The first question to ask is: What makes a game great?
This question is, of course, extremely tricky to answer. A single game will likely not be able to capture every aspect, but just taking things from popular games that already exist, we can start with a simple list:
- Accessibility - reach across genders, age categories, and pcs
- Atmosphere - especially in horror games
- Attachment - sense of responsibility for the character or its actions
- Cooperation - playing with others, offline or online. Forming clans or guilds
- Competition - competing against others directly (pvp) or indirectly (ladders)
- Customization - the look of the character, the space they own
- Distinction - someone playing the game can (and most of the time, will) have a different experience from someone else who has played it.
- Freedom - the ability to make choices and affect outcomes
- Graphics - technical (Half Life) or stylized (World of Warcraft)
- Rewards - some of the items listed above are their own rewards, but all great games have an excellent reward system. This item could be as simple as a sense of achievement, but it's something to keep in mind
- Social Interactions - chat, speech
