1) fun
That one always applies. You can overlook mediocre graphics, sound, and awkward controls, but a game that looks and sounds beautiful but is boring is still worse than a simple game that's fun.
some other factors greatly depends on the type of game:
A casual game needs to be easy to get into -- if you can play a game in quick 15-30 minute bursts, then people don't generally want to put up with a long learning curve to get started. Quick & easy to learn is a must for a casual game.
If you have a more 'epic' kind of game, the back story becomes more important, and you have the time to slowly introduce complicated gameplay concepts to the player. You don't necesarily need instant gratification for those kind of games, as long as it's engaging and immersive. The longer a game, the more important it is to stay appealing, so you need to capture the mood -- sound, story, graphics, etc. but fun is still #1.
Now, a game doesn't have to look amazing -- something ridiculously simple as minesweeper that comes with windows is still fairly popular. It's good enough, and it's there. :-?
Sometimes that's all you need to put your brain into screensaver mode and use as a quick stress reducer.
That one always applies. You can overlook mediocre graphics, sound, and awkward controls, but a game that looks and sounds beautiful but is boring is still worse than a simple game that's fun.
some other factors greatly depends on the type of game:
A casual game needs to be easy to get into -- if you can play a game in quick 15-30 minute bursts, then people don't generally want to put up with a long learning curve to get started. Quick & easy to learn is a must for a casual game.
If you have a more 'epic' kind of game, the back story becomes more important, and you have the time to slowly introduce complicated gameplay concepts to the player. You don't necesarily need instant gratification for those kind of games, as long as it's engaging and immersive. The longer a game, the more important it is to stay appealing, so you need to capture the mood -- sound, story, graphics, etc. but fun is still #1.
Now, a game doesn't have to look amazing -- something ridiculously simple as minesweeper that comes with windows is still fairly popular. It's good enough, and it's there. :-?
Sometimes that's all you need to put your brain into screensaver mode and use as a quick stress reducer.