"Game Feel" exposes "feel" as a hidden language in game design that no
one has fully articulated yet. The language could be compared to the
building blocks of music (time signatures, chord progressions, verse) -
no matter the instruments, style or time period - these building blocks
come into play. Feel and sensation are similar building blocks where
game design is concerned. They create the meta-sensation of involvement
with a game. The understanding of how game designers create feel, and
affect feel are only partially understood by most in the field and tends
to be overlooked as a method or course of study, yet a game's feel is
central to a game's success. This book brings the subject of feel to
light by consolidating existing theories into a cohesive book. The book
covers topics like the role of sound, ancillary indicators, the
importance of metaphor, how people perceive things, and a brief history
of feel in games.The associated web site contains a playset with
ready-made tools to design feel in games, six key components to creating
virtual sensation. There's a play palette too, so the desiger can first
experience the importance of that component by altering variables and
feeling the results. The playset allows the reader to experience each of
the sensations described in the book, and then allows them to apply them
to their own projects. Creating game feel without having to program,
essentially. The final version of the playset will have enough
flexibility that the reader will be able to use it as a companion to the
exercises in the book, working through each one to create the feel
described.
