Game Design Frameworks

Thinking tools for analyzing and designing game experiences.

Quick Reference

Framework Selection Guide

When you need to...	Use this framework
Analyze why a mechanic is/isn't fun	MDA Framework
Design what the player does repeatedly	Core Loop Design
Understand what motivates players	Player Motivation (SDT)
Balance challenge vs skill	Difficulty & Challenge Design
Design interconnected systems	Systems Thinking
Integrate story with gameplay	Narrative Integration
Make actions feel good	Game Feel & Juice
Teach the player how to play	Onboarding Patterns
Design long-term engagement	Progression Systems
Design resource economy	Game Economy Design
Plan content scope and level pacing	Content & Level Planning
Discover and combine mechanics	Game Mechanics Palette
Visualize the player experience	Game Scenario Walkthrough

One-Liner Summaries

Framework	Key Insight
MDA	Design mechanics, but players experience aesthetics
Core Loops	If the 30-second loop isn't fun, nothing else matters
SDT	Autonomy + competence + relatedness = intrinsic motivation
Flow	Too easy = boredom, too hard = frustration, just right = flow
Systems Thinking	Interesting games emerge from system interactions
Narrative	Story and mechanics should reinforce, not contradict

MDA Framework

Mechanics → Dynamics → Aesthetics

Designers build mechanics. Players experience aesthetics. Dynamics are what emerge in between.

Layer	Definition	Example (Chess)
Mechanics	Rules, systems, algorithms	Pieces move in defined patterns
Dynamics	Behaviors that emerge from play	Opening strategies, sacrifices, tempo
Aesthetics	Emotional responses in the player	Challenge, discovery, competition

The 8 Aesthetics

Aesthetic	Description	Games Known For It
Sensation	Sensory pleasure	Journey, Flower
Fantasy	Make-believe, roleplay	Elder Scrolls, D&D
Narrative	Drama, story unfolding	Last of Us, Disco Elysium
Challenge	Obstacle course, mastery	Dark Souls, Celeste
Fellowship	Social cooperation	It Takes Two, MMOs
Discovery	Exploration, finding secrets	Outer Wilds, Metroidvanias
Expression	Self-expression, creativity	Minecraft, Dreams
Submission	Relaxation, pastime	Animal Crossing, idle games

Using MDA for Planning

Pick 1-2 target aesthetics — your game can't excel at all 8
Design mechanics that produce dynamics leading to those aesthetics
Test by asking: "Does this mechanic create moments of [target aesthetic]?"

Common mistake: Designing mechanics that feel logical but don't produce the target aesthetic. A "challenge" game needs mechanics that create near-misses and skill growth, not just difficulty.

Core Loop Design

Action → Reward → Reinvestment

    ┌──────────┐
    │  ACTION  │ ← Player does something
    └────┬─────┘
         │
    ┌────▼─────┐
    │  REWARD  │ ← Game responds positively
    └────┬─────┘
         │
    ┌────▼──────────┐
    │ REINVESTMENT   │ ← Reward enables/motivates next action
    └────┬──────────┘
         │
         └──→ Back to ACTION

Evaluating Loop Strength

Quality	Strong Loop	Weak Loop
Agency	Player chooses actions meaningfully	Optimal path is obvious
Feedback	Immediate, clear, satisfying	Delayed, ambiguous
Variation	Same loop, different situations	Repetitive sameness
Growth	Player skill improves over time	No skill progression
Investment	Rewards open new possibilities	Rewards are cosmetic only

Nested Loops

Games have loops at multiple timescales:

Loop Level	Timescale	Example (Hades)
Micro	1-5 seconds	Dodge, attack, use ability
Core	30-60 seconds	Clear room, choose reward, enter next room
Meta	5-30 minutes	Complete a run, unlock permanent upgrades
Macro	Hours+	Unlock story, build relationships, master weapons

Rule: Get the micro and core loops right first. Meta and macro loops can't save a boring core.

Difficulty & Challenge → see difficulty-design

Flow state, difficulty curves, challenge types, accessibility, recovery mechanics, and boss design are covered in the dedicated difficulty skill. Key concepts:

Flow channel — challenge must match skill; too easy = boredom, too hard = frustration
Difficulty curve patterns — linear, sawtooth, exponential, player-driven, sine wave
Challenge types — kinesthetic, strategic, puzzle, knowledge, social
Accessibility — removing barriers to reach challenge, not eliminating challenge

Player Motivation (SDT)

Three innate psychological needs driving intrinsic motivation:

Need	Definition	Game Design Application
Competence	Feeling effective and mastering challenges	Clear skill progression, appropriate difficulty, meaningful feedback
Autonomy	Feeling in control of your choices	Multiple valid strategies, player-driven pacing, meaningful choices
Relatedness	Feeling connected to others	Co-op, competition, shared experiences, NPCs that feel real

The Overjustification Effect: Adding extrinsic rewards to an intrinsically fun activity can reduce motivation. If players wouldn't do the activity without the reward, the activity needs redesign.

Game Feel, Juice & Onboarding

MLP Juice Checklist — minimum feedback to make core actions feel good:

Screen shake on impactful actions
Hit pause (1-3 frames freeze on contact)
Sound effect for every player action
Visual feedback for state changes (damage flash, pickup glow)
Particle effects on key moments

The Juice-Is-Not-A-Substitute Rule: Juice makes a fun game feel amazing. It does NOT make an unfun game fun. Priority: fun mechanics → functional feedback → juice.

Onboarding Patterns:

Pattern	Best For
Learn-by-doing (preferred for MLP)	Action games, platformers — first room teaches ONE mechanic, no text walls
Gated complexity	RPGs, strategy — lock advanced mechanics until basics mastered
Guided tutorial	Complex systems, sims — explicit instructions with practice

Deep Dives

(see design-frameworks/systems.md for Systems Thinking: feedback loops, emergence, interaction planning)
(see design-frameworks/narrative.md for Narrative Integration: 4 levels, choosing integration level, ludonarrative dissonance)
(see design-frameworks/progression.md for Progression Systems: types, horizontal vs vertical, meta-progression, red flags)

design-frameworks