I recently ran across a very interesting GeekList that's well worth reading. It does a nice job comparing and discussing the "styles" of designers, comparing them to composers:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist.php3?action=view&listid=3135
Game Design Styles
Sat, 05/29/2004 - 01:51
Sat, 05/29/2004 - 09:52
#1
Game Design Styles
That is interesting, thanks for providing that! Probably the most notable omission is Bruno Faidutti (Citadels/Mystery in the Abbey/Terra/etc), but I would also have included Michael Schacht (Web of Power/Paris Paris/Hansa) and Alex Randolph (Incognito/Richochet Robot/many others) as designers that have distinctive "styles". (I might also include one of my new "favorite" designers, Marcel-Andre Cassassola-Merkle (Verrater/Meuterer/Attika), just for completeness).
I find the discussions of whether Sackson is Chuck Berry to Knizia's the Beatles, or whether he is Mozart and Knizia Salieri or whatever to be somewhat silly. I think these kinds of discussions reveal little more than the opinion of the posters on which games they, personally, happen to like. It's certainly reasonable to have preferences, but I think there are more objective ways of looking at the games by an individual designer and identifying patterns.
I particularly liked the way that the author made a nice distinction between Kramer's "school" and Knizia/Sackson's "school", with the former having complexity built into the game itself and the latter primarily having complexity arise from a simple set of rules and relationships between pieces and players. I think the games of Bruno Faidutti are also useful to enter into the discussion simply because his style is so different from the other "big" designers.
I'm not sure I've really developed a "style" as a designer. Or maybe I have; it's one of those things that I think is hard to gauge when you're so immersed in designing. And, it probably takes completing a lot of games before you see patterns emerging. I would say I definitely prefer some mechanics to others, and am unlikely to use certain systems or mechanical ideas, but even that could change if a game design really calls for such a system.
It's definitely interesting food for thought, both in understanding the work of the "masters" and in starting to develop a style of one's own. The only question, I suppose, becomes whether having a distinctive "style" is necessarily a desirable thing. To the extent that it arises naturally, I suspect it's ok, but to the extent that you try to create games that deliberately very similar, you may pigeonhole yourself unnecessarily. Perhaps not.
Thanks for the link!
-J
Sat, 05/29/2004 - 10:44
#2
Game Design Styles
jwarrend wrote:
Probably the most notable omission is Bruno Faidutti (Citadels/Mystery in the Abbey/Terra/etc),
I agree. While you were writing this, I was adding a Faidutti comment to that list.
Quote:
I particularly liked the way that the author made a nice distinction between Kramer's "school" and Knizia/Sackson's "school", with the former having complexity built into the game itself and the latter primarily having complexity arise from a simple set of rules and relationships between pieces and players. I think the games of Bruno Faidutti are also useful to enter into the discussion simply because his style is so different from the other "big" designers.
I, too, found that distinction interesting and thought-provoking.
Quote:
It's definitely interesting food for thought, both in understanding the work of the "masters" and in starting to develop a style of one's own. The only question, I suppose, becomes whether having a distinctive "style" is necessarily a desirable thing. To the extent that it arises naturally, I suspect it's ok, but to the extent that you try to create games that deliberately very similar, you may pigeonhole yourself unnecessarily. Perhaps not.
I agree here, too. Style can't be forced. You have to go where your muses take you. It has to come from inside. Now, if what comes from inside happens to all look alike, well so be it.
I found the discussion to be interesting. A lot of the responses are simply variations on the thread we've had on this board about what makes a game fun.
My style is eclectic, I guess. I hope that's not simply a nice way of saying that I'm little more than a cover band.
Thanks, Fast, for posting the link.
Steve
