Writing Game Rules
Why
This Is Important
When someone tries
out your game, they first must read the rules you have written. If they are
poorly written, even if your game is great, the players will be frustrated.
Your game lives or dies on the strength of the written rules. The rules create
an early impression for the players, and poorly written rules will sour them on
your game. Game reviewers often will not play a game with poorly written rules,
and even if they do they will mention the shortcoming in their review. The
owner of your game will have a hard time finding new players to play the game
if the rules are too difficult to read. Good writing is important even in the
early stages: playtesters do not like to read badly written rules before they
test your game. Taking time to write your rules well may even illuminate ways
to redesign the game to be better.
Fundamental
Qualities
The three
fundamental qualities of good explanatory writing are clarity, brevity, and
completeness. It is very difficult to achieve all three of these conflicting
qualities. Everything extraneous to the rules must be stripped out, leaving
only words and pictures that help teach the game. Unless it helps the players
learn the game, do not mix in humor, history of the game design, extra
information about the scenario, or anything else. If you really want something
extra to appear, perhaps it could be in a side bar that can clearly be skipped
by the players who just want to read the rules. But if it can be skipped, why
would you waste the ink on it? You are done when there is nothing left to be
removed.
Order
of Explanation
Give your players
information in the order they need to know it. First your rules should start
with a summary of the game, or the metaphor that this game represents. This is
the context in which all the rules will fit in. When done well, the rules make
cohesive sense, and experienced game players may even be able to predict what
the rules will be based on the summary. Usually the objective of the game
follows. It directs the play of the game, and players can understand how the
subsequent rules will help or hinder in achieving their objective. The rules
that follow should build on this foundation.
Avoid leaving the
reader in suspense. Do not talk about a game mechanic that you have not yet
explained.
Use white space and
lists to organize the rules, so that related rules are close together on the
page. Bullet points help clarify where one idea starts and another ends, and
which ones are subsets of others.
Reading
Aloud
When done
correctly, one person will be able to read your rules aloud to the other
players, and then they may begin playing. If someone has to read the rules and
then "translate" them for the group, you have failed to write
the rules well. Read your own rules aloud to yourself and to others. White
space and bullet points help the reader have correct cadence and pauses for
reflection and digestion of each new idea.
When you teach a
game to someone in person, you will have a dialog with them as they ask
questions about the game. Well-written rules will anticipate those questions
and answer them as the player thinks of them. Reading your rules aloud to
people helps bring out these common questions, and helps you order your rules
correctly.
Clarifications
Often examples
help, especially one with a diagram. Have your examples in italics, so that
players who understand the rule just explained can skip them, but players who
need help can read them. This simulates the extra discussion that is required
with some players.
There may be extra
clarifications that the players will need, but they may need it infrequently.
This information should be referenced later in the rules, perhaps with a note
at the appropriate spot that the information is at the end. This will give the
players the most important information immediately, with the ability to check
on a specific problem later. This division helps get the players ready to play
the game sooner, while still remaining complete.
Review
The best way to
know if your rules are correctly written is to have them reviewed by someone
else. You are too close to your own game and writing to know if you have done a
good job. Solicit harsh and honest feedback, without which you cannot improve
your writing. Get people who do not know anything about your game to read the rules
aloud to other people who do not know anything about your game. Take notes on
any confusion they have. Have the courage to rewrite your rules completely when
it seems necessary, or even just to try out a different tact. The more people
who review and comment on your rules, the better your rules will be.
Finishing
Resist the urge to
print your rules in an interesting font, even if it fits the setting. Make your
rules as legible as possible. If a reference card or page would help, include
it in a place that is easy to get to. Consider how the rules will be used, if
they will be read once and set aside or frequently examined. Wherever possible,
get input from other people about these issues, because it is other people, not
you, who need these rules. With frequent revision, consideration, and
rewriting, your game will shine through and be as accessible as possible to new
players.
Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed the article.
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