What Makes a Good Flash Game?
Flash games are all over the internet. What separates the good ones from the not so good ones? My experiences are based on playing them as I have not yet finished and published what I would consider a “good” game. I have however wasted many hours playing thousands of different flash games. Some games I will play for hours and even bookmark them to play again, and others I never even end up passed the main menu (if there is one).
Forget game play and what makes a game fun for now. This post will be focusing on things that drive players away from what could have been a great game and elements you must include in all games no matter the genre.
Don’t do These
There are a few different things that I find rather annoying while playing some games that typically drive me away from them never to return. These are things that you should avoid at all costs. Notice I didn’t say “attempt” as these are all things that can be completely avoided or at least re-worked.
Sound
First of all, sound is not required, however it can and does enhance a decent game dramatically. So, don’t forget about adding sounds to your game where applicable. If you do include sounds, always (and I mean always) at least give the player the option to mute all game sounds including background music and make it easy to do. There is nothing worse than hunting around for the mute button because you are listening to your favorite song. It is even worse (in my opinion borderline unplayable) if there is no mute option.
Advertisements
Advertisements are a great way to monetize your hard work programming and I completely support them in most cases. Although the few games that I have published only make me pennies a day so far, I still think this is a good way to make money from your games. I don’t mind seeing an advertisement for 10 seconds while the game is downloading to my cache, but don’t add advertisements in the middle of the game. Ads that show up in between levels are fine if they show up every once in a while, but if a level only takes a minute or two to complete, don’t show me an advertisement between every level. If I beat the first level or die rather quickly and an ad shows up before I am able to try again, it is almost always an immediate browser back button.
Mouse vs Keyboard
It doesn’t matter which input method your game uses, but if it relies on one and not the other, never require the player to use the second one. For example, if your game utilizes the keyboard for controls, never require the player to click with the mouse to start the next level. Provide a key they can press to go to the next level as well This is another one of those things that may cause me to go for the browser back button, though it isn’t necessarily an immediate response.
Do These
On the other side of the coin are the things that players expect out of games. These are things that should be included in all games no matter what.
Obvious Hot Spots
If your game requires a menu or buttons to move between different screens, make them visible and rather obvious that they are there to click on. Similar to the way web pages are designed, links are typically a color that stands out (in fact you have to do extra work to make links not look like links), it should be obvious to the player that the start button is the big red button that says Start. Of course your buttons can still look nice without being an eye sore, but use consistency.
Provide Instructions
Even though I typically never click the “How to Play” links found in many games, I do like to know that it is available if I need it. Usually my progression in games is to hit the Play or Start button to get going right away. You can usually figure out what to do by just jumping in and even if not, you should be able to get a feel for what the game is about. If I am even mildly intrigued, I will go back and read up on how to play. Just make sure it is available unless it is brutally obvious what to do.
Presentation
Spend some time and make your game look like you are proud of it. Whether your game features stickmen in a black and white world or professional level graphics, it is possible to make your game look good. You don’t have to be a graphics artist to make your game look decent. Follow a theme or at least be consistent and you will do yourself and your players a favor.
These are just a few things that all developers should consider when creating flash games for the public to play. Remember, if you plan to monetize your games, it is the players that will be your source of money so keep them happy.
