Minimal Game

PLAYER+ACTIONS+CHALLENGE+GOALS

I rescue princess

I attack monster

I attack monster or rescue princess

I attack or avoid monster or rescue princess

I attack or avoid monster before i rescue princess

No graphics

Just color changes

Text only

No long paragraphs

Only one sentence

Sentence based? or Phrase based?

No keyboard controls

Only mouse clicks

Keyboards complicate things

what about mouse hovers?

Game

What constitutes a game?

Goals

Go from point A to point B

Save the princess

Racing games

Most single players are usually a variation of (go from A to B)

Beat another player

Multiplayers

Single player games beating high scores

Actions/Verbs

Players use verbs to overcome obstacles and reach goals

Do verbs dictate genre?

Examples

Attack/Destroy obstacles

Jump/Avoid obstacles

Challenges

Keeps players from reaching the goal

Usually implemented to create replayability

Obstacles

Enemies

Environment

Gameplay constraints

Player

Minimalism

Stripping work down to its essentials

In Software Design

Simplicity = User doesn't need to read a manual

Remove dialogs and buttons that increases complexity