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  • Uncertainty in Games (Playful Thinking)

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Greg Costikyan
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Uncertainty in Games (Playful Thinking)

by Greg Costikyan (Author) Format: Paperback
4.1 out of 5 stars (85)

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How uncertainty in games—from D&D and Super Mario Bros. to Rock/Paper/Scissors—engages players and shapes play experiences.

In life, uncertainty surrounds us. Things that we thought were good for us turn out to be bad for us (and vice versa); people we thought we knew well behave in mysterious ways; the stock market takes a nosedive. Thanks to an inexplicable optimism, most of the time we are fairly cheerful about it all. But we do devote much effort to managing and ameliorating uncertainty. Is it any wonder, then, asks Greg Costikyan, that we have taken this aspect of our lives and transformed it culturally, making a series of elaborate constructs that subject us to uncertainty but in a fictive and nonthreatening way? That is: we create games.

In this concise and entertaining book, Costikyan, an award-winning game designer, argues that games require uncertainty to hold our interest, and that the struggle to master uncertainty is central to their appeal. Game designers, he suggests, can harness the idea of uncertainty to guide their work.

Costikyan explores the many sources of uncertainty in many sorts of games—from Super Mario Bros. and Dungeons & Dragons to Rock/Paper/Scissors, from Monopoly to CityVille, from FPS Deathmatch play to Chess. He describes types of uncertainty, including performative uncertainty, analytic complexity, and narrative anticipation. And he suggests ways that game designers who want to craft novel game experiences can use an understanding of game uncertainty in its many forms to improve their designs.
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  1. Part of series
    Playful Thinking
  2. Print length
    152 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    The MIT Press
  5. Publication date
    January 30, 2015
  6. Grade level
    12 and up
  7. Reading age
    18 years and up
  8. Dimensions
    5.43 x 0.39 x 7.99 inches
  9. ISBN-10
    0262527537
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0262527538
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Greg Costikyan, an award-winning designer of board, tabletop, roleplaying, computer, online, mobile, and social games, is Senior Game Designer for Loot Drop, Inc. He is the author of four science fiction/fantasy novels.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The MIT Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 30, 2015
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 152 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0262527537
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0262527538
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.8 ounces
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.43 x 0.39 x 7.99 inches
  • Part of series ‏ : ‎ Playful Thinking
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 12 and up
  • Best Sellers Rank: #215,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars (85)

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Greg Costikyan

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