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Raph Koster

Theory of Fun for Game Design 1st Edition

by Raph Koster (Author)

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A Theory of Fun for Game Design is not your typical how-to book. It features a novel way of teaching interactive designers how to create and improve their designs to incorporate the highest degree of fun. As the book shows, designing for fun is all about making interactive products like games highly entertaining, engaging, and addictive. The book's unique approach of providing a highly visual storyboard approach combined with a narrative on the art and practice of designing for fun is sure to be a hit with game and interactive designers, At first glance A Theory of Fun for Game Design is a book that will truly inspire and challenge game designers to think in new was; however, its universal message will influence designers from all walks of life. This book captures the real essence of what drives us to seek out products and experiences that are truly fun and entertaining. The author masterfully presents his engaging theory by showing readers how many designs are lacking because they are predictable and not engaging enough. He then explains how great designers use different types of elements in new ways to make designs more fun and compelling. Anyone who is interested in design will enjoy how the book works on two levels--as a quick inspiration guide to game design, or as an informative discussion that details the insightful thinking from a great mind in the game industry.

ISBN-10

1932111972
ISBN-13

978-1932111972
Edition

1st
Publisher

O'Reilly Media
Publication date

November 6, 2004
Language

English
Dimensions

9.12 x 0.5 x 7.12 inches
Print length

256 pages
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Does for games what Understanding Comics did for sequential art. You'll never look at fun the same way again." -- Cory Doctorow, Author of Eastern Standard Tribe and Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom; co-editor of Boing Boing

"I expect this book to become an instant classic, fascinating to anyone who has ever made or played a game." -- Noah Falstein, Freelance Game Designer/Writer/Producer

"Raph Koster offers a road map for how to make games an even more expressive medium." -- Henry Jenkins, Director, MIT's Comparative Media Studies Program.

"Raph's focus on finding new ways to communicate complex design issues has been an incredible benefit to game developers" -- David Perry, President Shiny Entertainment (Atari, Inc.)

"You've written a wonderful starting point for research and many future dinner conversations!" -- Cory Ondrejka, VP, Linden Lab

A book about fun which is actually fun to read. It reminds me of Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics. -- Henry Jenkins, Director, MIT's Comparative Media Studies Program

A thoughtful take on how and why games are fun (and important)... chock full of insights, jokes and asides. -- Robin Hunicke, Northwestern University

Does for games what Understanding Comics did for sequential art. -- Cory Doctorow, Author of Eastern Standard Tribe and Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, co-editor of Boing Boing

Everyone from professional game developers to those who want to understand why we play games will enjoy this book. -- Cory Ondrejka, Vice President, Linden Lab

From the Publisher

A Theory of Fun for Game Design is not your typical how-to book. It features a novel way of teaching interactive designers how to create and improve their designs to incorporate the highest degree of fun. As the book shows, designing for fun is all about making interactive products like games highly entertaining, engaging, and addictive. The books unique approach of providing a highly visual storyboard approach combined with a narrative on the art and practice of designing for fun is sure to be a hit with game and interactive designers, At first glance A Theory of Fun for Game Design is a book that will truly inspire and challenge game designers to think in new was; however, its universal message will influence designers from all walks of life. This book captures the real essence of what drives us to seek out products and experiences that are truly fun and entertaining. The author masterfully presents his engaging theory by showing readers how often designs are! lacking because they are predictable and not engaging enough. He then explains how great designers use different types of elements in new ways to make designs more fun and compelling. Anyone who is interested in design will enjoy how the book works on two levels--as a quick inspiration guide to game design or as an informative discussion that details the insightful thinking from a great mind in the game industry.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ O'Reilly Media; 1st edition (November 6, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1932111972
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1932111972
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.12 x 0.5 x 7.12 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,343,826 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #243 in Game Theory (Books)
- #281 in Computer & Video Game Design
- #844 in Game Programming

Customer Reviews:
138 ratings

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Raph Koster

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Raph Koster is a veteran game designer who has been professionally credited in almost every area of the game industry. He’s been the lead designer and director of massive titles such as ULTIMA ONLINE and STAR WARS GALAXIES; a venture-backed entrepreneur heading his own studio; and he’s contributed design work, writing, art, soundtrack music, and programming to many more titles ranging from Facebook games to single-player games for handheld consoles.

Koster is widely recognized as one of the world’s top thinkers about game design, and is an in-demand speaker at conferences all over the world. His book A THEORY OF FUN FOR GAME DESIGN has reached its tenth anniversary as one of the undisputed classics in the games field. In 2012, he was named an Online Game Legend at the Game Developers Conference Online. Visit his blog at www.raphkoster.com.

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Donald Hawthorne

A fun book that reflects it's own ideals

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 23, 2004

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What is fun? This is a question that comes up constantly for game designers, but is something that everyone wonders from time to time. Unfortunately, fun is mysterious, intangible thing, something that would seem to vary wildly from person to person and from circumstance to circumstance. What possible universals of fun could exist that would allow us to understand and better utilize it? Raph Koster has a theory.

Who is Raph Koster and on what grounds does he think he can write the book on fun? Currently, he is the chief creative officer of Sony Online Entertainment, makers of Everquest and Star Wars Galaxies. He was part of the original Ultima Online development team and is credited for work both on that and The Second Age expansion. He maintains a series of writings at [...] and is a common speaker at several game development conventions. With such a background, little wonder then that the title of the book is A Theory of Fun for Game Design.

Yet the book itself is not limited in scope of game design itself, and within Raph Koster attempts to better define the universals of what fun is to humankind as he works his way to the medium of games. It is here that he explains, in easy to follow logic, how fun is a part of the learning process, a reward mechanism attached to the method of encapsulating the world around us into useful ideas for use in our everyday lives.

Once we get to the games, which happens at about chapter 3, the real fun begins. In the remaining ten chapters (including the epilogue) Raph Koster revisits the core concept of fun as he explains what games are, what they teach us, and what they're not. He explains how different games hold different appeal for different people. How too much emphasis on learning can be obstructive and how too little learning can be dull, and the necessary elements to get an ideal balance. Why people are resistant to change even if the brain is wired for them to learn, and why designers are resistant to bring new ideas to games. How games can be classified, even as art. There's much more here than I have time to elaborate on. The book closes on an ethical note, along with some visionary ideas about where games can go.

The book weighs in at 244 pages, and the content is deep, but the book itself is quite easy reading. It is formatted to have no more than 29 lines a page, and every other page is a helpful and often humorous black and white comic. This approach helps the content flow much easier while simultaneously demonstrating that fun and learning can indeed be related.

Has Raph Koster really defined what fun is? Well, it's certainly a good theory. In the end, you learn not only a bit about fun and game design but (like many good books) also a bit about life.

8 people found this helpful

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Begotus Cloudchaser

A pretty bad book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 4, 2013

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I'm surprised at the review ratings that this book has received. Despite nearly every reviewers' comment finding big problems with this book, the ratings remain high. I value my time and my money and this book is worth spending neither.

I read this book after reading Brian Tinsman's "The Game Inventor's Guidebook", which I strongly recommend. He referenced this book so I ordered. Long story short is that this book does nothing for you if you're interested in developing a game.

Several other reviewers have pointed out that the title of this book is very misleading. That's to put it mildly. There is no theory presented or anything coming close to scientific reasoning upon with to base some new thinking. I was hoping for some new insight or approach but found only dribble. The author does not really get into "fun", what it is, how to achieve it in a game, or anything else particularly useful. The author does provide dictionary definitions of common terms at the start of nearly every chapter.

The author equates "fun" with "educational" and says that the biggest aspect determining whether or not a game is fun is if you are learning. I'm sorry, but I have an entire industry of "educational" games that beg to differ. I think the author's point may be that learning is easier or more effective or more fun when the method of learning is fun. While that may be true, it's also true of just about anything. There's nothing inherent about learning or education that leads to "fun" in this regard.

The author picked up a term "grok" or "grokking" from some other text and uses it extensively through the book as if it were a real word, a word that the reader is familiar with, or a word that has some special meaning. If there is a special meaning, it was lost on me. As best I could figure out, "grok" was used to mean "understand" or "master" or the like. Of course, the use of common English words instead of made up words would make the reading much more schlopable. (That's my own made up word - I haven't yet decided what it means. You get the picture.)

The illustrations used are pretty low quality and childish. They look like single drafts with little or no effort put in to refine the illustrations. They're basically for ignoring, although I found myself getting frustrated or annoyed everytime I looked at one expecting added context. (I'm not good as just ignoring a thing.)

The author repeatedly provides the example of how Tic Tac Toe is a game that is initially "fun", but once you "grok" it you stop playing it. This one example of this one game appears to be the basis for the entire book, with the author believing his superficial understanding of how one can get bored with a game is some deep insight that deserves an entire book.

I have a new definition of "grokking" and this book is it! It was a grokking waste of my time.

16 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

A fascinating primer on how we enjoy ourselves

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 16, 2007

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I should start out by mentioning that I'm reviewing this book from more of a general knowledge standpoint than a purely video game related one.

A lot of other reviews have mentioned that there aren't many practical tips in this book, which is true, but that's why it's a theory of fun and not a handbook of rules. Theories pull basic meanings & principles out of a vast, murky subject that can later evolve into practical uses, in this case for video games or any other artistic medium.

The author breaks down our sense of enjoyment into more manageable & understandable categories, like social and aesthetic satisfactions. But the bulk of the book covers the enjoyment that comes from learning patterns and overcoming challenges, which he defines as "fun."

Although fun as Koster defines it is most evident in video games, the enjoyment that comes from learning and figuring things out could just as easily apply to a mystery novel as a puzzle game. Having a firm understanding of "fun" as well as the other types of enjoyment could benefit any artistic pursuit.

Another fascinating concept in "Theory of Fun" is the idea that all artforms become more and more complex until only a dedicated few can master it, at which point the artform either dies off or is reinvented to better suit the masses. This concept could explain the recent rise of the Wii, with its simple, accessible approach to games over more complex systems.

All in all, "A Theory of Fun for Game Design" isn't just ideas on how to build a better video game mousetrap, but a basic intro on enjoyment so we can hopefully learn to create work that's enjoyable for others.

4 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Jimbo Jones

Content over Style.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 28, 2011

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I was bought this as a biirthday present, & when I opened the wrapping I must admit I felt a bit of a lull in my enthusiasm, not at all what I expected. Every right hand page is a line drawing (naive style) relating to the left pages idea's, and the text isn't that dense.

Then I started reading it & my attitude totally changed. This is an excellent book on the underlying aspects of game design, written from a very genuinely personal outlook.

Koster writes a very entertaining view of what matters in the design & overall feel of fun games, & although he does sounds like he's arguing for all games to be 'art' in themselves, his point is a good one about really caring about what you do.

I found the naive drawings actually lent weight to his personal style & the feel that here was somebody imparting their experience over a quiet pint.

It's NOT a step by step 'How To' akin to a painting book telling you how to mix colours the artist does, more of a 'here's the approach to thinking about how the concepts & mechanics come together to make a game enjoyable below the visual surface.

From initial uncertainty I've went to thinking this is a real gem of a book on the subject that touches on so many more topics. Highly recommend it.

2 people found this helpful

Khaled McGonnell

More a treatise on what games are and should be than a theory of fun

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 24, 2012

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What this book delivers well is a treatise on what games are and should be. The author's erudition and practical experience across a wide range of disciplines is a particular strength of the book. Whilst discussion of some theories in the initial chapters is so reductive that it unintentionally teeters on the condescending, as the argument advances, the introduction, analysis and weaving together of disparate theories flows naturally into the overall thrust of the book. Games are illustrated as a medium intrinsically characterized by the intersection of multiple disciplines. Unfortunately, if (like me) you've picked up this book wanting a detailed and substantiated analysis of theories of fun, I feel you'll be left wanting. This is particularly frustrating as there are some very interesting frameworks (e.g. breaking down types of fun into constructive, experiential, and deconstructive activities for co-operative, competitive and individual interaction) which warrant more column inches. I was expecting something akin to an academic textbook with more of a discussion of reward theories in the gaming context. Why is completing a level fun? Do certain sound effects generate more fun than others? Do coins or gibs serve as a better reward? Certainly the book offers suggestions but analysis of specific reward mechanisms lacks breadth and detail. This is certainly thought provoking stuff that will help anyone approaching game design, but its brevity and lack of depth constrain it, at best, to a supplementary text.

One person found this helpful

A. Nichol

A great little book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 3, 2012

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This is a great little book. It's short, to-the-point, and exactly what the games industry needs. It gets lost somewhere near the end and seems to ramble repetitively, but by that point you've got everything you need to from the book and you're safe to put it down!

I'd recommend this to anyone looking to get into the games industry, or looking for a fresh take on the new social gaming world.

Greg

Accessible theories on fun, playing and games!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 18, 2013

Verified Purchase

I found this to be a really useful deconstruction of what game design is and how we might go about doing it. I love the distinctions that Koster makes between games and other mediums, often highlight their synergies whilst also exposing some fundamental differences. A really useful tool I would say for anyone working delving into this field.

Danno

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 29, 2014

Verified Purchase

Love the ideas contained in the book. The poor illustrations were very tough on the eye though.

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