Game Design 101: Write Content first, Story second




When designing a game, many people have the urge to start writing out the storyline before the game is even started. 

Who is the hero?
What obstacles will he or she encounter?

We've all been there.  I promise you, this is a big mistake.  The issue is that the imagination has a lot less limitations than the game itself.  You might imagine a cinematic battle against an empire of dragons.  Is it epic?  Hell yes.  But unless you can create it, this doesn't do you much good.

It's far better to see what you can make, and then create a storyline to justify it.  Do you know why Mario always wears a hat?  Because the designers had difficulty with hair.  Seriously.  See what characters and locations you can make, and the story will essentially write itself.

A story with a game as foundation will be better than a game cobbled around a story.  I guarantee it. Make sure you follow us for more game design tips!