Writing Your

Game’s Rules

With some help from the game Splendor and others

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Games are rules.

Rules are games.

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Yes? No? Explain.

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Game designers create rules.

Good games have complete rules.

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Writing rules is another way to develop your prototype.

Writing rules helps define your game.

You Don’t Come in the Box!

You have to write a rulebook that explains what players have to do with hopefully no questions.

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Two Purposes for Rules

• Help new players learn how to play the game
• Gives an overview and flow of the game before the specifics

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• Act as a reference for experienced players
• Comprehensive and complete to have no unanswered questions regarding the rules
• Uses subheadings to help players find information.

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The Four* C’s of Good Rules

• Clear
• Consistent
• Concise
• Complete

The Four* C’s of Good Rules

Clear: The goals and decisions players may make, using the game’s resources, are clear.

• There is a difference between may, must, can, etc.
• “Last” may mean “previous” or “final.”
• Either could mean “one or the other” or “both.”

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Be sure to choose your words carefully. Life lesson.

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The Four* C’s of Good Rules

Consistent: Use the same structure and terminology throughout the rules.

• Terminology needs to be consistent.
• Using two different terms for the same thing, or the same term for different things, is bound to cause confusion -- don't do that!
• Define your terms at the beginning, and stick with them.

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The Four* C’s of Good Rules

Concise: Write bluntly and directly. Be specific.

• When writing rules you have to be a straightforward and clear.
• The reader must understand exactly what you are talking about without question.
• There is no room for interpretation in rules so word choice must be assertive as to remove all doubt.
• Use second person, imperative sentences.

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*from Brett J. Gilbert’s 5 C’s of Good Rules

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The Four* C’s of Good Rules

Complete: The written ruleset contains all of the game’s rules.

• Record yourself teaching the rules, then use that recording to help you write your first draft.
• Think about what information players need to know--you have to put yourself in their shoes.

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*from Brett J. Gilbert’s 5 C’s of Good Rules

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Complete: Use Diagrams!

I Beg Thee

Don’t assume

players will understand what you mean or need them to do!

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Essential Game Rule Elements

With help from Splendor

Title

What are you going to call the game that attracts attention and conveys the theme of the game?

Story

A paragraph or so long story that provides a context for the game to get players excited and to provide an overall perspective on the game.

Player Objectives

1. Explain the role players are taking on.
2. Explain what players will do during the game. This should cover the main actions and events of the game.
3. Explain how the player wins in general.

Components

A list of exact quantities of all types of game bits.

Setup

How to get the game ready for play, explained clearly with diagrams or pictures.

Game Play Overview

The game play overview explains the flow of gameplay

(rounds, turns, phases, etc.) and

summarizes what players do in each of those stages

from start to completion.

Game In Depth

Explain exactly what happens during each turn, action, round, etc., in a logical way.

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You also should have sections dedicated to complicated subjects and their edge cases if necessary.

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Pictures and examples are essential.

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Game Play in Depth

End Game Conditions

End Game Conditions explains

how the game ends

AND

how a winner is determined

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A tiebreaker.

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Formatting and Writing Game Rules

Writing for Others

• In creating a game, often the most difficult part is to write rules that are clearly understood by players.
• If players don’t understand the rules, they can’t play the game.
• The rules are for the players’ benefit, not yours.

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YOU HAVE TO THINK HOW OTHER PEOPLE

MIGHT INTERPRET YOUR RULES.

General Writing Guidelines

• Your formatting consistency is going to assist in players understanding what you’re talking about in addition to making your rulebook easier to read.
• Group things together (or put things near each other) that are connected to one another.

Writing as an Outline

1. Clearly describe all elements of the game
1. sequentially (in order)
2. logically (organized well)
3. pictorially (using pictures and diagrams)

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Writing as an Outline

• Be specific, step by step. Write in outline form.
• Use larger font sizes to emphasize headings and subheadings.
• Use color to make different elements stand out.
• Use white space and lists to organize the rules, so that related rules are close together on the page.
• Bullet points help clarify where one idea starts and another ends, and which ones are subsets of others.
1. Keep items of similar importance at the same level.
1. Put lesser items at a lower level.

Write in Second Person

• You should be writing as if you’re speaking directly to the reader; using terms like “you” and “your” instead of “a player” or “their”.
• It makes the rules more personal and assists in reader comprehension and retention.
• If players actually see themselves playing the game when reading the rules, they’ll be more interested and involved in reading them.

Write in Second Person

Any Questions?

Let’s Get Started!

1. Get a laptop, log on
2. Go to my Ladue website
3. Go to Engineering Strategy Games
4. Click “Blank Rules Game Template”
5. Make a copy, rename it, share it back to me

Assignment

• Get out a game you’ve played, but not read the rules.
• Read the rules.
• Write down five examples of good rule writing--the four C’s, not formatting!
1. Clarity: The goals and decisions players may make, using the game’s resources, are clear.
2. Consistency: Use the same structure and terminology throughout the rules.
3. Concise: Write bluntly and directly. Be specific.
4. Complete: The written ruleset contains all of the game’s rules.