1. Be fun to play with.
All games are arguably fun, If a game is not fun, then we need to reconsider the fact whether the said game is a game or not.
It is a given the the factor of fun is necessary in every game, so we need to consider about the mechanics during the design process.
2.Serve the narrative.
A self-expression game does need a good flow of narrative indeed. This needs to be considered when designing the game, especially story-based game. The game has to have a mechanics that follows the narration well at a suitable pace.
3.Make your partner look good.
To me, this is the most interesting part. I think if we want to make a good self-expression game, with this aspect, we need to make it so that the player gets a reward when they are pleasing their partner, most probably in a social aspect.
It would be really strange if we make a game without making it fun and rewarding to the player, hence if we want to consider this aspect, we need to make it rewarding.
In a self-expression game, those 3 aspect are very important, each needs to be fulfilled to make a good game.
