The beginning of my Game Design reading

In my reading of Game Feel by Steven Swink, so far, the book analyzes the three aspects of what gives games a feel. According to the book, this is real-time controls, simulated spaces, and polish.

The first aspect is real-time controls. Real-time control is a specific form of interactivity. In this case, It's between the Player and the computer or console, like a conversation flowing back and forth. This is a constant flow of input and output that needs to happen quickly without interruptions. For the game to feel good, the input must feel as if it happened simultaneously. The movement of the Player in the digital space needs to feel like an extension of the Player's body. For example, when you ride a bike and need to turn to the left. You expect the bike to turn as soon as you move the handle. This is the type of real-time input vs output the Player expects to have when they take control of the digital avatar.

The second aspect was simulated space. This refers to the objects in the game world and how they interact with the Player's avatar. This is where level design comes in. Constructing an area with obstacles gives the player movement purpose.

The third aspect was Polish. Polish refers to the particle effects like the little dust cloud under Mario's feet when he stops running. Or the subtle camera shake when you hit an enemy that makes you feel the impact. Polish effects are used to give life to the world around the Player's avatar. Like providing visual cues of how an object is heavier than another by the impact it has on the ground or the different speeds the avatar picks the objects up. The way Mario can pick up a shell with ease, but you can see him strain when he picks up Bowser by the tail to spin him.

When a game excels at all three, you get true game feel. Games that would fit in this category would be Half-Life, Sonic the Hedge and Mario 64. The book is based on this type of game feel. There are, of course, different kinds of game feel. The book has a chart and gives a few examples of games and where they fit.