Gaming theory is fun | A Theory of Fun for Game Design

Inspiring and Cleverly Entertaining | A Theory of Fun for Game Design | Raph Koster

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	• A Theory of Fun for Game Design Raph Koster Paraglyph Press, 2004 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 44 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A solid book on the subject of game design and "fun."

This book is by design, targeted towards games designers. This includes, but is not limited to computer/video games, board games, card games, table-top games, and role-playing games (D&D, etc.)

The author does a great job of abstracting common concepts that are fundamental to all games and should be commended for it.

Getting to the very core of and placing a significant emphasis on "fun" is what this book does best.

Academia should also consider this book as a reference/textbook for use on any course that involves games.

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Gaming theory is fun

Understanding what makes games fun or what is a game in the first place is a tough question to answers, mostly because it seems that we haven't given it and (ironically) serious thought.

Finding this book helps me answer a few of my questions about games and makes me think of many others. But it's important that these books be written so that we can continue to innovate on this field and help people that want to do research on the subject get further ahead. Ralph Koster makes some good points and they are all, of course, done in an entertaining manner. It may be somewhat basic reading, but then again you have to start at the beggining to make your way to the top. Have fun reading this, I know I did.

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Inspiring and Cleverly Entertaining

Raph Koster's "A Theory of Fun for Game Design" is a great book for anyone who is either a gamer or even remotely interested in pursuing a job in game design. Koster explains the psychology behind games, and explores how and why they are either entertaining or dull. Koster is short and to the point, and is very clear with his ideas. A comic every other page provides the occasional laugh, and all the jokes are relevant.

After reading this I feel like I have a firm grasp on what makes a game good, and I could make a good game as well. I am a Digital Media student focused on game design, and this book really helped me with providing some advice from a well-established professional. Couldn't recommend this book enough.

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Thought provoking

While a bit rambling and repetitive, I much enjoyed this book, finding it useful when thinking about games and about making software that feels more like game play. The book explores what makes games fun, why we play games, and how games can serve a larger purpose of learning and growth.

The book is also quite funny with some hilarious one-liners supporting the point he is trying to make. Some of my favorites were: "Basically, our brains are on drugs pretty much all the time" and "We're just tribal monkeys throwing feces at each other in order to own the top of the tree."

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Authored by Raph Koster, Chief Creative Officer of Sony Online Entertainment, this brilliantly illustrated book is a storyboard filled with inspirational ideas for all designers. As Will Wright (co-creator of SimCity 2000 and SimCopter) states in his foreword, "Raph forages across wide intellectual landscapes and then returns to share what he?s discovered with the rest of us?. He has filtered out a treasure trove of useful and relevant nuggets from a career?s worth of his own research."

A Theory of Fun for Game Design features a novel way of showing interactive designers how to improve their designs to incorporate the highest degree of fun. This book will truly inspire and challenge game designers, as well as artists and designers from all segments of the industry. The unique format of A Theory of Fun, with engaging text and thought-provoking illustrations, will ensure that this book becomes a classic text for designers. Already endorsed by major players in the gaming world ? such as BoingBoing, Noah Falstein, and Henry Jenkins of MIT ? A Theory of Fun covers such essential topics as:

? Why some games are fun and others boring ? Why making a game too hard?or too easy?is a mistake ? Why games have to balance deprivation and overload, order and chaos, silence and noise ? The difference between designing content and creating an experience ? Why both adults and children like to play games ? How playing a game and learning are connected ? The ethics of entertainment

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