller each. We play the one track available. We then decide it is best to unlock more tracks. I am the designated person to play through the game to unlock all the tracks. Xx hours later all the tracks are unlocked. I thrash my brother into oblivion because I am far more experienced then he is.

So what do video game designers think? Do they think we will take it in turns and pass it through the one player mode as a team? Do they think we will both try and pass the game separately?

Another big mistake video game designers make is they create a one player game, and then throw in a multiplayer game just for good measure. The multiplayer game is completely irrelevant to the main game and gets very boring very quickly.

Just to use Wave Race (in fact a lot of racing games) as another example – The one player mode sees you race against 8 players as part of a championship. Then in the multiplayer mode its just head to head. You vs your brother. Either you are winning and he is a lap behind or vice versa. Where is the fun?

What is the right way:
In Super Mario Kart (SNES) you and a brother/relative/friend can play through the entire game together, and unlock all the tracks together.
Play against six other computer players to fight for a trophy, or go head to head, or play battle mode. The only thing you cant do in the multiplayer mode is time trial (and not many would want to). This is an example of the best way to handle a game because the multiplayer and single player game is exactly the same, and it is an extremely fun game to play solo or with a friend.

If you are going to make a multiplayer game then you need to design it so that both players can access all parts of the game and unlock all secrets.

Its true that you need to make sure that it is also fun as a solo game so as not to alienate Johnny No Friends but it is important that everything that can be done in the solo mode can be done in the multiplayer mode.

If simultaneous doesn’t work (both players at once), then try consecutively (one after the other).

Solo games are a lot of fun. But if you ever decide to expand the experience to more than one player – be very mindful of what you are putting players through.

Good Multiplayer game (simultaneous): Super Mario Kart (SNES)
Good Multiplayer game (consecutive): Super Mario Brothers III (SNES)
Bad Multiplayer game: Wave Race (GC)

2/ Characters

This shouldn’t be a problem because characters come from a storyline which is the foundation of the game. But strangely enough it is a large problem game designers.

Note that characters mean playable characters, enemies and bosses.

What goes wrong:
Have you ever played a game where every single playable character (exaggeration) looks the same? Subzero, Scorpio, Noob Saibot, Ermac, etc…etc…etc… Why even give the player a choice? It is very frustrating having 700000 characters to choose from when 699999 of them look the same.

Another problem is when characters play the same. To use Mortal Kombat as an example again – special moves aside – every single character played the same. They all had an uppercut, they all had a roundhouse, they all had a sweep etc... If you are going to introduce a new player, make sure you give them a new way of playing. Each character needs its own strategy.

Another problem is useless characters. What’s the point of giving the player a character if they can not pass the game with them?


And finally why do characters stand around waiting for the hero to come and beat them senseless? If you are going to create an elaborate environment then at least have the characters interact with it as they wait for the hero to arrive.

What is the right way:
Assuming Ryu and Ken are different enough – Super Street Fighter II is the best example of a game with a variety of characters.

Each character has different moves (both special and normal). In fact you can play through the game with every character and each game is a different experience. Up the difficulty to the toughest setting and you will find you will need a different strategy for each character.

And it is possible to beat the game with every character. Some take a lot of practice like Dhalsim but you will get there.

If you are going to give the player different characters to use, then (where possible) make sure each player offers a unique experience and gives the player a different strategy to pass the game.

And even if all characters do have the same moves (like sports games) then they should at least have different stats to differ one player from another.

The award for the best game in terms of character animation goes to Yoshi’s Island (SNES). Watch as the characters pace up and back, stop, look both ways to see if Yoshi is coming, then continue pacing. Look at the strain on the face of the shy guys as they try to lift big blocks up by pulling a chain. And littered around the landscape are frogs, bats and butterflies that serve no purpose other then to liven up the environment.

Good player range: Super Street Fighter II (SNES)
Good character animation: Yoshi’s Island (SNES)
Bad player range: Mortal Kombat III (SNES)

3/ Options, Custom and Create

The very first thing I do when playing a game for the first time is go to the options. This is where I can configure/customize/change the game to my liking. Its not something I do straight away but I like to get a feel for how much the game is going to let me change it.

What goes wrong:
In some games there are no options (outside of volume and controls). What you see is what you get. Once you have finished the game then it goes on the shelf to gather dust and never to be seen again. There is no ability to customize or change the game.

What is the right way:
When we played Zelda for the first time it was Zelda III on the SNES. The game asked my brother what his name was so he put it in, and then everyone in the village started calling his character by his name.

This is the kind of experience (as simple as it is) that players want.

A fantastic example of game customisation is Animal Crossing (gamecube). You can change your name, house, items in your house, clothes, town name, neighbour’s names, theme music…the list just goes on and on and on.

Its also fun in games when you can design your own levels or characters. I think at this point I should mention the Sims (PC). The customization and character design is almost unmatched.

It is also fun when you can change the rules to the game. How many minutes per game, how many turns, etc…
We don’t like the super goal on Mario Smash Football so we turn it off. Legend difficulty, 2 minutes, no super goal, 8 teams playing twice, and 3 of them human controlled. This is an immense amount of fun!

Goldeneye (N64) was one of the best games ever. Going back through the levels with infinite ammo and all weapons was incredibly entertaining.

By giving players options, and the ability to customize and create parts of the game, then you are extending it’s lastability.

Good options/cheats: Goldeneye (N64)
Good customise/create: Animal Crossing (gamecube), Sims (PC)

4/ Lastability

Growing up, we would only buy one game every three months. That is how long a game should last. The formula I always imagined was
a) 2-3 weeks to finish (beat final boss)
b) an extra week to finish fully (unlock everything)
c) 2 months of re-playing it.

What goes wrong:

Games that are linear. A linear game is where the path to victory is set in stone and once you finish the game there is nothing else to do.

Also games that are too easy or so boring that you never finish them. When I was growing up – we passed every game no matter how painful. Now I have a collection of games I have never finished, nor do I intend to.

What is the right way:

A games lastability can be extended by the following:
Options – give the player plenty of options
Cheats – the more cheats the better
Custom/create – let the player customise the game and create parts
Replay value – every time the game is replayed it should be a different experience
Time to complete – If it takes 20 hours to pass it, would they play through it again?
Bonuses – bonuses and unlockables are always enjoyable.
Difficulty – hard, but not too hard

These are just some ideas of how to make a game lastable.

Games that last 3 months: Super Mario Kart (SNES), Super Street Fighter II (SNES), Worms (PC)
Games that won’t last 3 months: Ninja Turtles (gameboy) – 24 hours to finish. No replay value.


So there it is. The first selection of things to know if you want to make a great video game. Bare in mind that not all of these apply to every video game, but it is still important to be mindful of them.

Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter.