TITLE=Paper Sketch
ROUTE=/development/paper-sketch
LOCALE=en
MODIFIED=1792409344
URL=https://wiki.teletypegames.org/development/paper-sketch


q│ Guidelines for designing a game on paper, before any code.


1🤔 What do you need to decide?

1═════════════════════════════


2🎮 Genre

2───────

Genre decides the camera, the controls and the level design.


t┌────────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┬───────────────────┐

t│
h Genre          
t│
h What you do       
t│
h Key features      
t│
h Examples          
t│

t├────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┤

t│
0 
bPlatformer
0     
t│
0 jump on           
t│
0 gravity, jump     
t│
0 🍄 Super Mario     
t│

t│
0                
t│
0 platforms, dodge, 
t│
0 timing, precise   
t│
0 Bros · ❄️ Celeste 
t│

t│
0                
t│
0 reach the goal    
t│
0 movement          
t│
0 · 🕷️ Hollow       
t│

t│
0                
t│
0                   
t│
0                   
t│
0 Knight            
t│

t├────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┤

t│
0 
bTop-down
0       
t│
0 mazes, shooting,  
t│
0 360° movement,    
t│
0 🗡️ Zelda: A Link  
t│

t│
0                
t│
0 collecting        
t│
0 room to room,     
t│
0 to the Past · 🔫   
t│

t│
0                
t│
0                   
t│
0 field of view     
t│
0 Hotline Miami · 💀 
t│

t│
0                
t│
0                   
t│
0                   
t│
0 Enter the Gungeon 
t│

t├────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┤

t│
0 
bPuzzle
0         
t│
0 switches, keys,   
t│
0 no time pressure, 
t│
0 🟠 Portal · 🐸 Baba 
t│

t│
0                
t│
0 logic             
t│
0 the solution is   
t│
0 Is You · 🏛️ The   
t│

t│
0                
t│
0                   
t│
0 the reward        
t│
0 Witness           
t│

t├────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┤

t│
0 
bEndless runner
0 
t│
0 keep moving,      
t│
0 automatic         
t│
0 🏃 Temple Run · 🚇  
t│

t│
0                
t│
0 survive           
t│
0 progression, one  
t│
0 Subway Surfers ·  
t│

t│
0                
t│
0                   
t│
0 button, rising    
t│
0 🔷 Geometry Dash   
t│

t│
0                
t│
0                   
t│
0 speed             
t│
0                   
t│

t├────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┤

t│
0 
bTower defense
0  
t│
0 place towers,     
t│
0 placement,        
t│
0 🌿 Plants vs.      
t│

t│
0                
t│
0 stop enemies      
t│
0 resources, enemy  
t│
0 Zombies · 🎈       
t│

t│
0                
t│
0                   
t│
0 waves             
t│
0 Bloons TD · ⚔️    
t│

t│
0                
t│
0                   
t│
0                   
t│
0 Kingdom Rush      
t│

t├────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┼───────────────────┤

t│
0 
bMetroidvania
0   
t│
0 explore, gain     
t│
0 connected map,    
t│
0 🤖 Metroid: Zero   
t│

t│
0                
t│
0 abilities, come   
t│
0 ability gates,    
t│
0 Mission · 🏰       
t│

t│
0                
t│
0 back              
t│
0 backtracking      
t│
0 Castlevania: SotN 
t│

t│
0                
t│
0                   
t│
0                   
t│
0 · 🌱 Ori and the   
t│

t│
0                
t│
0                   
t│
0                   
t│
0 Blind Forest      
t│

t└────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┴───────────────────┘


2🎯 Goal

2──────

One concrete, measurable goal: collect 5 keys · reach the exit · survive 60
seconds · beat the boss · score 1000 points.

A level can have 
b1 main goal + 1 optional goal
0. Keep it visible and countable
on screen ("3/5 keys").


2❌ Losing condition

2──────────────────

Pick one: health runs out · time expires · you fall off the level · an enemy
catches you · resources run out.

No losing condition means no stakes. Tell the player clearly when it happens —
animation, sound, text.


2🔁 Core loop

2───────────

The action sequence the player repeats. If it is boring, the game is boring.


t┌──────────────┬────────────────────────────────────────────┐

t│
h Genre        
t│
h Loop                                       
t│

t├──────────────┼────────────────────────────────────────────┤

t│
0 Platformer   
t│
0 move → jump → dodge → collect → progress   
t│

t│
0 Shooter      
t│
0 move → aim → shoot → take cover            
t│

t│
0 Puzzle       
t│
0 observe → think → try → solve → next level 
t│

t│
0 Top-down RPG 
t│
0 explore → fight → loot → level up          
t│

t└──────────────┴────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The best loops are simple but deep: easy to learn, hard to master.


r──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────


1✏️ What should you draw?

1════════════════════════


2🗺 Level design

2──────────────

Use grid paper. Mark: start, goal, platforms and walls, hazards, enemies,
collectibles, checkpoints.

Ask yourself:

• Is there a safe zone?
• Where does it get harder?
• Is there a way back?
• How do you guide the player to the goal?

Teach the mechanic at the start, without danger. Then raise the difficulty
step by step.


2🧍 Player character

2──────────────────

Draw the look, the size relative to the level, and the hitbox as a rectangle.
Write next to it: speed, jump height, health, special abilities.


2👾 Enemies

2─────────

Per type: how it moves, does it deal damage, how much health, can it be
avoided or must it die, does it have a weak point.

Design 1–2 types, not 5. Give each one a movement pattern the player can
learn.


t┌────────┬─────────────────────┬────────┬─────────────┐

t│
h Type   
t│
h Movement            
t│
h Threat 
t│
h Defeatable? 
t│

t├────────┼─────────────────────┼────────┼─────────────┤

t│
0 Patrol 
t│
0 back and forth      
t│
0 low    
t│
0 yes         
t│

t│
0 Hunter 
t│
0 moves toward player 
t│
0 medium 
t│
0 yes         
t│

t│
0 Turret 
t│
0 stationary, shoots  
t│
0 medium 
t│
0 optional    
t│

t│
0 Boss   
t│
0 complex pattern     
t│
0 high   
t│
0 required    
t│

t└────────┴─────────────────────┴────────┴─────────────┘


2🖥 UI

2────

Sketch the screen. Top area: health, score, time, collectible counter.
Separate screens: game over, win, pause menu.

Keep the HUD minimal — only what the player must see all the time.


r──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────


1📋 What should you write down?

1═════════════════════════════


2📝 Mini design document (1 page)

2───────────────────────────────


bTitle
0 — short and expressive. Reference the mechanic ("Jump King") or the mood
("Celeste"). Easy to remember and pronounce.


bElevator pitch
0 — 1–2 sentences: 
i"A fast-paced platformer where you collect

ikeys against the clock."

Template: "This is a [genre] where the player [main action] in order to
[goal], while facing [challenge]." It must answer who plays, what they do, and
why it is exciting.


2📜 Rules

2───────


bMovement
0 — 4 directions? jump? sprint? double jump? crouch or slide? wall
jump? Every option is a new mechanic, so add them carefully.


bCombat
0, if any — damage amount, cooldown, melee or ranged, blocking or
parrying, knockback. A basic attack plus knockback is enough for a first game.


bScoring
0 — e.g. coin = 10, enemy = 50, fast finish = bonus, no-damage clear =
bonus. Ask what this motivates. Work out the maximum score per level; it helps
with the difficulty curve.


bDifficulty
0 — more enemies, faster movement, less time, fewer lives, smaller
platforms, harder patterns. Increase it gradually:

1. 
bTutorial
0 — learn the mechanic without danger
2. 
bEasy
0 — use what you learned
3. 
bMedium
0 — combine mechanics
4. 
bHard
0 — fast decisions, precision
5. 
bBoss
0 — everything at once


r──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────


1📚 Core concepts

1═══════════════


2⚙️ Under the hood

2─────────────────

• 
bGame loop
0 — the repeating cycle: input → update → render, 30–60 times per
  second.
• 
bFPS
0 — how many times the loop runs per second. 30 is acceptable, 60 is
  smooth, 120+ is competitive.
• 
bDelta time (Δt)
0 — time between the last two frames. Without it the game runs
  faster on faster hardware.
• 
bEvent system
0 — parts of the game talk without knowing each other: a "player
  died" event updates the UI and plays a sound.


2🎨 Visuals

2─────────

• 
bSprite
0 — a 2D image of one object.
• 
bSpritesheet
0 — many animation frames in one image; the game cycles through
  them.
• 
bTile / tileset
0 — square building blocks (wall, grass), and the collection of
  them.
• 
bParallax scrolling
0 — background layers at different speeds. Near layers move
  faster, far ones slower. This gives depth.
• 
bZ-order
0 — layering: a higher Z covers a lower one.
• 
bPixel art
0 — low-resolution graphics drawn pixel by pixel. A retro style a
  beginner can do.


2💥 Physics and interaction

2─────────────────────────

• 
bHitbox
0 — invisible area for collision. Often smaller than the sprite, which
  feels fairer.
• 
bHurtbox
0 — where the character can take damage. A sword swing's hitbox should
  not hurt its own owner.
• 
bCollision
0 — two hitboxes meet and the game notices.
• 
bTrigger
0 — a hitbox you walk through that fires an event: a door opens, a
  dialogue appears.
• 
bRaycasting
0 — an invisible beam, for a bullet path or a line of sight check.
• 
bGravity
0 — the downward force that shapes a jump. Stronger gravity means a
  faster fall and a shorter jump.


2🧠 Gameplay and logic

2────────────────────

• 
bMechanic
0 — one gameplay element: jumping, shooting, wall jumping.
• 
bState machine
0 — the character's current state. You can only jump from
  "grounded". States: idle → running → jumping → falling → hurt → dead.
• 
bCooldown
0 — waiting time between two actions, e.g. one shot per 0.5 seconds.
• 
bSpawn
0 — an object appearing in the level.
• 
bUI vs. HUD
0 — UI is menus and screens; HUD is in-game data (health, ammo,
  score).


2🎲 Design

2────────

• 
bBalancing
0 — not too hard, not too easy. The goal is a fair challenge.
• 
bDifficulty curve
0 — how fast difficulty rises. Ideal: gradual, with peaks
  that always return to a rest zone.
• 
bMeta-game
0 — systems beyond the gameplay: progression, collecting,
  leaderboards.
• 
bJuice / game feel
0 — small effects that make a mechanic satisfying: a jump
  squash, screen shake on hit, a sound.
• 
bOnboarding
0 — how the player learns the rules. Best when the game teaches
  them without text.


r──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────


1⏱️ Event schedule (3 hours)

1═══════════════════════════


t┌─────────────────┬────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────┐

t│
h Time            
t│
h Phase          
t│
h Content                                 
t│

t├─────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┤

t│
0 15 min          
t│
0 Introduction   
t│
0 What is the game's goal? What is the    
t│

t│
0                 
t│
0                
t│
0 core loop? One example on the board.    
t│

t├─────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┤

t│
0 20 min          
t│
0 Concept        
t│
0 Teams pick genre, objective, losing     
t│

t│
0                 
t│
0                
t│
0 condition, 3 main mechanics.            
t│

t├─────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┤

t│
0 30–40 min       
t│
0 Level design   
t│
0 First draft: hard section, safe         
t│

t│
0                 
t│
0                
t│
0 section, enemy placement.               
t│

t├─────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┤

t│
0 20–30 min       
t│
0 Rules          
t│
0 Scoring, health, damage, time.          
t│

t├─────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┤

t│
0 20 min          
t│
0 Paper playtest 
t│
0 One team "plays" another team's level:  
t│

t│
0                 
t│
0                
t│
0 is it understandable, too hard, is      
t│

t│
0                 
t│
0                
t│
0 there a strategy?                       
t│

t├─────────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────────┤

t│
0 5–10 min / team 
t│
0 Presentation   
t│
0 What makes it unique, who is it for,    
t│

t│
0                 
t│
0                
t│
0 how would it work digitally?            
t│

t└─────────────────┴────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────────────┘


r──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────


1🚀 Advanced questions

1════════════════════

• What is the game's fantasy? What does the player feel like — a hero, an
  explorer, a survivor? What do they experience that real life cannot give?
• Is there a progression system? Levels, skill tree, equipment?
• What is the reward feeling — when and why does the player think "yes, that
  was great"?
• What is the mood? Are color, music and pacing consistent?
• What is the unique hook against similar games?
• How does the game hold attention after 10 minutes?