Game feel

Input

Input is the means by which a player can control the game. The physical input device used by the player has an effect on game feel; for instance, using a joystick to control movement feels natural because the joystick itself offers physical feedback. In other cases, like with touchscreens, the input device can offer little feedback and be cumbersome for the player to use.

Game feel can be improved by using a control scheme that is easily understood by the player. Natural mappings allows a game designer to connect a game's movement mechanics to an input device. Realistic racing games, like Gran Turismo, make the most sense when using a racing wheel controller; in this case the input device directly matches the game's movement mechanics. Arcade cabinets often have unique controls to better relate to their movement mechanics. For example, Centipede uses a trackball as its main input; the inclusion of a trackball allows the player to move in all directions with ease, which is the main focus of the game's mechanics.

Input sensitivity also plays a role in game feel. Sensitivity is defined as a "rough measure of the amount of expressiveness inherent in a particular input device." Each different controller has a unique inherent sensitivity, and because of that the pairing of controller and game can have a dramatic impact on game feel. A game that requires precision being matched with a low-sensitivity controller can make the game hard to play or even frustrating.

To evaluate input, Steve Swink categorizes the metric into three levels:

• Micro level: The individual components of an input device that, when interacted with, send a real-time signals to a medium to generate immediate feedback for the player.

• Macro level: The complete combination of all inputs on a device as a whole, which allow designers to evaluate the overall input sensitivity and possibility space of one device compared to another. For example, a standard joystick is limited to directional movement, restricting the player to one input at a time. In contrast, a modern controller features multiple buttons and sticks that can be pressed simultaneously, offering a wider range of input combinations and higher sensitivity.

The difference dictates hardware choices based on game complexity; simple games like Pac-Man utilize a joystick for precise four-way directional control, while complex games like Street Fighter require an arcade controller, which is a combination of both joysticks and buttons to execute advanced action sequences.

• Tactile level: The physical properties and structural quality of the input device, including its weight, construction materials, and the mechanical feel of its buttons.

Response

Response is how the game interprets and reacts to player input. To understand the response of an input, the designer must identify what the input is intended to do, which parameters it changes, and whether those changes are related to one another.

Controls with little delay are often described as responsive, while noticeable delays can make the game feel sluggish or unwieldy. Responsive control is an important aspect of game feel, although games may intentionally deviate from this principle for particular design purposes.

The response of an input can change depending on how the affected parameters behave over time. The ADSR envelope, a concept adapted from music, can be used to describe how a change begins, settles, remains steady, and slows down across four phases. For example, a character that takes longer to reach full speed may feel loose or floaty, while a character that reaches full speed immediately may feel tight and responsive.

Response determines not only how quickly the game reacts to an input, but how that input is translated into movement and other actions. A simple input can produce a complex result when multiple parameters are affected by the same input or when the effects of an input change depending on the current state of the game. For example, the controller of Nintendo Entertainment System has a simple directional pad and two on-off buttons, but game such as Super Mario Bros. use these limited inputs to produce movement that can be fluid, deliberate, and varied.

Context

Input and response require an environment that gives meaning to the player's actions. If the player has the ability to move the character in interesting ways, the game environment should provide situations that allow those abilities to be used meaningfully.

For instance, a racing game that focuses on careful steering and managing speed around corners would not be engaging if the race track was a wide, straight line; a track with slopes, bends, straights, and hairpin turns creates interesting scenarios for the player to interact with.

Steve Swink categorizes context into three levels based on what they convey to the player:

• High-level context: The overall impression of the game world create by its space, movement, and scale. The size, placement, and movement of objects provide context that influences how players perceive the environment and the objects within it. Large and open spaces can create a sense of exploration and possibility, while enclosed spaces can create a sense of focus or claustrophobia. Similarly, the relative movement of objects can influence the perceived speed, size, and weight of those objects.
• Medium-level context: The immediate spatial arrangement of objects around the player, which affects how the player navigates and avoids obstacles. Closely spaced objects can make movement more challenging and require greater precision, while widely spaced objects can make navigation easier and less demanding.
• Low-level context: The physical interaction between the player and surrounding objects, particularly how collisions are modeled and perceived. The way objects collide, rebound, deform, or resist movement can create different tactile impressions. These interactions influence how responsive and physically tangible the game world feels.

Polish

Polish, also referred to as "aesthetics", is the additional details added to interactions between game elements to influence the player's perception of their physical properties. These details can make objects and their interactions feel more physical and tangible; however, they do not alter the underlying game mechanics.

Steve Swink identifies five types of polish used to portray the physical properties of an object:

Animation

Animation is the visual movement of an object that influences the player's perception of its physical properties. Whether an animation is considered good or bad is subjective and depends on the artist's or designer's intention: however, animators have established principles of animation as a baseline for creating natural-looking movement.

For example, one of the principles of animation, called squash and stretch, can make an object appear softer, heavier, or more physically expressive. When animating a bouncing ball, squash and stretch can make the ball appear more elastic and emphasize its bouncing motion. Without it, the ball may appear stiff and fail to convey its intended physical properties. The same technique can be applied to objects that would not normally deform, such as a brick, to alter the player's perception. Although a brick is generally perceived as hard and rigid, applying squash and stretch can make it appear softer, or exaggerate the force of its impact.

Metaphor

Metaphor in game feel refers to how the game mechanics relate to the game's theme. If a game involves things the player understands, the player will bring preconceived notions of how those things should behave.

Steve Swink identifies metaphor as having two aspects: representation and treatment. Representation refers to what an object appears to be and the ideas associated with it, while treatment refers to the combination of elements that create its presentation, such as visual art, visual effects, and sound effects.

For instance, a realistic driving simulator represents its vehicle as a car, creating expectations of how a car should move and handle. Its treatment, such as realistic visuals, engine sounds, and other effects, reinforces these expectations. If the car model is replaced with a model of a fat running man without changing the control or movement, the representation changes while the underlying mechanics remain the same. As a result, the game feels completely different and the previous expectations are no longer present.

Rules

Rules, or game mechanics, are defined interactions between game elements designed for specific gameplay purposes. Without the context provided by the rules, these elements may appear unrelated to one another; however, the rules establish their relationships, which dictates how players interact with them.

For example, in Pac-Man, consuming a "Power Pellet" temporarily allows the player character to eat the enemy ghosts. This rule changes the player's tactical approach on these items, often leading them to strategically leave the pellets on the stage until needed, rather than consuming them immediately. Without this rule, the item would not alter player behavior or affect the perceived threat level of the enemies.

Steve Swink categorizes rules into three distinct levels based on how they affect gameplay:

• High-level rules: Rules that influence player behavior by incentivizing or restricting the use of specific subsets of mechanics, thereby guiding strategic choices within the gameplay system.

For example, in multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, the "last-hitting" mechanic awards additional gold to the player character who delivers the final blow to a minion or creep. This rule incentivizes players to time their attacks precisely rather than continuously using abilities and basic attacks without strategy.

• Mid-level rules: Rules that target specific active game objects, temporarily shifting the player's immediate priorities and altering the sequence of their actions.

For example, in multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, defensive towers often receive a significant armor reduction when enemy minions or creeps enter their radius, making the structures vulnerable to player attacks. This mechanic functions as a mid-level rule that instantly shifts the defending team's immediate priority from other map objectives to clearing the enemy creeps and protecting the tower.

• Low-level rules: Rules that determine the traits and behavior of a single object, altering how players perceive it.

For example, in multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games, standard minions or creeps travel in groups and are defeated in a few attacks, causing players to perceive them as minor, low-value encounters. In contrast, major jungle monsters or bosses appear individually on the map with significantly higher health and defense pools. Although the player's attack mechanics remain identical, the high number of strikes required to defeat these unique monsters alters player perception, making the encounters feel much more intimidating and valuable.