Secrets of Game Feel and Juice

Some game designers use words like "game feel" and "juice" to describe the abstract and often invisible factors that make the best action games surge with life and energy. In this episode of Game Maker's Toolkit, we try to figure out what those words mean, and how you can capitalise on them to make your game feel more fun and satisfying.

=== Sources and Resources ===

Jan Willem Nijman (Vlambeer)'s "The art of screenshake"

Jonatan Söderström (Cactus)'s "The 4 Hour Game Design"

Martin Jonasson & Petri Purho (Grapefruit)'s "Juice it or lose it"

=== Games Shown ===

Hotline Miami (Dennaton Games, 2012)
Random Heroes (Ravenous Games, 2012)
Super Time Force (Capybara Games, 2014)
Rogue Legacy (Cellar Door Games, 2013)
Super Meat Boy (Team Meat, 2010)
Castle Crashers (The Behemoth, 2008)
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (Nicalis / Edmund McMillen, 2014)
Super Mario World (Nintendo, 1990)
Super Mario 64 (Nintendo, 1996)
Nuclear Throne (Vlambeer, 2015)
rymdkapsel (Grapefrukt, 2013)
Ridiculous Fishing (Vlambeer, 2013)
Gunbrick (Nitrome, 2015)
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (Capcom, 1992)
God of War (Santa Monica Studio, 2005)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Nintendo, 2002)
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (WayForward, 2014)
Guacamelee (Drinkbox Studios, 2013)
Shank (Klei Entertainment, 2010)
Gun Godz (Vlambeer, 2013)
Super Crate Box (Vlambeer, 2010)
Peggle (PopCap Games, 2007)
Alien Hominid HD (The Behemoth, 2007)

=== Credits ===

Music used in this episode:

Miami (Hotline Miami)
Main Theme (Super Mario 64)
Forest Funk (Super Meat Boy)
Luftrauser (Luftrausers)
Construction Yard (Super Crate Box
Decade Dance (Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number)

Clip credits:

"God of War 1 - Part 1 of 11" - bdcool213

[pvtpaink]

"Be Miyamoto". Is that the Game Developer version of "Git Good"? :P

[andersonrobotics]

"like electricity is surging through your xbox"
who's gonna tell him

[bin]

These "make your bullets as big as your face" and "double down everything" apply mostly to the action genres. In some tactical and TBS genres you go for more subtle means, as the loud and exaggerated effects are undesirable distraction. I just loved the buttons in Spellcross for example: they felt so cold and hard on touch... :)

[ShinoSarna]

My take - every action, every sequence in the game should divide into three parts. Start, slowdown, climax.
Start is the beginning, exciting because things begin to change. For example, player pulls the trigger of a rocket launcher, noise plays, gun flashes - OR player presses 'jump' and lifts off.
Then, slowdown. This part should be understated and long to build up anticipation. For example, rocket travelling to the enemy, or your character hanging in midair. If you actually look at how jumping works in Mario games, Mario DOES seem to be faster at the start, then slow down in midair, just to speed up again when landing.
Then final - climax, the conclusion. That's where the satisfying payoff to all the buildup is. Enemy blowing up in a fiery explosion, or perhaps your character safely landing on the other side of a deadly pit, making you feel like you accomplished a good job.
Everything GMT discusses in this video - screen shake, that little pause, sound effects - goes here, into the climax. But you can't have payoff without buildup, in this respect games are just like any other form of art.

[penpress]

"Video game equivalent of a cabbage", Wrekt

[Milennin]

Short pauses upon hitting enemies with a powerful move is one of my favourite ways of making attacks feel satisfying to land.

[huismands]

It's interesting, Mark's voice has so much more energy and presence in his more recent videos. This is a great video, but his content has definitely improved over the years!

[AryzenI]

It is the umami of game design.

Excellent, brilliant, satisfying and wholesome flavor, but if you just dump a crapload of it into your game, it makes you feel a bit ill.

[GMTK]

So, which games do you think have the best "game feel"?

[ChaseFace]

As someone who tries to make their videos as professional and entertaining as possible, I just wanted to thank you for making such amazing content. You really do this medium justice and my heart skips a beat every time I see you've made a new video. Keep up the good work, Mark! :)

[nnennamonet]

That first thing you mentioned - feedback from your hits connecting with enemies - is the reason I just can't bother with any Bethesda games. Elder Scrolls or Fallout. It feels like I'm hitting/shooting at ghosts.

[saloooki]

Even today, this video is still really useful and I can't recommend it enough. This is definitely a "game dev fundamental".

[FrMZTsarmiral]

Good to see that you're using fighting games as an example!
A lot of indie developers, specially the ones that were not gaming during the golden age of fighting games tend to ignore the basic, yet satisfying tricks that Capcom and SNK's titles used in order to make every punch feel rewarding.
Speaking of SNK, Metal Slug is probably another good example of a game that has an amazing game feel.

[hannesaxel]

Skyrim’s sound design was so good, I sometimes almost felt my hits connect

[HelperWesley]

I've taken this advice/analysis to heart with the games I make.

This video is not only interesting to watch, but it's genuinely helpful for new game devs.

[cheeseman]

I think the key here is simply having these aspects of presentation convey or emphasize gameplay information to the player as well as is possible. The reason this stuff feels good is because it creates a close connection between the player and what they are playing, as feedback is made incredibly clear.
Some things like excessive explosions and screen shake can go too far and actually obscure gameplay information, making the game feel worse than it would if it were a bit more restrained, and unfortunately I feel Super Time Force and Vlambeer games are good examples of this.

[tobiasgamedev]

Damn, these toolkit video's are so awesome to watch, and helpful! thank you so much mark! :)

[cafe]

Congratulations. This is the best video-games related channel in Youtube.

[GetaVe]

I think a bigger issue is that developers build games without a real point; without it really mattering. Do this, go here, do that, shoot, repeat. There is a lack of importance and meaning behind their games.

How much force and power is there behind an action in your game. Or conversely how little is there? There is a question that gets asked so rarely, I find, with developers. And that is, what do you want your players to FEEL when they play your game. What emotions do you want them to express? 

When you figure some of that out, then you can start to apply some of the tricks of the trade, and even come up with your own. Maybe your character has a weapon that takes a moment to charge up, so you take the camera and slowly focus in during the charge time, and then snap the camera back out to a wider angle as the shot is released and subsequently affected. It's anticipatory and it builds excitement for what is sure to be something epic. 

Or maybe your weapon is so powerful that you blind the player for a second after discharge, only to focus in to a view of thunderous explosions. 

Ah! There is so much you can do to reinforce and encourage game feel and player engagement. I love thinking about this kind of stuff. :p

[scrustle]

I prefer the term "kinaesthetics". Seems more descriptive and less wishy-washy than "game feel". But whatever it's called, this is something I really love when it's done well in games. Most of my favourite games do it really well.