Week 6 focused on understanding game systems, core gameplay loops, and meta systems, and how these elements work together to shape player experience, motivation, and long-term engagement. Through lectures, guest industry input, and in-class practical tasks, this week advanced my project from a broad concept to a more structured, system-driven design that directly feeds into my main Game Design Document (GDD).
A core takeaway from this week was learning that game loops are the backbone of player interaction. Rather than isolated mechanics, effective games rely on repeating cycles of actions, rewards, and progression that guide players’ engagement moment to moment.
For my project, this helped me clearly define:
- What the player does repeatedly
- Why do they do it
- What rewards or progression reinforce those actions
By breaking the game down into loops, I was able to move away from vague ideas and begin structuring the experience in a way that is testable and scalable for development.
The core gameplay loop represents the player’s moment-to-moment experience. This loop is short, repeatable, and forms the foundation of all engagement.
Core Loop (High Level):
- Player enters an environment
- Explores and encounters challenges
- Engages using core mechanics
- Receives rewards or feedback
- Uses rewards to improve capability
- Re-enters the loop with increased mastery
This loop directly supports my GDD by clarifying how player actions align with my game’s design pillars and intended experience. It ensures that every mechanic exists to reinforce player motivation rather than feeling disconnected or unnecessary.
Alongside the core loop, we explored meta-game systems that operate over longer timeframes and provide structure beyond individual play sessions.
For my project, the meta loop focuses on:
- Long-term progression
- Unlocking new abilities or content
- Encouraging repeated play sessions
- Reinforcing player goals over time
Meta Loop Example:
- Complete gameplay sessions
- Earn persistent rewards
- Unlock new mechanics or areas
- Adjust playstyle or strategy
- Return to the core gameplay loop with expanded options
This structure will be reflected in my GDD as a clear progression system that supports player retention and long-term engagement.
Another key focus this week was understanding design pillars as “guiding lights” for decision-making. In class, we analysed existing games and identified their fundamental pillars before creating our own.
From this, I refined my project’s pillars to ensure:
- All mechanics support the intended player experience
- Systems remain consistent throughout development
- Design decisions can be justified clearly in the GDD
These pillars now act as a filter — if a feature does not reinforce them, it does not belong in the game.
We also explored system documentation through diagrams and tables. This included:
- Mapping player actions to resources
- Defining how rewards flow through the system
- Understanding how progression can be balanced using tiers and costs
This directly informed how I plan to document my systems in the GDD. Rather than relying solely on descriptive paragraphs, I will use visual diagrams and structured tables to communicate mechanics, progression, and balance clearly.
Week 6 marked a turning point in my project. Instead of thinking purely in terms of narrative or mechanics, I now approach the design as a connected system of loops and progression.
This week allowed me to:
- Clearly define my core gameplay loop
- Establish a supporting meta loop
- Align mechanics with design pillars
- Lay the groundwork for structured GDD documentation
Moving forward, these systems will be expanded and visually refined, but the foundational logic established in Week 6 will remain central to the project.
