Space of Possibility and Pacing in Casual Game Design

Marcos Venturelli of Kranio Studio wrote an interesting case study of PopCap games called: Space of Possibility and Pacing in Casual Game Design. In his case study he looks specifically at the multiple approaches to designing casual games by PopCap.

To discuss the entire design process of a casual game in one article would be ridiculous so this paper focuses mostly on the in depth aspects of pacing in a casual game. This paper aims to build upon a vocabulary towards casual games as well as discussing what makes a 'Casual' game.

A casual game is considered 'Games that offer the possibility of pick up and play experiences that can be enjoyed in small bursts and interrupted by players without penalty of perceived penalty.' despite casual games being labeled as 'Games that generally involve less complicated game controls and overall complexity in terms of gameplay or investment required to get through the game'. Casual games aren't all less complex mechanically and often implement difficulty ramping as the player progresses through the game.

Pacing - The pace of the game is set by the designer to indirectly craft the player experience and is the speed at which the game will physically move. The designer of the game will create relaxation, tension and repetition through manipulating the mechanics, dynamics and aesthetics.

Restricting the Space of Possibility - Creating the rules, designing a game is designing a space of possibility. The creation of a structure that will play out in complex and unpredictable ways and a collection of all possible actions and outcomes inside the design space of the game - all actions and outcomes artificially made possible by the system.

Player Experience - Our brain, according to Raph Koster [2005], is pretty good at figuring out patterns while playing games: "the destiny of games is to become boring, not to be fun. Those of us who want games to be fun are fighting a losing battle against the human brain because fun is a process and routine is its destination (...).  All of this happens because the human mind is goal driven". This takes the definition of "fun" as being "pleasure with surprises" [Schell 2008]. When the player stops being surprised, the game stops being fun. If all the patterns in the game have been figured out, the game loses its replay value as it is no longer difficult and engaging.

Concepts of  Pacing

Movement Impetus - Movement Impetus is the will or desire the player has to progress forward through a level. It determines how willing to make 'advancement decisions' the player is thus representing their interest to keep playing and continue their progression.

Tension - Tension is created using danger the player can perceive that may put them at a disadvantage. Aesthetic resources such as graphics or audio may be used to affect how the tension is increased or decreased in order to create enjoyment for the player through the manipulation of tension.

Threat - Threats are generated within the game mechanics. They exist as the power struggle constantly trying to put the advantage in favour of the players opponent(s).

Tempo - Tempo is the 'Intensity' of play and is a word used to explain the time between each significant decision made by the player.

A simple game will get boring very quickly as the player discovers the patterns within the game they will move on to another game or activity which will offer them a challenge. Making the game more complex will force the player to spend more time learning and then mastering the patterns in the game. This consequently slows the tempo and reduces Player Impetus if the player feels overwhelmed by how complex the game is to play.

Perceivable Pattern of Continuous Learning - Players must be seduced into the game and then continuously seduced into staying with the addition or replacement of mechanics. Peggle uses a very nice replacement mechanic as you progress. After each 5 levels the player will progress to using a different 'special ability' triggered by a green peg. This keeps players interested as the patterns in the game change and the player is constantly introduced to new 'special abilities'