This new game is a somewhat simpler concept, but the execution will definitely be easier. (I hope!)

Now I need to iron out the details, get some art and music together, and create my first game! Fun times.

I’ve never written a game before. Well, to be honest, I’ve written part of a game before. I was on the Wizardry 8 team for a while, so my credits are on that old game. But that’s it.

So now I’m wondering if I can do it.

I’m pretty sure I can get the mechanics down just fine. I can make little thingys that move and interact. I can keep score, I can put up “You LOSE” and “You’re a WINNER!” banners. No problem. I can find someone to outsource the art to. I can probably find some canned sound effects.

So what’s the problem?

I don’t know if I can make it fun. When you play a game, there’s a covenant between you and the person who created the game. You promise to try to beat the game and have fun doing so. He promises to try to make it fun for you, not too easy, and not too hard. It’s called play balancing. The gameplay has to feel just right in order for it to be fun. You can’t ever put the user in a no-win situation. They always have to blame themselves for failure, because it should always be their fault. If it’s the game’s fault, who wants to play a game like that?

So now I’m thinking about it.