Playing games has always been one of the most important human activities ever since the dawn of humanity. In fact, some would claim that playing games were a crucial part of the human brain’s development and civilization as a whole. When people talk about game design, they usually mean not only bits and pieces that make games look pretty but the importance of human development.

Games nowadays come in various shapes and sizes, and online gaming has become one of the most important aspects of having fun. Therefore, the design (in its broadest sense) of online games has become quite a topic for discussion lately. Let’s check out the latest trends at the moment, as well as the current leaders who are making a difference.

Although the term video games can be used to denote almost every type of online game, we are going to focus on games that are exclusively played on PCs and consoles. They actually take up the largest chunk of the online games market and are certainly the most popular type of games.

It seems that the open world design keeps on being the most dominant type of design, although it is actively being explored and upgraded every once in a while. Red Dead Redemption 2 pushed the boundary forwards and really set the new standard on how to make an open world game for consoles.

Apart from open worlds, another type of game design has emerged recently and it is gaining popularity during the last couple of years. If you had an opportunity to play Fortnite, you are probably already familiar with the ‘battle royale’ concept. It is a last-man-standing type of game that incorporates action, shooters, and even survival. What makes it even more unique is that the game world usually shrinks as time goes by, creating a sense of urgency among players. It seems that game designers are yet to explore this new game genre.

Social games is an umbrella term that covers all games that incorporate some kind of social interaction. Sure, there is a social interaction in battle royale games, but it is not the primary aspect of them. Social interaction is mostly present in games that are played on social media, with Facebook being the primary medium for this type of games. The first game that is often associated with social games is Farmville, which has been one of the most popular Facebook games for a long time. No pattern can be derived from social medium games as they come in many forms, some of them are online versions of classic table games.

However, MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft are also social games, as the interaction between characters is very important. WoW has been setting design standards for a very long time, and is still considered an inspiration for many other MMORPG designers nowadays. 

Despite being underrated by PC and console games’ fans, games for mobile devices can actually be pretty interesting. Their design in 2019 somehow follows the standards that were set a couple of years ago. The majority of mobile game players are aware of the fact that games for mobile devices have become a ‘pay-to-win’ type of entertainment. Therefore their design revolves around getting players to buy in-game items and power-ups for real money. 

Some would say that this trend is bound to change in the future as players are well aware of the fact that only those who give the most money will have an opportunity to win. However, game designers took this into account, and it seems that they are doing their best to create some kind of balance which would return skill as an essential factor for winning in mobile games.

Casino games have become very popular lately with online casinos offering a wide variety of games such as slots, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and more. Online video slots are actually the most important type of casino game as dozens of slot development companies started designing slots and coming up with new and innovative solutions that would reach players faster. Besides, nowadays casino games are available on iPads, iPhones and Android phones, which makes them even more convenient.

Virtual Reality games are getting popular nowadays, but it seems that VR technology is still in its infancy. Companies such as Oculus Rift joined forces with Steam and are really doing their best to promote VR games. However, the design of this type of games is still to be explored in order to immerse VR lovers and provide them with the ultimate experience. Therefore, it is hard to draw an overall conclusion regarding VR games as they are still in an experimental stage.

The ‘Emotions First’ Design

The ‘emotions first’ or ‘feelings first’ approach to design can actually be applied to all types of online games mentioned above. Some game designers adopted an idea that players should be able to ‘feel’ something and that fun comes after that. When you think of it, it seems like a logical step as all other forms of entertainment value emotions most of all. It seems that we are likely to see this type of approach in many games, which will definitely come as a surprise to many gamers. Creating a ‘feeling’ in a game is a challenging task that requires designers and developers to blend characters, storylines, animations, and more perfectly.

Finally, it is safe to conclude that there is an exciting period before us, and gamers can expect the gaming industry to move forward with the speed of light. Designers are doing a wonderful job, and people seriously started considering some games a real work of art.

Indeed, games should be considered art since many people in the industry care about them so much that online games that are popular nowadays are definitely going to be showcased in some sort of online exhibition a couple of decades from now.