When writing descriptions for items keep in mind the following guidelines.

1. CONCISION

Keep descriptions short and to the point.

WOOD ARROW

Instead of:
This arrow is made of wood and it’s the most basic type of ammo for the bow.

Try:
Standard arrow made of wood.

2. TUTORIALIZE

Use descriptions as an opportunity to give players useful hints.

In this example, mushrooms are consumables that, once collected, respawn after some time. If it has been raining, they respawn faster.

This might not be obvious, so we tell the player in the item’s description.

EDIBLE MUSHROOM

Instead of:
Tasty and nutritious..

Try:
Earthy, meaty and nutritious. This mushroom grows back faster after the rain.

3. CRAFTING RECIPES

In some games items can often be crafted out of a series of ingredients.

Be sure to check the item’s crafting recipe (both ingredients and crafting station) for details and inspiration.In the following example, Bandages are crafted out of Fabric and Honey.

BANDAGES

Instead of:
Used to cure wounds.

Try:
Strips of fabric soaked in honey, very effective for healing wounds.

4. LORE

Take the opportunity to insert references to the game lore.

This helps make the game world (and the items in it) feel like a cohesive whole, increasing player’s immersion.

CHOCOLATE COOKIE

Instead of:
Delicious biscuit covered in chocolate.

Try:
Queen Isabella’s favorite food, sweet and nutritious. Rumor has it she would never go to bed without first having one.

5. ADD VALUE

Try and add details that are not obvious from the item’s name or look.
If a description sounds boring it’s probably a good opportunity to add some flair to it. Be creative and try to make descriptions interesting.

DRAGON SCYTHE

Instead of:
A scythe made out of a dragon’s claw.

Try:
Dragon claws can be finely sharpened, a process that the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm have turned into an art form.

6. HUMOR

Depending on the tone of your game’s narrative, a pinch of humor, used sparsely, can help cheering up your players.

WICKED CHOWDER

Instead of:
A nutritious seafood soup.

Try:
A spicy seafood soup. A recipe invented by pure chance by the witch Melissa while trying to concoct a potent love elixir.