Pattern Language For Game Design
What is the Pattern Library?
How to use the Pattern Library website, Part 1
The website patternlanguageforgamedesign.com is a Pattern Library. It holds the game design patterns from the book Pattern Language for Game Design. It also contains patterns that students and game designers have created, using the techniques discussed in that book. The patterns in this library are not object-oriented programming patterns as discussed in the well-known Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software. These patterns are broader, and cover all aspects of game design. Based directly on the ideas of Christopher Alexander, they are focused on helping designers create better games.
The patterns in this library are deeply interconnected through keywords, the design problems they address, and explicit parent and child relationships. Any developer can come to this library and build a collection of patterns, forming a Pattern Language that will help them shape a game that addresses specific design problems.
This site is partly a resource for viewing great design patterns proposed by others, but perhaps more importantly, it’s a place where any developer can record the patterns they develop using the techniques described in the book. Even if a developer never makes any of their patterns public, this site will allow them to record and connect their patterns, building out a personal framework for understanding game design.
When developers do decide to share their patterns, they can make them public so that the whole internet can access them, or they can post them solely for review by the groups they’re a member of. Using this group functionality, a class or a studio can build a private pattern language for their game projects.
In addition to housing the Pattern Library, this site hosts a Games Reference. This reference contains basic information about all of the games that are used as examples in the Pattern Library. Using this reference, any developer can read a pattern, then click through to the details about an example game they are not familiar with. Each reference contains a description of the game, links for further information, links where you can buy or download the game if available, and trailers and playthroughs of the game on YouTube.
Order a copy of Pattern Language for Game Design from:
Below are links to other short articles giving the details of different aspects of the site that are coming soon!
- How to use the Pattern Library to view and find patterns
- How to use the Game Reference to find and learn about games
- How to register an account and fill out a profile/join/manage groups
- How to create a pattern
- Pattern and Link Confidence
- How to enter a game
- How to request help
- What’s Next?
- Pattern Library Usage Agreement
