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What makes a good game?

In the day before yesterday's post I said it's hard to make a game. Many could argue they made a game in 10 months, but I was aiming at not just any game, but a long-time classic.

Why is making a classic so hard? And what makes a really good game?

It is hard because everything worth pursuing requires lots of hard work. But what precisely makes a good game?

First of all, be original. I once created an unoriginal game in a day, but how did that benefit me?
It didn't. On the other hand, creating an original game requires lots of game design, level design, story writing, tough coding and alpha/beta testing.

What does it mean to be original?
You have to make content never seen before.
  • create a mixed genre
  • make creative and funny names for NPCs, cities
  • make game modes never seen before
  • design unseen landscapes, combat maps
  • be innovative
What about graphics? How much do the bring to gaming experience? Well opinions vary, but let me tell you mine. I think gameplay is 99% while graphics are 1%.

Why? Because you really don't have solely fun observing the landscape. I mean even though observing well built levels/MMORPG worlds is very relaxing, the whole point of playing the game is if it has good gameplay.

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