Comments on: How Do You Know That Your Game Is Fun?

By: Juuso Hietalahti

Juuso Hietalahti — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:08:04 +0000

Thomas, that’s an interesting way to put it… Could work, could work…

By: Thomas D.

Thomas D. — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:17:57 +0000

I once asked a writer I know how he knows wether an idea for a book is good. he said: If you don’t write it down and yet remember it the next day, you’re up to something.
I think that may translate to games well.

By: Roman Budzowski

Roman Budzowski — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:38:26 +0000

Your game is fun only when a lot of other people says it’s fun (unless you make a game just for yourself or specific audience). And you can’t find out if it’s fun if you don’t test it a lot with real people on every stage of development.

By: desertdweller

desertdweller — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 20:55:27 +0000

I agree, especially when you only have a basic version, the game can still be fun.

If a game is fundamentally “fun,” then all sorts of additions can make it even better.

By: Download PC Games

Download PC Games — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:22:03 +0000

Well, beta testing is not enough. After the game is in beta state all major features should be in place and if your game is not fun already, you have some major problems.

The solution is to continously test how fun the game is. The easiest way to do this is to deliver the partial game to the end users. This is the essence of iterative development.

If you are interested I have an article about iterative game development

(I have no idea if html is ok in the comments… feel free to moderate)

/hObbE

By: Sargon

Sargon — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 09:46:51 +0000

Can’t edit, so I will have to add it here.
Imagine a game you played and enjoyed.
Now imagine that you need to give other people test this game for being fun or not.
However, you can’t give them the whole game to test, you can only give them one level of the game, or one small bit of the game.
Which level will you give them to test? What will you give them to test and will it reflect how much the game is fun?

By: Sargon

Sargon — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 09:41:51 +0000

Yea, of course that if you test your game and enjoy it or other test your game and enjoy it, then your game is fun. At least for the people who tested it.
The problem is, in certain types of games, it may take alot of time and alot of content before you have somtething with enough content to be fun.
Some games challange are also gradual. So the first few levels might be too easy for you, because you have played them and tested them so many times.
Or imagine a puzzle or riddles games. If you invented the riddle, how can you enjoy solving it?

By: Archbob

Archbob — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:28:59 +0000

Beta test your game and see what others think. And yeah, you need to enjoy your own game for it to be fun.

By: Jake Birkett

Jake Birkett — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:49:47 +0000

Agree with the testing idea. I find myself testing my games a lot because they “feel god”. This also helps generate ideas and spot bugs.

Also of course you know your game is fun when other people play it and clearly enjoy it.