Synchronizing Game and AI Design in PCG-Based Game Prototypes

Procedural content generation (PCG)-based game design aims to reach a new way of playing games by focusing gameplay around algorithmic game content generation. However, positioning interaction with PCG systems and generated content to the center of player experience poses design challenges for both game design and AI design. In order to create the wanted affordances, rich contextual information is required to make informed decisions on the generated content. While previous research has presented excellent developments on PCG’s possibilities, further considering context and affordances in the early stages of prototyping may aid designers reach these possibilities in a more consistent manner. This study is set to discuss how context, affordances and the game’s overall design can be considered during the prototyping process of PCG-based games. Misaligned game context and affordances can result in deeply rooted design issues that may later manifest as subpar gameplay experiences and increased development effort. These emergent issues are examined through a post-mortem case study to produce an extended PCG-based design process, featuring actionable steps, that takes context, affordances, and the game’s overall design into account through meaningful play.