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So you want to create a mini-game in Minecraft. Good! You're about to create one of the most technical things possible in the game! And you surely want it to be really attractive, fancy, even addictive perhaps. So you technically want the gameplay of the mini-game to be as fun (the most possible) as building in Minecraft. This is the major element to consider with a mini-game in Minecraft, because if you're playing, youo re not building, the first thing of Minecraft. It HAVE to be as fun as building. Hard to do? Not so.
To do a thing like that, the game have to respect some basic rules. After building several games to Beta state, I could « extract » some rules of building to be sure, at least, that the game will be entertaining and could please others. These rules apply for almost every kind of mini-game you can/could build in Minecraft.
Before starting, leto s see a video to help us seeing the elements of what I think is a good mini-game in Minecraft:
This mini-game apply all the rules to make it really entertaining. So let's see these rules :
1- Scenery is everything
This is the first rule,the most important thing to have in mind when building a mini-game in Minecraft. If you play the game in the scenery of Minecraft, it'll be cool. But you will be still playing a game IN minecraft.
If you create a scenery that, when playing the game, will give the impression that you are not playing the Minecraft game, you will add an element of feeling that is almost indissociable of the feeling of entertaining in a game : The feeling that you are not at the same place anymore, or immersion. We are playing Minecraft, so we have to feel that we are not playing it anymore.
This rule can be apply « as far as possible ». What I mean is that if the game could necessitate to change all what you can see with a far view, and if you have the will to do so, don't waste time thinking if ito s a good idea. It IS a good idea!!!
2- Megabuild it
This rule naturally comes with the previous rule. If you build something really big, you'll be INSIDE the scenery, and, will just see the megabuild as the scenery. This rule is intimately intricate with the first. Megabuild is a good scenery, and a good scenery means almost every time a megabuild. Big things instantly capture attention and give the feeling of immersion.
3- Make it neat
Let's think about the video. The race have checkpoints, a start countdown, a timer, powerups (the jumps), secret passages, multiple roads. We could also add an automatic release gate, sounds with the countdown, even a ending song, big traps, points, etc.
The more the game will have elements to deal with, the more it will be entertaining. Making a game the most neat possible is a very important thing to have in mind when building a mini-game in Minecraft.
4- Give a reward
This is a so important rule that this is a rule in every game of this world. And when I talk about reward, I mean that, for example, if you're racing, finishing the race is not the reward. A reward in a game have to be impressive and unexpected. It have to make the player want to race it again just to be able to have/see it again.
It don't necessarely have to be something physical, like giving diamonds. It can be a firework show, a light show, a music, something ephemeral. The caracteristic of this kind of reward makes it « special », or at least will make you want to see it « just a second time, it's so cool!! ». But you have to make it neat. Giving a reward is a part of the third rule, but it's so important that it have to be a separated rule. You just have to think about the mechanics of the MMORPGs. They are entirely based around this rule.
5- Make it multiplayer
If you can build your game multiplayer, it's highly reccomended to build it like that. Playing a game with other players add a chaotic element that is impossible to found in any other way. Even the npcs can't reach the degree of « chaotism » of a human player.
And when I say multiplayer, I mean building IN CASE OF multiplayer, not building it on a server. We never know if our world will please to others. Your world could become a multiplayer world in somebody else server. Minecraft is building, but ito s also sharing. Building in case of multiplayer reach this element of Minecraft, and so is an element of entertaining for a mini-game in Minecraft.
6- Calibrate it
That's an essential stage in the making of every game of this world. You don't just have to make it, you have to test it and test it and test it, as many times as you can. This is the most frustrating part so be prepared.
Theres a special point in this rule : Friends will always love your creations.
This means that you should also make your mini-game tested by strangers. Like posting a « want testers » post in a forum, creating a video in Youtube, adding it as a project in Planet Minecraft, and giving a download link. You technically have to risk the copy of your creation to have REAL feedback for a game.
Every board game of this world have to pass this stage one day ore another. There's even conventions of board games just to be able to gather tons of strangers at the same place to test not still released games.
7- Patience makes you patient
For this last rule, I choosed a rule of mine in life. I'm an artist. I'm creating all the time in a lot of different types of arts. Making a big creation needs time. The most time you pass on a creation, the most detail it will have and the most attractive it will be.
But this is a rule that applies to you, not the creation. Having the patience to make it, detail by detail, will give you a crutial element to be able to apply all these rules. If you have decide, for example, to build en entire city just by yourself, you'll rapidely know what I mean hehe!
So this is it for now. Hope you've enjoy it like I enjoyed making it! If you have suggestions, feel free to tell them!
To do a thing like that, the game have to respect some basic rules. After building several games to Beta state, I could « extract » some rules of building to be sure, at least, that the game will be entertaining and could please others. These rules apply for almost every kind of mini-game you can/could build in Minecraft.
Before starting, leto s see a video to help us seeing the elements of what I think is a good mini-game in Minecraft:
This mini-game apply all the rules to make it really entertaining. So let's see these rules :
1- Scenery is everything
This is the first rule,the most important thing to have in mind when building a mini-game in Minecraft. If you play the game in the scenery of Minecraft, it'll be cool. But you will be still playing a game IN minecraft.
If you create a scenery that, when playing the game, will give the impression that you are not playing the Minecraft game, you will add an element of feeling that is almost indissociable of the feeling of entertaining in a game : The feeling that you are not at the same place anymore, or immersion. We are playing Minecraft, so we have to feel that we are not playing it anymore.
This rule can be apply « as far as possible ». What I mean is that if the game could necessitate to change all what you can see with a far view, and if you have the will to do so, don't waste time thinking if ito s a good idea. It IS a good idea!!!
2- Megabuild it
This rule naturally comes with the previous rule. If you build something really big, you'll be INSIDE the scenery, and, will just see the megabuild as the scenery. This rule is intimately intricate with the first. Megabuild is a good scenery, and a good scenery means almost every time a megabuild. Big things instantly capture attention and give the feeling of immersion.
3- Make it neat
Let's think about the video. The race have checkpoints, a start countdown, a timer, powerups (the jumps), secret passages, multiple roads. We could also add an automatic release gate, sounds with the countdown, even a ending song, big traps, points, etc.
The more the game will have elements to deal with, the more it will be entertaining. Making a game the most neat possible is a very important thing to have in mind when building a mini-game in Minecraft.
4- Give a reward
This is a so important rule that this is a rule in every game of this world. And when I talk about reward, I mean that, for example, if you're racing, finishing the race is not the reward. A reward in a game have to be impressive and unexpected. It have to make the player want to race it again just to be able to have/see it again.
It don't necessarely have to be something physical, like giving diamonds. It can be a firework show, a light show, a music, something ephemeral. The caracteristic of this kind of reward makes it « special », or at least will make you want to see it « just a second time, it's so cool!! ». But you have to make it neat. Giving a reward is a part of the third rule, but it's so important that it have to be a separated rule. You just have to think about the mechanics of the MMORPGs. They are entirely based around this rule.
5- Make it multiplayer
If you can build your game multiplayer, it's highly reccomended to build it like that. Playing a game with other players add a chaotic element that is impossible to found in any other way. Even the npcs can't reach the degree of « chaotism » of a human player.
And when I say multiplayer, I mean building IN CASE OF multiplayer, not building it on a server. We never know if our world will please to others. Your world could become a multiplayer world in somebody else server. Minecraft is building, but ito s also sharing. Building in case of multiplayer reach this element of Minecraft, and so is an element of entertaining for a mini-game in Minecraft.
6- Calibrate it
That's an essential stage in the making of every game of this world. You don't just have to make it, you have to test it and test it and test it, as many times as you can. This is the most frustrating part so be prepared.
Theres a special point in this rule : Friends will always love your creations.
This means that you should also make your mini-game tested by strangers. Like posting a « want testers » post in a forum, creating a video in Youtube, adding it as a project in Planet Minecraft, and giving a download link. You technically have to risk the copy of your creation to have REAL feedback for a game.
Every board game of this world have to pass this stage one day ore another. There's even conventions of board games just to be able to gather tons of strangers at the same place to test not still released games.
7- Patience makes you patient
For this last rule, I choosed a rule of mine in life. I'm an artist. I'm creating all the time in a lot of different types of arts. Making a big creation needs time. The most time you pass on a creation, the most detail it will have and the most attractive it will be.
But this is a rule that applies to you, not the creation. Having the patience to make it, detail by detail, will give you a crutial element to be able to apply all these rules. If you have decide, for example, to build en entire city just by yourself, you'll rapidely know what I mean hehe!
So this is it for now. Hope you've enjoy it like I enjoyed making it! If you have suggestions, feel free to tell them!
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