Game Design Breakdown: Katamari Damacy
This is one of my all time favorite games so it’s such a treat to break it down for a game design analysis. You’ll find most of my analyses show that some of the best games have extremely simple game loops, making them easy to understand. So when you’re designing a game, keep it simple!
The best things about Katamari Damacy in my opinion in order:
It’s a simple game.
The art style is wonktastic and iconic. The characters are easy to identify.
There’s a story. It’s quirky, but there’s a story between a disappointed dad and a child.
There is a clear progression where you unlock new levels, leading you to different planets and characters.
The music is iconic and distinctive! na nAAAAA
Game Loop
The player starts with a small “katamari,” which they roll around to pick up objects to make it bigger. The ball increases in size, allowing the player to pick up even bigger objects. The player must get to a certain size by the time limit.
Despite the game loop being simple, or even something you could whip up in a day or so, when paired with a rich environment, story, characters, and levels creates an engaging experience.
Story and Characters
The story of Katamari revolves around the King of All Cosmos, a flamboyant and eccentric character who accidentally destroys all the stars in the universe during a night of stargazing. Instead of fixing it himself, he tasks his son, the Prince, to recreate the stars by rolling up all the objects on Earth.
What I think makes this game successful is that the characters are distinctive, and there’s a high level story that helps the players understand their personalities. The looks of the characters are something you could cosplay and people would know who you were. The King has a distinctive way of speaking, using metaphors, grandiose language, and self-importance. Good character design can make an experience.
Gameplay Mechanics
While the gameplay mechanics are innovative, it’s not what stands out to me the most. There are a couple of ways of designing games, where you start with a mechanics-first approach or a story first approach. Both are valid. but I believe it’s the combination of design effort for each part of this game that makes it shine, not just the gameplay mechanics.
Aesthetic
The aesthetic of Katamari is whimsical, colorful, and charming. The art style takes a maximalist approach using many colors, characters, shapes, animations, effects, and sounds to make it visually distinct.
The Prince and his cousins have a simple yet charming appearance, often characterized by their cylindrical bodies, exaggerated features, and whimsical outfits.
The world is grounded in reality, but breaks out from normal every day earth life, by letting the player eventually roll up the world and go off into outer space. The ambiance of this makes for a quirky player fantasy.
Designing Your Own Game With This Approach
It’s easy to blow up the scope of a game when creating something from scratch. But games like Katamari are a testament that fun can come from a simple experience with a lot of flavor. Keep that in mind when creating your next experience.
