iPhone Game Development - Chris Craft [27]
Tip
When brainstorming ideas, grab a pen and paper and jot them down so you don't forget them. You may find yourself writing some of your best ideas on napkins or in the Notes app on the iPhone.
Time pressure adds an element of anxiety to a video game. Adding time pressure may lure players into making rash decisions that they would otherwise have reasoned through with ease. This pressure also opens up possibilities for increasing the difficulty level as players progress. You can start players off with an ample amount of time to complete the puzzle, then your game can become greedier with the time allotted as players progress through your levels.
Limit number of turns
Most turn-based games limit the user to exactly one turn. This gives the user only one decision or move on each turn to change the course of the game. This limitation often leads to users memorizing and employing move patterns to be successful at the game. Consider the game of chess, shown in Figure 3.2.
FIGURE 3.2
The classic board game of chess
The best chess players can think several moves ahead even though they are limited to making one move at a time. The creators of chess probably never envisioned that the game would become such a fertile ground for challenge and competitiveness. Chess has transcended beyond a simple board game that holds a player's attention for one or two turns into a culture of players with their own unique styles and strategies.
Okay, we understand that trying to build a game that is as good as chess would be setting a high standard; however, it really showcases the potential for a great turn-based game. Think in terms of progression and goals. If you are playing a game that limits turns, like in chess, that generally means there is another player with his own goals and agenda. You take a turn, then the other player takes a turn, and this continues until one of the players achieves his goal.
When creating a turn-based game, consider the following tips:
Craft a clear and simple goal. The goal should be enticing and the reward should deliver a certain degree of excitement.
Carve a clear and easy path to the goal. When you first start the game, the first few levels should be easy. Achieving the goal should be more instructional than challenging. Use this as a starting point, or you can even make this the first level to help orient the player to your game.
Introduce obstacles. Now that the player can see the goal, throw in a few roadblocks. This can even be controlled by the other player. Player 1 overcomes an obstacle on his turn, and then player 2 introduces a new obstacle on her turn.
Add escalation elements. No matter how great your game is, players will get tired if it drags out too long. If the game lasts too long, consider giving more power to the players on each sequential turn. This adds pressure on each turn for the player to try and end the match. You see this in a lot of sports with tiebreakers, sudden death, and so on.
An excellent example of a puzzle game that utilizes some of these tips is Trism, which is played on a board of triangular prisms called trisms (Figure 3.3). The game is played by sliding the trisms in six different directions to match colors. The game starts at an easy level and progresses in difficulty. The game becomes even more interesting and difficult as obstacles such as bombs and locks are introduced.
Check out Trism for yourself by browsing to http:/itunes.com/apps/trism on your iPhone or on a computer with iTunes installed.
Cross-Reference
The link http:/itunes.com/apps/trism is an iTunes Deep Link. See Chapter 10 for more about iTunes Deep Links.
Your game should not be so easy that players always know what the best move is to make on their next turn. If that is the case, you will want to consider making some changes to make the game more challenging. If users approach your game with calculation and strategy, you have crafted a good turn-based game.
FIGURE