Schell Games

[{"content":{"text":" Schell Games' commitment to education is something we live every day; in the products we create, the work environment in the office and the ways we share that knowledge with others. Each month, we'll be dissecting a different Lens from The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by our CEO Jesse Schell and applying it to a noteworthy title. It's our hope that you use these as you develop your game or are looking to critically analyze what makes someone else's game successful. Happy creating! "},"id":"39aea395-5072-4487-868c-74777283d52f","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"location":"kirby","image":["file:\/\/ikcdlv5kKhRbHVi0"],"src":"","alt":"","caption":"We thought this Lens was perfect for the start of a new year!","link":"https:\/\/deck.artofgamedesign.com\/#\/menu\/32\/?lang=en","ratio":"","crop":"false"},"id":"c8b8e7d8-f88e-4993-85dd-f584e396c3a5","isHidden":false,"type":"imageBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"The Lens of Goals","customid":""},"id":"3c177e48-6e02-4c8b-bd08-9d580784e9d0","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" How This Works: Use this Lens (full text below as well) and picture your game at the same time. See how you answer each question and how difficult it is to arrive at these conclusions. Repeat and refine until complete - how much different does your potential game look than when you started? Full Text: The Lens of Goals To ensure the goals of your game are appropriate and well balanced, ask yourself these questions: "},"id":"b89ca9d2-0717-41a8-a545-31f72d22db9c","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"text":" What is the ultimate goal of my game? Is that goal clear to players? If there are a series of goals, do the players understand that? Are the different goals related to each other in a meaningful way? Are my goals concrete, achievable, and rewarding? Do I have a good balance of short and long term goals? Do players have a chance to decide their own goals? "},"id":"981f0bda-7cf6-4295-8086-26f6ffd7542b","isHidden":false,"type":"listBlock"},{"content":{"location":"web","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=abx4_UzW-uc","video":[],"poster":[],"caption":"","autoplay":"false","muted":"true","loop":"false","controls":"true","preload":"auto"},"id":"224709e6-51bd-4f56-b1db-d53f61446323","isHidden":false,"type":"videoBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"Example - Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (2024)","customid":""},"id":"094dad19-c6d4-40df-9678-183845ee9232","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" We love the puzzle genre here at Schell Games, but one of the biggest challenges with these types of games can be intertwining the puzzles themselves with the overarching narrative of the story. That's why we wanted to highlight developer Simogo and their 2024 indie hit Lorelei and the Laser Eyes as a prime example of how to follow The Lens of the Goal. Mild Spoiler Warning for some basic concepts of the game follow - no actual puzzle solutions are discussed. The ultimate goal is deceptively simple but up front - solve the mysteries of the place your character was summoned to. But almost immediately, the game opens up into a massive labyrinth of puzzles and stories it is up to the player to solve with very little hand-holding. In fact, you're going to have to go old school (or ask your older gamer confidants) and bust out a notebook to map out the clues and relationships you start to uncover in each room. For a lesser game, this could be a massive roadblock that prevents players from progressing or frustrates the playerbase to seek solutions online. However, Lorelei succeeds because of how well if adheres to the Lens of the Goal. While there are tons of goals and clues hidden across a sizable map, it is the way the puzzles are presented and related that makes the game achievable, balanced, and ultimately meaningful. "},"id":"ad851c4e-6782-4943-ab1f-db7fb57ef6cc","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"location":"web","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mJVCBBMsrf0","video":[],"poster":[],"caption":"","autoplay":"false","muted":"true","loop":"false","controls":"true","preload":"auto"},"id":"698da017-c9d6-41fc-b44a-6c2cf5dcf22c","isHidden":false,"type":"videoBlock"},{"content":{"text":" Think of Lorelei as the best parts of a Metroidvania or early Resident Evil game applied to the puzzle genre. The player isn't just solving random, one-off challengers the developer thinks are cool. Instead, each puzzle ties in directly to the beats of the story, opening up not just progression upon completion but more understanding of the world your player inhabits. Further, each puzzle you solve continues to arm you with the ideas and critical thinking skills you'll then need to reach the next section of challenges. Plus, the entire game is rooted in approachability - inputs are incredibly simple and any level of game can pick this up and immediately start interacting with its systems. It's a completely novel approach to the genre, and I can't tell you much more without spoiling, so go check it out for yourself and keep the Lens of the Goal open in a new tab to see if you feel the same. Now, it's up to you. Are you following the Lens of Goals with your next game idea? "},"id":"87ee5802-b33e-48a3-8e6b-e1b2eee50f60","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"Art of Game Design","customid":""},"id":"903aeccd-b0bc-4882-b58f-4b07b5429c82","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" This is just one quick example of all of the knowledge and expertise contained within The Art of Game Design . Learn more about the book, the 110+ Lenses that come with it and more about CEO Jesse Schell on The Art of Game Design website. "},"id":"38afaba2-a9a6-43d5-9c73-8a18eb91d070","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"link":"https:\/\/schellgames.com\/art-of-game-design","text":"Read More","class":"","id":""},"id":"d3974785-d0bb-4a3d-8354-fdb740a32ae7","isHidden":false,"type":"buttonBlock"},{"content":{"location":"kirby","image":["file:\/\/QcGLIXICqS1VvQ10"],"src":"","alt":"","caption":"","link":"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Art-Game-Design-Lenses-Third\/dp\/1138632058\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QQTWCFNLUZDX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3bv_KSlfpyXPUW1Bl4ei_heRyNzWazM0jkq2aTxKW6jcy-bXWOf69JACCV4piGT9XWJDcnjNNiEfEMOgva7TlHUmYHnWL4meJGIrA1mpUJN1i0qjQqEV2GN7Bytej9jT2ZwQpq-cg-VHwEgJOIlG2Nxr9wr1RlCR7SZ8MmnPywlxYNLF8mjunlvOSuG1L2MEuEbAw1bMSF_bMWX2yrauCDF3XszSbq9Vbx_-G3xQiAo.qpRCZt8h3Jx5WYYMxD1mKX1KK1l6-fcRoV_eyeHI6BM&dib_tag=se&keywords=art+of+game+design&qid=1735842752&sprefix=art+of+game%2Caps%2C77&sr=8-1","ratio":"","crop":"false"},"id":"007e3c03-9f25-442d-b4e4-ba8569a7e202","isHidden":false,"type":"imageBlock"},{"content":{"level":"h2","text":"View More Lenses","customid":""},"id":"0f29f7ef-92be-4ae9-901e-206ffd494053","isHidden":false,"type":"headingBlock"},{"content":{"text":" All Lenses can also be accessed digitally for no cost. Use the Deck of Lenses for inspiration when developing an experience, playtesting, brainstorming, and anything in between. "},"id":"f2c4357c-f286-498f-95f1-027ae1c8659d","isHidden":false,"type":"textBlock"},{"content":{"link":"https:\/\/deck.artofgamedesign.com\/#\/","text":"Deck of Lenses","class":"","id":""},"id":"b6c66bfa-594c-4370-a5f5-d366613a9243","isHidden":false,"type":"buttonBlock"}]

The Lens of Goals | Jan. 2025 Lens of the Month

January 6, 2025 · insights

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