System Design

System design is the design of a game's rules and how they interact: progression, combat, crafting, economy and the loops that connect them.

A system designer works on what the game does rather than on a single piece of content. The output is rule sets, parameters and documents precise enough that an engineer can build from them, plus the balancing that follows once it runs.

It sits next to game design in general, next to combat design where the systems are fights, and next to monetization or economy work where the rules decide what things cost. Scripting ability helps, because a designer who can build their own prototype iterates faster than one who files a ticket.

The distinction from level design is a useful one: a level designer builds a place, a system designer builds the rules that make every place behave consistently.