# Gameplay — Challenges and Actions
CSSE 290 – Computer Game Design
Winter 2010–2011

The Challenges and Actions document describes your gameplay by listing (and organizing into a hierarchy) the challenges in your game and the actions that the player takes to meet them. It forms part of the Game Script that gives all the details about your game.

## What process should you use to design your challenges and actions?

Consider using the following process for designing your challenges and actions (but see below for the form of the Challenges and Actions document).

1. Brainstorm the basic description of the most important challenges and actions as part of your initial game brainstorming. Decide which to include during the conceptual stage of your design.

- Record these most important challenges and actions as part of your High Concept document and Game Treatment.

2. Determine the gameplay modes (pages 39-44 of Adams) during the conceptual stage of your design.

- Record the most important gameplay modes as part of your High Concept document and Game Treatment.

3. Answer the Design Questions for your Gameplay — Challenges and Actions. As you do so:
   - Record answers in Appendix A described below.
   - Create the Challenges and Actions Table described below.
   - Create the Challenges Hierarchy described below.
   - Assign actions to challenges as described in the Design Questions for your Gameplay — Challenges and Actions.
4. As the game design proceeds, iterate and refine.

## How should you organize your Challenges and Actions document?

Organize your Challenges and Actions document as follows, but note that you write the document per the process above. (e.g. let the design questions guide what subdocument you work on at what points in the design):

- Section 1: Executive Summary

  A one-page description of your most important challenges and actions.

  - This can be identical to the Gameplay Synopsis section of your Game Treatment.

- Section 2: Challenges and Actions Table

  Refering directly to the list of challenge types on pages 23-24 of your textbook (Fundamentals of Game Design, by Ernest Adams and Andrew Rollings — the challenge types are further described on pages 289-302 of your textbook), make a table that lists which challenge types you will include. Do this as you answer the Design Questions for your Gameplay — Challenges and Actions. As you continue answering those design questions, expand the table to provide the specific challenges in your game for each challenge-type that you include and the actions that the player can do to meet the challenges.

  - Use this Challenges and Actions Template to record your work.
  - If the template is not appropriate for your game, see your instructor for alternatives.

- Section 3: Challenges Hierarchy

  As you answer the Design Questions for your Gameplay — Challenges and Actions, develop a Hierarchy of Challenges like that pictured below (adapted from pages 254 and 257 of your textbook, Fundamentals of Game Design, by Ernest Adams and Andrew Rollings).

  - Use a numbering scheme like X.Y (row X, item Y in that row) to cross-reference the challenges in the hierarchy with their more complete description in the table of the previous section.
  - If your game does not lend itself to a hierarchy of challenges, see your instructor for alternatives.

- Appendix A: Design Questions

  Answers to the Design Questions for your Gameplay — Challenges and Actions.