Game feel (sometimes referred to as “game juice“) is the intangible, tactile sensation experienced when interacting with video games. The term was popularised by the book Game Feel: A Game Designer’s Guide to Virtual Sensation written by Steve Swink.
The term has no formal definition, but there are many defined ways to improve game feel. The different areas of a game that can be manipulated to improve game feel are: Input, Response, Context, Visual Aesthetics, Polish and Sounds.
The goal of good game feel is to immerse the player in an engaging and rewarding experience. A way to test game feel is to see if interacting with a game’s most basic mechanics feels satisfying. At minimum, the game should feel engaging to play even after the plot, points, level design, music, and graphics are removed; if it is not, then the game may suffer from poor game feel.
Things to Consider:
- Input – the means by which a player can control the experience / game, is it fun to Move / Jump / Shoot?
- Response / Feedback – how the game interprets and reacts to player input, actions, controls and the physics.
- Context – Input and response in the environment that gives meaning to the player’s actions. Is it believable.
- Visual Aesthetics – Visual aesthetics that add details to the game world that make it feel more vibrant and connected.
- Polish – These are the extra details that influence the player’s senses.
- Sounds – Audio emphasis on the the interactions between objects in the game.
