---
title: "Game Design Strategies"
canonical: "https://help.breakoutedu.com/space/BCSM/376897542/Game%20Design%20Strategies"
format: markdown
---
> Macro (widget)


When our Games Team sits down to plan a game, they first brainstorm. One way to brainstorm is using a spreadsheet to organize facts, ideas and possible lock combinations. You can see an example of a brainstorming spreadsheet [HERE](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lylvEXQINeU8Ud-VgK7MQ0DbAxJ1JHpM1xQpSjLHhAU/edit?usp=sharing). 


![image-20240308-183439.png](media://9fb97342-722a-4813-ad23-79685de83848)


Another consideration is the lock order. Most digital games have 5 locks. Our game designers tend to use this flow for lock order. 


![image-20240308-183722.png](media://fb1a248c-1b20-4633-9b73-394ef2cd0fb8)

Prior to jumping in to the Game Design Studio, the game designers will sketch out their ideas on paper:

**[HERE](https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/platformbreakout/hosted_files/prod/7983.pdf)** is a template that you can use for sketching and planning. 


![image-20240308-184029.png](media://28c8db44-1a53-49a1-91be-b9d5c810079c)

![image-20240308-184100.png](media://91ac4be3-4222-4749-9648-ea40b6fbb4a6)

![image-20240308-184152.png](media://c004969b-1859-417b-9458-a9d9d6000811)

![image-20240308-184235.png](media://00d85fc8-e7c6-4053-9662-0be471b6bd97)

![image-20240308-184315.png](media://196f4253-6358-478c-9a97-7fefcbd410d6)

When it comes to converting sketches into puzzles, the games team uses a variety of tools. Breakout EDU provides you with access to Adobe Express as part of your Game Builder. 

  
Here is a quick example of how Adobe Express can be used to design puzzles:

> Macro (widget)

To learn more about using Adobe Express as part of the Game Builder, visit [THIS PAGE.](https://vimeo.com/breakoutedu/creatingclueswebinar?share=copy) 

Here are some important things to keep in mind when creating Breakout EDU style puzzles and games: 

![image-20240308-194434.png](media://3346e266-bbce-43c6-925f-b9a3c1a64cfa)