Automatic game design via mechanic generation

Abstract

Game designs often center on the game mechanics-rules governing the logical evolution of the game. We seek to develop an intelligent system that generates computer games. As first steps towards this goal we present a composable and cross-domain representation for game mechanics that draws from Al planning action representations. We use a constraint solver to generate mechanics subject to design requirements on the form of those mechanics-what they do in the game. A planner takes a set of generated mechanics and tests whether those mechanics meet payability requirements-controlling how mechanics function in a game to affect player behavior. We demonstrate our system by modeling and generating mechanics in a role-playing game, platformer game, and combined role-playing-platformer game.