The 400 Project: Now at 112.

To say a bit more about the 400 project: For years, this has been an idea stated on a web site plus a few rules in Game Developer Magazine, but with the March 16th update, the 400 project has turned into a valuable resource with the current rules master list.

112 so far, not 400 (which according to Noah Falstein is a random number anyway).

I think it is not as much a list of 112 things that you have to apply to every game in the world (give or take a few conditions for which rules trump which), as it is a list that can inspire any given game design. A few examples:

3 Maintain Level of Abstraction Immersion is easily disturbed — don’t make the player re-calibrate his “suspension of disbelief” and lose touch with your game Psych Hal Barwood
108 Provide Score Feedback In a game where score is important, provide direct audio and visual feedback every time the score changes – like a sound and floating numbers. Feedback Steve Meretzky

Of course, you knew perfectly well to maintain the level of abstraction and to provide score feedback. But did you really do this in your current game? I think the list is for that type of realization.

2 thoughts on “The 400 Project: Now at 112.”

  1. Not entirely on topic, but I thought I’d suggest adding Clint Hocking’s “Click Nothing” (of Ubisoft) blog to your extensive list on the right side of your site.

    As for the 400 Project, I think it’s en extremely important endeavour… if only as a self-teaching or plain old teaching tool. Where I was taught anything about “Game Design” in my classes, this would’ve been a nice addition to the course material.

    Of course, I had to find it myself during those classes… but it wasn’t nearly as big as it is now (number of entries).

  2. I’ve always been a bit skeptical about the 400, but reading through, there’s definately lots of good advice. I love that there are meta-rules about not taking anything to extremes, and using common sense to apply the rules, as they address my main fear of the 400.

    Good stuff!

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