Lenses

TO DO: is it more abstract?

also known as:

Classification

• #method
• #medium
• #roles/designer #roles/manager #roles/writer #roles/artists #roles/engineers
• #used-by/designer #used-by/artist #used-by/manager #used-by/writer #used-by/engineers
• #tools/digital #tools/non-digital

Intent

• To examine Game Design from different perspectives.
• To emphasize fundamental principles.
• To draw inspiration from various fields and roles.
• To encourage innovative thinking.

Problem

General

• Designers can become trapped in their own narrow perspectives and need to gain distance to view the game from different angles.
• How to find solutions to problems that have stumped you for hours or days, and for which you have no apparent resolution.
• How to extract knowledge from other disciplines to make your game more thoughtful and intricate.

Specific

• What applies to Game Design also holds true for level design but in a more detailed manner.
• How to discover a solution when you’ve run out of ideas.

Solution Approach

General

• Examine the problem from various viewpoints.
• Adhere to your core ideas while seeking inspiration and daring to experiment.
• Generate solutions by addressing questions.

Specific

• Examine the design problem through different lenses.

Application

Input

• Any decision, problem, or game idea.

Application

• Analyze your problem using one of the many lenses introduced in the book by Schell:
  • Consult the Table of Lenses and select a lens title that appears to address your problem.
  • Refer to the lens’s page and read its definition.
  • Apply this lens to your problem and generate unique ideas by responding to the questions suggested in the lens.

Output

• Ideally, a solution to your problem.
• Otherwise, the process of contemplating your problem from a different perspective or lens can expand your horizons.
• A Decision regarding the issue you are attempting to resolve.
• Text to document your decisions and solutions.

When to use it

• When you require alternative perspectives.
• When you’ve exhausted your idea pool.
• When you’re on the verge of making a decision since the lenses are more philosophical and decision-oriented rather than concrete game design methods.

Relevant Roles using this model

• #roles/designer Designer #used-by/designer
• #roles/manager Manager #used-by/manager
• #roles/artists Artist #used-by/artist
• #roles/writer Writer #used-by/writer
• #roles/engineers Engineer #used-by/engineers

Relevancy in the following processes

• None in particular, but it’s advantageous to employ lenses in parallel to all processes and methods.

Applicability

• Enhances creativity and broadens one’s perspective, making it suitable for those interested in trying something new while adhering to established practices.
• Decision-oriented, with no practical or computation-intensive lenses.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Numerous lenses increase the likelihood of finding one that suits your specific use case or problem.
• Openness to new ideas can expand your horizons.
• Can be employed by an individual or an entire team.
• Lenses can be tailored to individual use cases since they are more philosophical.

Cons:

• Reflects the views of a single author, potentially biased by their experiences.
• Doesn’t solve practical problems but encourages thoughtful contemplation.
• The abundance of lenses may require significant time to locate the one suitable for your problem.

Examples

Some lenses that can be applied to level design:

• The Lens of Endrogeneous Value (p.43)
  • This lens is about the value of the level to the player. Think about which objects have which value to the player and which objects don’t feel necessary to the player at all.
  • “A game’s success hinges on the players’ willingness to pretend it is important. To use this lens, think about your players’ feelings about items, objects, and scoring in your game. Ask yourself these questions:
    • What is valuable to the players in my game?
    • How can I make it more valuable to them?
    • What is the relationship between value in the game and the players’ motivations?”
• The Lens of Flow (p.148)
  • What lets the players focus in the level? Also see Pacing Diagram to improve focus
  • “To use this lens, consider what is holding your player’s focus. Ask yourself these questions:
    • Does my game have clear goals? If not, how can I fix that?
    • Are the goals of the player the same goals I intended?
    • Are there parts of the game that distract players to the point they forget their goal? […]
    • Does my game provide a steady stream of not-too-easy, not-too-hard challenges, taking into account the fact that the player’s skills may be gradually improving?
    • Are the player’s skills improving at the rate I had hoped? If not, how can I change that?”
• The Lens of Reward (p.234)
  • Think about when and how your level rewards the player, also see Reward Schedule
  • “[…] Ask these questions to determine if your game is giving out the right rewards in the right amounts at the right times:
    • What rewards is my game giving out now? Can it give out others as well?
    • Are players excited when they get rewards in my game, or are they bored by them? Why?
    • […] Do my players understand the reward they are getting?
    • Are the rewards my game gives out too regular? Can they be given out in a more variable way?
    • How are my rewards related to one another? Is there a way that they can be better connected?
    • How are my rewards building? Too fast, too slow, or just right?”
• The Lens of Atmosphere (p.431)
  • As a more artistic approach, think about how the level can convey a certain atmosphere. Also see Mood Boards and Reference Collection
  • “Atmosphere is invisible and intangible. But somehow it envelops us, permeates us, and makes us part of the world. To make sure the atmosphere or your world is properly intoxicating, ask yourself these questions:
    • Without using words, how can I describe the atmosphere of my game?
    • How can I use artistic content (both visual and audible) to deepen that atmosphere?”

Relevant Tools

• Digital Collection Tools, any tools you need to write down your discoveries
• Digital Collection Tools

Relevant Literature

Schell 2014 - A Book of Lenses

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