How to Make Your Own Game

Write down a summary that explains what your game is about., Establish the rules., Get input from your friends., Assemble any items you need., Test your game out., Make any adjustments and play again.

6 Steps 4 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Write down a summary that explains what your game is about.

    Writing down a summary will help you to form the game’s main purpose.

    Detail the main action of the game.

    For example, if it involves some people hiding and some people looking, explain how many people are hiding.

    Where people are allowed to hide.

    Who is looking? What happens when the looker finds someone who is hiding? You want to come up with a central aspect to your game.

    Does it revolve around you and your friends running around the neighborhood? Can you play it inside? Do you need any equipment? These are questions you should answer when writing down a summary to better establish your game.
  2. Step 2: Establish the rules.

    Once you know generally what your game is about it’s time to create some rules that will flesh out the details.

    Write your rules down below your summary or somewhere that you can easily refer to.

    Having your rules written down will help you to explain the game and remember everything.

    Establish how many people can play.

    Since you’re creating your own game you may allow as many people who want to play, or you may limit it to a certain number.

    Create rules that help to form the structure of the game.

    Be specific with details.

    For example, if the game takes place outside, create boundaries.

    You might say that going inside a house or past a certain house is out of bounds.

    If your game is inside, establish what players are allowed to touch or interact with.

    Perhaps the floor is made of lava and anyone who touches it is out. , Now that you have a summary and some rules locked down it’s time to ask your friends for a second opinion.

    After all, you’re probably not playing this game alone.

    Feedback from your friends will help you to get some good ideas to add to your game.

    It will also help you get other people to play with you.

    Your friends are more likely to play your game if you let your friends add rules and ideas.

    Letting others help establish your game will make everyone feel like this new and awesome game is a collaboration. , Gather up anything you need to play the game like balls, flashlights, pillows, etc.

    Maybe you can’t play your own version of Ghosts in the Graveyard without flashlights.

    So make sure you can get all the materials you need.

    If you realize that you don’t have something for your game, that’s ok.

    You’re creating this game, so just change the structure or the rules to accommodate what you do have at your disposal. , Play a quick test round to see how well the game works and if everyone has an easy time understanding it.

    You want your game to be fun.

    But you also want it to be easy to play.

    If you’re playing some sort of flashlight tag, hide and seek hybrid game, this test round will give you a good idea of how well people understand the rules.

    You'll learn how easy or hard it is to play the game in your area.

    Then you can adjust.

    Perhaps you find that with the number of people it’s too hard to find a hiding spot or people aren’t stopping when tagged by the flashlight.

    After your test round, make the necessary adjustments.

    Maybe you decide that the flashlight is only used to help the seeker find other players.

    But the seeker still has to physically tag a player to get that player out.

    Talk with your friends and find out what everyone liked and didn’t like about the test round.

    Then make adjustments. , After you’ve gotten input from everyone it’s time to make the changes you’ve discussed.

    Then, once you’ve all agreed on how the game will work moving forward, go ahead and play it for real.

    You may want to do another test round to see how the new version of the game operates.

    Or, you can just go ahead and play it.

    Remember that you’ve made up your own awesome game.

    So the rules and the way you play it can always change.

    Listen to your friends and take notes from everyone to make your game the best version for everyone to play and enjoy.
  3. Step 3: Get input from your friends.

  4. Step 4: Assemble any items you need.

  5. Step 5: Test your game out.

  6. Step 6: Make any adjustments and play again.

Detailed Guide

Writing down a summary will help you to form the game’s main purpose.

Detail the main action of the game.

For example, if it involves some people hiding and some people looking, explain how many people are hiding.

Where people are allowed to hide.

Who is looking? What happens when the looker finds someone who is hiding? You want to come up with a central aspect to your game.

Does it revolve around you and your friends running around the neighborhood? Can you play it inside? Do you need any equipment? These are questions you should answer when writing down a summary to better establish your game.

Once you know generally what your game is about it’s time to create some rules that will flesh out the details.

Write your rules down below your summary or somewhere that you can easily refer to.

Having your rules written down will help you to explain the game and remember everything.

Establish how many people can play.

Since you’re creating your own game you may allow as many people who want to play, or you may limit it to a certain number.

Create rules that help to form the structure of the game.

Be specific with details.

For example, if the game takes place outside, create boundaries.

You might say that going inside a house or past a certain house is out of bounds.

If your game is inside, establish what players are allowed to touch or interact with.

Perhaps the floor is made of lava and anyone who touches it is out. , Now that you have a summary and some rules locked down it’s time to ask your friends for a second opinion.

After all, you’re probably not playing this game alone.

Feedback from your friends will help you to get some good ideas to add to your game.

It will also help you get other people to play with you.

Your friends are more likely to play your game if you let your friends add rules and ideas.

Letting others help establish your game will make everyone feel like this new and awesome game is a collaboration. , Gather up anything you need to play the game like balls, flashlights, pillows, etc.

Maybe you can’t play your own version of Ghosts in the Graveyard without flashlights.

So make sure you can get all the materials you need.

If you realize that you don’t have something for your game, that’s ok.

You’re creating this game, so just change the structure or the rules to accommodate what you do have at your disposal. , Play a quick test round to see how well the game works and if everyone has an easy time understanding it.

You want your game to be fun.

But you also want it to be easy to play.

If you’re playing some sort of flashlight tag, hide and seek hybrid game, this test round will give you a good idea of how well people understand the rules.

You'll learn how easy or hard it is to play the game in your area.

Then you can adjust.

Perhaps you find that with the number of people it’s too hard to find a hiding spot or people aren’t stopping when tagged by the flashlight.

After your test round, make the necessary adjustments.

Maybe you decide that the flashlight is only used to help the seeker find other players.

But the seeker still has to physically tag a player to get that player out.

Talk with your friends and find out what everyone liked and didn’t like about the test round.

Then make adjustments. , After you’ve gotten input from everyone it’s time to make the changes you’ve discussed.

Then, once you’ve all agreed on how the game will work moving forward, go ahead and play it for real.

You may want to do another test round to see how the new version of the game operates.

Or, you can just go ahead and play it.

Remember that you’ve made up your own awesome game.

So the rules and the way you play it can always change.

Listen to your friends and take notes from everyone to make your game the best version for everyone to play and enjoy.

About the Author

M

Michael Adams

Committed to making crafts accessible and understandable for everyone.

60 articles
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