Abstract

In recent years the trend in video game development has shifted notably from a focus on more linear and story-based games to those featuring big open worlds where players have more freedom in deciding what to do and how to do something. In this thesis I examine the concept of Multiplicative Design for video games, which provides practical principles for the design process of games that focus on player freedom. Specifically, I define Multiplicative Gameplay as the gameplay that rises from the interactions of a few well-connected game elements which provide players with a vast possibility space; it takes place in a coherent game world that the players perceive as believable and logical in itself and which evokes an experience of freedom of agency. For the thesis I first outline the concept, the advantages, and the challenges of the design, and draw a comparison to games of emergence. Then I propose the method of using the natural language labels of subject, predicate, and object to semiformally fill out scenario-based design matrices in order to support designers in developing such games. The method also serves as a contribution to exploring more formal and guided game design techniques supporting game development.

Files

[ Thesis PDF ] bachelors_thesis_multiplicative_gameplay_katharina_seitz.pdf

[ Slides Final Presentation ] bachelors_thesis_multiplicative_gameplay_katharina_seitz_presentation.pdf

Keywords

believability, coherency, complexity, consistency, depth, design matrix, emergence, entropy, game design, game design methods, game mechanics, Multiplicative Design, Multiplicative Gameplay, natural language, open world, player experience, player freedom, possibility space, scenarios, video games