At a recent convention, I ran a Creator Clinic to help people improve their games and storytelling. One thing I had to emphasise several times is rules are not an afterthought.
If your entire game doesn’t hang together through its rules, it’ll be unplayable for most people. A good test is:
Can someone read your rules once, set them aside, and still play the game correctly about 80% of the time?
That’s what you should aim for.
I’ve seen players who couldn’t find a specific rule, made something up, and later discovered their version was exactly what was written. There’s no higher compliment for a designer.
When you build a game, you should be constantly asking yourself: “Do my rules strengthen my world, or fight against it?”
Art and visuals draw players in. Rules and playability make them come back for more.
– Ed
