What Makes a Good Game or a Game Good?

Perhaps the most important question for gamers and game developers alike, is what makes a good game or a game good? Why is it that some games do phenomenally well and succeed beyond measure while others do just as enthusiastically bad? Let’s find out.

A Good Game is Intuitive

A good game is at its core intuitive and instinctive. It feels natural and when you get the gist of it and make sense of all that’s happening, you will not need any more learning to play it well and even perfect it. A good example of an intuitive game is Subway Surfers, the mobile game. In Subway Surfers, once you know how to make the character jump just by a simple swipe up and how to run under barriers, then you are set. You will never again need to know how to play the game; it’s as simple and flawless as that. That’s what makes a really good game, its intuitiveness.

A Good Game has a Good Story

We mostly think of gaming just as a pastime, an activity that we do just for the heck of it. However, when a game comes with a good, engaging, and touching story, then we become engaged players and identify with the characters within the game. We become part of the story and the story, in a way, becomes part of our story within the game. Think of Clash of Clans (CoC) and how personal it feels and honestly, how personal it gets once your village is attacked.

You feel enraged and will most certainly feel like you want to revenge and go and destroy your enemies’ villages. Plain and simple. A good story not only draws in the gamer but gives them something to believe in and aspire for within the game.