LogoLogo
GeneralAccountsPlayersOwnersCreatorsThe Sandbox Website
Creators
Creators
  • 🎆Welcome to the Creator Portal
  • 🟦Learn Creator Basics
    • 🟦Scale & LAND Use
    • 🟦Assets & Equipment
    • 🟦Avatars & Character
    • 🟦Look & Feel
    • 🟦Logic & Gameplay
    • ❓FAQs: Gameplay
    • ❓FAQs: Assets
    • 🧙‍♂️Begin Game Maker (Video Series)
  • The Sandbox Creators Forum
  • The Sandbox DAO
  • 🪙Monetisation
  • Game Maker
    • ✨Create Experiences
    • 🔰Beginners
      • Play/Test
      • Build with Blocks
      • Place Assets
      • Set Object Actions
      • Trigger Logic
      • Craft Quests
      • Set Up Mechanics
      • Build Multiplayer Games
    • Game Maker 0.11 Update
    • 0.11 Upgrade Guide
    • 📖Docs
      • Navigate Game Maker Home
      • Manage Experiences
      • Controls & Shortcuts
      • Build Menus
        • Top Bar
          • Gameplay
        • Side Bar
          • Hierarchy
          • Presets
        • Library & Quick Access Bar
        • Grid System & Snap Tool
        • Properties Panel
      • Using Blocks
      • Using Assets & Objects
        • Behaviour & Component Parameters
        • Tags
        • Messages
      • Behaviours
        • NPC - AI Pawns
          • 🔵Citizen
          • 🔵Farmer
          • 🔵Healer
          • 🔵Melee Enemy
          • 🔵Predator
          • 🔵Prey
          • 🔵Soldier
          • 🔴Friendly NPC
        • Movement
          • 🟡Door
          • 🟡Bird
          • 🔴Basic Platform
          • 🔴Advanced Platform
          • 🔴Projectile
          • 🔴Rotate
        • Basic Logic
          • 🔵Message Broadcaster
          • 🟢Combination Code
          • 🟢Asker
          • 🟢Timed Events
          • 🟡Crowd Event
          • 🔴Spawn Point & Avatar's Feature
        • Modifiers
          • 🔵Actor Property Switcher
          • 🔵Multi
          • 🔵Void
          • 🟢Asset Spawner
          • 🟢Replace Asset
        • Visual
          • 🟢Post Process Effects
          • 🟡Weather Switcher
          • 🟡Animated Decoration
      • Components
        • Actions
          • 🟢Climbable
          • 🟢Avatar Teleport
          • 🟢Collectable
          • 🟢Drop
          • 🟢Slide
          • 🟢Speaker
          • 🔴Pickable
        • Triggers
          • 🟢Plant
          • 🟢Switch
          • 🟢Button
          • 🟢Trigger Volume
        • Status
          • 🟢Toggle
          • 🟢Power Up
          • 🔴Avatar Checkpoint
          • 🔴Health
        • Gameplay
          • 🔵Defeat
          • 🔵Victory
          • 🔴Raycast
        • NFT
          • 🟢NFT Sensor
          • 🟢NFT Image Display
          • 🟢Image Display
          • 🔴NFT Details Display
        • Display
          • 🟢Indicator
          • 🟢Rarity VFX
          • 🟡Visual FX
          • 🟡Light
        • Audio
          • 🟡Play Sound
      • Objectives
      • Game Rules
        • Math
        • Time
        • Comparisons
        • Replace Variable Values
        • Game Screen
        • Triggers
        • Events
      • Build Singleplayer & Multiplayer Logic
      • Quality Guidelines
        • Optimisation
        • Testing
        • Playability
      • Templates
    • 📑Creative Guides
      • 📗Game Rules Guide
        • Point Race
        • Collect Points
        • Time Trial
        • Combo
        • Hunger
        • Poison
        • Shop
      • ⚙️Logic Guide
        • Abilities
        • Equipment Based Logic - On Equip / NFT Sensor
        • Doors & Chests
        • Collectibles
        • Text, Quests & Icons
        • Platforms
        • Victory & Defeat
        • Miscellaneous
        • NFT Inspect
        • Fighting
      • 🏞️Experience Guide
        • Tower Defense
        • Horror / Backrooms
        • Solo Platforming
        • Social Platforming
        • Resource Management
        • Cooking Simulator
        • Survival
        • Action / Adventure
        • Night Clubs & Concerts
        • Virtual Home & Architecture
        • NFT Gallery / In-Game Shop
        • Puzzle Games
        • Social Hubs
        • Simulation
      • 🎲Experience Design Techniques
        • Narrative Design
          • Worldbuilding
          • Storyboard
          • Dialogue
        • Art Design
          • Experience Art Concept
          • Asset Curation
          • Blockout Aesthetics
          • Detailing / Dressing
        • 3D Spatial Layout
          • Rough Base Map
          • Greyboxing / Blockout
        • Game Design
          • Ramp of Difficulty
          • Risk & Reward
          • Game Loops & Decisions
    • 🎬Game Production Guide
      • 🟥Concept
      • 🟧Blockout
      • 🟨Logic
      • 🟩Art
      • 🟦Quality Assurance
      • 🟪Polish
      • ⬜Marketing
    • 🧰Publish Experiences
      • Experience Manager
        • Experience Analytics
        • 🧰Experience Page
          • Content Guide
          • Marketing
          • Create an Experience Trailer
          • Player Engagement
        • Map Location
        • Asset Review
        • Access Restrictions
      • Collaborating With Third Parties
      • ❓FAQs: Experience Publishing
    • 🕘Version Notes & Changelogs
      • Game Maker 0.11
        • ❗0.11 Upgrade Guide
      • Game Maker 0.10
      • Game Maker 0.9
      • Game Maker 0.8
      • Game Maker 0.7
    • ❓FAQs: Game Maker
  • VoxEdit
    • ✨Create Assets
    • 🔰Beginners
    • 📖Docs
      • Navigate VoxEdit Home
      • Controls & Shortcuts
      • Panels & Custom Layouts
      • Block
      • Modeler
        • Use Modes & Tools Together
        • Set the Pivot Point
        • Create Frame Assets
      • Animator
        • Build a Rig
        • Create an Animated Asset
        • Use Inverse Kinematics
      • Templates
      • Quality Guidelines
        • Asset Types & Collisions
        • Asset Scale
        • Node Efficiency
        • Pivot Point & Alignment
        • Animation
        • Visual Quality
        • Asset Name & Description
        • Manage Files & Folders
    • 📑Creative Guides
      • 🧍Asset Guide
        • Structures & Landmarks
          • Basic Building: No Entry
          • Animated Building: No Entry
          • Unanimated Building: Player Entry
          • Landmark
          • Building Facade
          • Structure Component Parts
          • Modular Architecture
        • Humanoids & Animals
        • Vehicles
        • Equipment
        • Art: Statues, Paintings
          • Animated Art Screens
          • Statues
          • Kinetic Art Sculptures
          • Paintings
          • Performance Art
        • Furniture
        • Platforms
        • Doors, Gates, and Windows
          • Multi Design Door Asset
        • Chests & Other Animated Interactions
        • Plants, Trees
        • Objects, Machines
        • Signs & Text
        • Obstacles
        • Create Frame Assets
      • 🎨Art Techniques
        • Asset References
        • 3D Design
          • 🧹Need to Simplify?
          • ✂️Trim All Volumes
          • 🟢Optimize with Texture
          • 🟢Curved Edges: Blocky Style
          • 🟡Break Down Objects
          • 🟡Create Smooth Angled Lines
          • 🟡Circular Shapes: Cross Technique
        • Colour, Texture & Depth
          • 🪅Colour Choice & Strategy
          • 🧱Textures & Materials
    • 🧰Upload Assets to Workspaces
    • 🌟Mint & List Assets to Sell
    • 🕘Changelogs
    • 🔓Open Source Assets
    • ❓FAQs: VoxEdit
  • Creators Program
    • 🏗️Builders' Challenge
      • Rules & Eligibility
      • Earnings & Rewards
      • How to Succeed in the Builders' Challenge
      • ❓FAQs: Builders' Challenge
    • ℹ️Creator Contests
    • 🏆Game Jams
      • Rules & Guidelines
      • Judges & Voting
      • Explore Past Winners
      • ❓FAQs: Game Jams
    • 🏆VoxEdit Contests
      • Rules & Guidelines
      • Judges & Voting
      • Explore Past Winners
      • ❓FAQs: Voxel Art Contests
  • General
    • 📚The Sandbox Documentation
    • 🔄Play, Create & Earn
    • 🗺️Map
    • 🛒Marketplace
    • 🗣️Discord Community
    • 🔗Social Networks, News & Blogs
    • The Sandbox Linktree
    • ❓Help & Contact
Powered by GitBook
LogoLogo

INFO

  • Discord
  • Social, News & Blogs
  • Service Status

PLAY

  • Events
  • Map
  • Avatar

CREATE

  • VoxEdit
  • Game Maker
  • Contests

OWN

  • SAND
  • LAND
  • Staking

Copyright ©The Sandbox. All Rights Reserved.

On this page
  • Contents
  • General Recommendations
  • Documentation
  • A “Hook”
  • Feedback
  • Fun
  • Quality

Was this helpful?

  1. Game Maker
  2. Creative Guides

Experience Design Techniques

PreviousSimulationNextNarrative Design

Last updated 6 months ago

Was this helpful?

Plan your Experience from concept to launch with our .

Learn faster with a NEW 1 hour series: Game Maker

Contents

General Recommendations

Documentation

For a more successful Experience, take essential steps to design and document a detailed plan before creating anything. Your documentation will include concept design notes and visual references, storyboards, asset and dialogue tracking, build progress, and detailed notes during the testing phase to fix errors and improve gameplay. Documentation is not only helpful for the planning phase, but also to remind yourself of the many details you intend to put into your game and communicate design intentions to others if you're working on a team.

Use spreadsheets, slides, online tools, and anything else that helps develop your game idea, enhance your game vision, and track its progress. Use a Game Design Document to link all of these resources together in one place. Preparing and tracking this information may feel like a lot of work, but it will have a big impact on your Experience's overall quality and save you from a lot of revisions as you build it. In some cases, it may even save you from starting over!

A “Hook”

The “hook” is the thing that attracts players to try your Experience and keeps players interested and focused throughout the gameplay. Consider creating an interesting story, fascinating characters, unique art, or engaging mechanics to keep your player wanting more. It takes planning and trial-and-error before you can get all these working together harmoniously, but even just one of these areas being fleshed out well will make your Experience stand out to many players!

Feedback

  • Sound can be applied to the whole Experience, to an area, or to objects when players perform certain actions, such as collecting an object.

  • Light can be a point or spotlight, and includes negative light for dark spaces.

  • Weather can include the custom settings related to the sky and the apparent time of day, but can also include the light and shadows covering your Experience.

Fun

Players want to feel a sense of accomplishment, but they also want to be challenged. This makes it tricky to design gameplay that will not be too easy or too difficult. They also want some familiarity so they will feel confident in what to do next, but variety so it doesn't feel stale or too predictable. Teach players how your game works through a progression of challenges that increases in difficulty or complexity, and your players will find it more enjoyable and repayable.

Quality

Your game's logic and assets need to be tested to ensure they work properly, but there are other factors to look at carefully, too. There may be unintended results in your game's design, such as exploits where players may be able to gain something you've designed as a valuable resource over and over again and make it too easy to succeed. Players may also get physically stuck depending on block or object placement. Unfortunately, sometimes even perfectly functioning gameplay just doesn't feel fun.

Creators tend to test their Experiences mainly for functionality, with all the assumptions of how the player is "supposed" to play it in mind. However, players will make many different choices you cannot fully predict. These choices could break the game flow you intended, but even if they're forced to play it as intended, they may not enjoy it. This is why getting feedback from others is incredibly valuable. Share your Experience in the Gallery and ask the community in Discord for their feedback, or ask people who can play it in person to give feedback if you don't want the community to see it yet.

Thoroughly testing your experience will help guide you to make it not only more functional, but also much more enjoyable for more players.

, , environmental settings (), and can help tell your story, build excitement, enhance the feel of players' actions, reward players for their achievements, lead players to or away from areas or through progression, and more.

Visual VX can cover large areas or focus on a single object, and can be rewarded through to follow players' Avatars.

📑
🎲
Sound
Light
Weather
Visual FX
Crowd Events
Game Production Guide
Begin

Plan your Experience and Assets thoroughly

Build your world's concept, design characters, and track dialogue

Curate concept art and planned assets; "dress" Experiences attractively

Create a more polished Experience with logic that flows more naturally

Plan a rough base map and blockout 3D spaces suitable for player actions

Consider player motivation in your Experience design

🎬Game Production Guide
Narrative Design
Art Design
⚙️Logic Guide
3D Spatial Layout
Game Design