As I mentioned before, there are many things that define what is game design. For example, it is an opportunity to transport players to realities that we can only imagine to be people that we may only dream of. However, just as important as what it is and isn't, is how it is done. Generally speaking there is a systematic approach that game designers follow to create a game. It begins with the "idea"—the concept of what the game will be. This is usually not static and will change over the course of a game's development. From there, and depending on who is on your team, it will go through many design phases before becoming a prototype. Beyond the prototype phase, the actual game will enter the development process where the actual assets (and not placeholders) will be created and implemented. From this point, the game will go through an iterative cycle, where the game will undergo playtesting, changes, more playtesting, more changes, and then eventually it will be refined to the point where it will enter the last stages. Here, we will briefly explore each of these stages.