Comments on: The Game Design Canvas: Punishment and Reward Systems

By: Brice Morrison

Brice Morrison — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 16:52:16 +0000

Hi Russ, that’s a great point. Since originally creating the Game Design Canvas a few years ago, I’ve gotten a lot of feedback as well as a lot more experience in using it. There are some concepts that are a little fuzzy and need revision, which you can look forward to in an upcoming resource. :-)

By: Russ

Russ — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 04:49:11 +0000

I’m a little confused about Punishments and Rewards. It’s easy to see the difference between a base mechanic and a reward in some cases: Flower-power mario shoots a goomba with a fireball (base mechanic, player action/game reaction), with good aim, and removes an enemy from the screen(negative reward). Bad aim results in wasted time/positioning. Other cases don’t seem so clear cut. Take the sims, for example: Clicking on a barbell to raise your muscles is a base mechanic (you click and it goes up everytime), does that also mean it is a reward as well? Each level of muscle unlocks new activities and jobs. I’m just not sure how to tell the difference between the two (mechanic and reward/punishment).

Does that just mean the reward is weaker because little effort was needed to acheive it?

Great site, it’d be nice to see a list of common base mechanics (maybe by genre?), common incentives, rewards/punishments, and perhaps aesthetics.

By: Brice Morrison

Brice Morrison — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 18:04:30 +0000

@Matt, very true, it is a balance, a very delicate one. More hardcore games like bullet-hell titles can push harder, while other titles like social games or Wii casual titles might want to go heavy on the reward.

Thanks for the post!

By: Matt Tuttle

Matt Tuttle — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:24:31 +0000

Excellent post! I find myself struggling with this aspect of game design and you laid it out clearly and gave me some tips.

It seems there is a sort of balance between punishment and reward. If you go one way the player gets frustrated but rewarding too much could cause the player to lose interest.

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A Necessary Evil: Grinding in Games | The Game Prodigy — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:01:52 +0000

[...] Mechanics and Punishment and Reward Systems that have already been mastered by the [...]

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Game Playtesting: How to Avoid Deadly Tunnel Vision | The Game Prodigy — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:53:25 +0000

[...] close attention. People are rational, just like you. If they are doing something strange, then it is the game that is making them do it. Take their actions as data points for [...]

By: Design Lessons From Super Mario Bros. 3 - Part I | The Game Prodigy

Design Lessons From Super Mario Bros. 3 - Part I | The Game Prodigy — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 05:21:04 +0000

[...] (in this case, some Coins and a Super Mushroom). [Note from Brice: This is a great example of a Punishment and Reward System, pushing the player where the designer wants them to go.] The red Venus Fire Trap is also [...]

By: Gameplay is King, Story a Distant Second «

Gameplay is King, Story a Distant Second « — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:27:40 +0000

[...] shot? Game over. Go back to the beginning of the level and do it again. While this kind of Punishment and Reward System does have the effect of increasing the tension in battle, the negative repercussions of losing are [...]

By: The 5 Degrees of Fun in Games | The Game Prodigy

The 5 Degrees of Fun in Games | The Game Prodigy — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:41:24 +0000

[...] is? If a game has been polished to infinity, if every game design choice was perfect, thePunishment and Reward Systems tuned perfectly, how fun could it possibly [...]

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Trial, Error, and Death in Limbo | The Game Prodigy — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 13:08:22 +0000

[...] This is the cadence that all of Limbo takes with its very strict Punishment and Reward System: [...]