Gameplay Deconstruction: Elements and Layers

Conclusion

GD:EL is a visual method that tries to analyse gameplay through his elements, focusing on dynamics and goals (seen as verbs). It extracts simple gameplay elements and groups them in common sectors, thus helping to understand connections between them.

It could be surely improved, for example by better clarifying elements interaction between different layers and different sectors, or by showing their relationship with game mechanics and rules. However, this could be quite difficult to achieve, if we want to maintain the goal of an easy to read diagram. Hopefully this method can give the right boost to a difficult but charming area such as gameplay study.

Paolo Tajè is a Computer Engineering student at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. He is passionate about game design and game studies. He is co-founder of Bloody Monkey, an independent game developer.

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Diagrams made with https://gliffy.com/