Designing a video game is not something that can be done over night. There are many steps in the process and most of them will take time to complete. It also takes many years to learn all the ins and outs of game design and how to create a great game. The basics are a bit easier to cover and they are the starting point in any design project.
Creating the story line
Every video game has a story line and this is the first item you should look at. Creating the story line helps with all the other steps of video game design as it provides you with a clear picture of what your goal is. When creating the story line you should take the time to research video game clichés which make games boring or great. During story line development you should also look at the game mechanics. This relates to the game play and the overall connections of the story line to the player.
Developing the parts
Once you have a story line you need to decide on the overall look of the game. To do this you should create some concept art for the different aspects of the game. What will the player look like? What will the levels look like? At this point you need to think about all parts of the game and design them. You should not worry too much about how detailed the art is. Simple video games do just as well as high tech 3d games.
Deciding on the software
To design a video game you need to have some software. Design software comes as freeware and in paid packages. The freeware often works just as well as the paid packages but there are some advanced features which they will not have. The most important pieces of software you need for game design is modelling software. This software will help with the concept art and the actual creation of variables for the game. The software should be a 3D tool unless your game is going to be 2D. You also need to look into audio software which allows you to create the music for your game. This software can also help with the editing of sound bites to fit the story line of your game. The last piece of software you require is a game engine. Game engines are what will take all the aspects f your game and create the final product.
Start creating your game
Once you have a story line and the art for all the components of the game you can start creating. You need to start with basic static meshes on your modelling software. You can the build up the characters and components until they suit your story line and ideas. At this point you can still change certain aspects of the designs but always keep your story line in mind. Once you have created all the static meshes you need to integrate them into your game engine.
