HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS

HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS via @kurtruslfanclub

Continuing with our process or recompiling interesting twitter threads and in this case checking on an interesting tutorial on HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS via @kurtruslfanclub

ORIGINAL TWITTER THREAD: HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS via @kurtruslfanclub

EDiteD TWITTER THREAD: HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS via @kurtruslfanclub

HOW I DESIGN GAME MONSTERS: a twitter thread or, No More Zombies, a TED Talk Work out: Desired Player Behaviour Appearance Rule Surprise Structure Defeat Requirements Alert Rules When to fight / to take flight

HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS
HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS

The goal of designing good monsters for me is building a cohesive experience that thrills the player and teaches them how to cope with this new threat. We’re killing off zombies because they’re tired, but we love zombies (those fuckers persist) and they fit this structure

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Desired Player Behaviour

Desired Player v Monster Behaviour How should the player act? shoot? flee? fight? sneak? solo? or backup? Build a base? Tear down the environment? Hunt and exterminate? Pretend to be one? Distrust strangers?

Plan these first; they’ll guide your ideas

HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS
HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS

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Appearance Rule

Monster Appearance Rule When do they appear, and where? Are they fast? What size are they? Are they limited e.g. to water or unlit areas or soft soil or trees, etc?

If they hide & appear suddenly in some places, consider the reward/risks to the player entering those areas

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Surprise Structure

Monster Surprise Structure 1 What rules for behaviour or ecology will surprise the player? Every great monster has rules that it follows. Zombie bite? You’re a goner. Werewolf and full moon. Vampires look like us, but can be detected through certain rituals.

Monster Surprise Structure 2 Pick something and find a way for the player to distrust it or fear it. Food that can contaminate you. Direct light? Wind? Open spaces? Make rules for monster times/zones Invisible monsters only detectable by footprints that the rain will mask.

HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS
HOW TO DESIGN GAME MONSTERS
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Defeat Requirements

Monster Defeat Requirements Good monsters come with rules for defeat. You can make them unstoppable with a small set of weaknesses, then wrench-in an in-universe explanation for being unstoppable. (They regenerate! They don’t feel pain! They’re sentient slime! Supernatural!)

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Alert Rules

Monster Alert Rules Fear works really well when there are signs that danger is nearby or lurking. Do they make a mess of corpses they’ve attacked? Moan? Cause electrical devices to malfunction? Be careful of choosing something 100% reliable, though – it evaporates tension

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When to fight / to take flight

When to fight / to take flight Decide when it’s a safe time to be around a monster, and when you should definitely leg it. Zombies are okay if slow and spread-out. Some blind monsters can’t hear you if there’s noise nearby. Safer zones/places/densities/environments

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