Game Design Secrets

Design great Facebook, iOS, and Web games and learn from the experts what makes a game a hit!

This invaluable resource shows how to put into action the proven design and marketing techniques from the industry’s best game designers, who all started on a small scale. The book walks novice and experienced game designers through the step-by-step process of conceptualizing, designing, launching, and managing a winning game on platforms including Facebook, iOS, and the Web. The book is filled with examples that highlight key design features, explain how to market your game, and illustrate how to turn your design into a money-making venture.

• Provides an overview of the most popular game platforms and shows how to design games for each
• Contains the basic principles of game design that will help promote growth and potential to generate revenue
• Includes interviews with top independent game developers who reveal their success secrets
• Offers an analysis of future trends that can open (or close) opportunities for game designers

Game Design Secrets provides aspiring game designers a process for planning, designing, marketing, and ultimately making money from new games.

Table of Contents

Part I: Overview
Chapter 1: Market Overview: iOS, Facebook, and the Web
Chapter 2: iOS versus Facebook versus the Web: What’s the Right Platform?
Part II: Facebook
Chapter 3: Facebook Games: The Users, the Money, and the Major Players
Chapter 4: Facebook Game Design: Basic Principles for Growth and Revenue
Chapter 5: Facebook Design Lessons from KIXEYE and 5th Planet Games
Chapter 6: Future Trends and Opportunities for Facebook Games
Part III: The Web
Chapter 7: Deep Dive into Web Gaming: Who Plays, Who Pays
Chapter 8: Web Game Design: Basic Principles for Growth and Revenue
Chapter 9: Web Game Developer Profiles: Kingdom of Loathing, Nitrome, and Desktop Tower Defense
Chapter 10: Future Trends and Opportunities for Web Gaming
Part IV: iOS
Chapter 11: Quick Survey of the iOS Game Market
Chapter 12: iOS Game Design: Basic Principles for Growth and Revenue
Chapter 13: iOS Game Developer Profile: Tiger Style and Hatch
Chapter 14: Future Trends and Opportunities for iOS Gaming
Part V: Funding Your Game
Chapter 15: Is Your Game Ready to Get VC or Crowdfunding?
Part VI: Game Design Documents and Final Thoughts
Chapter 16: Game Design Documents: Tiger Style’s Spider and Waking Mars
Chapter 17: Concluding Thoughts Before You Start Designing
Part VII: Appendixes
Appendix A: Resources for Designers
Appendix B: Design Principles