Index

Table of Contents
  Foreword p. ix
  Preface p. xiii
1 About This Book p. 1
2 The Design Process p. 11
  Commissioned Essay p. 22
  Reiner Knizia  
Unit 1 Core Concepts p. 28
3 Meaningful Play p. 30
4 Design p. 38
5 Systems p. 48
6 Interactivity p. 56
7 Defining Games p. 70
8 Defining Digital Games p. 84
9 The Magic Circle p. 92
10 The Primary Schemas: RULES, PLAY, CULTURE p. 100
  Commissioned Game p. 106
  Richard Garfield  
Unit 2 Rules p. 116
11 Defining Rules p. 118
12 Rules on Three Levels p. 126
13 The Rules of Digital Games p. 140
14 Games as Emergent Systems p. 150
15 Games as Systems of Uncertainty p. 172
16 Games as Information Theory Systems p. 190
17 Games as Systems of Information p. 202
18 Games as Cybernetic Systems p. 212
19 Games as Game Theory Systems p. 230
20 Games as Systems of Conflict p. 248
21 Breaking the Rules p. 266
  Commissioned Game p. 286
  Frank Lantz  
Unit 3 Play p. 298
22 Defining Play p. 300
23 Games as the Play of Experience p. 312
24 Games as the Play of Pleasure p. 328
25 Games as the Play of Meaning p. 362
26 Games as Narrative Play p. 376
27 Games as the Play of Simulation p. 420
28 Games as Social Play p. 460
  Commissioned Game p. 490
  Kira Snyder  
Unit 4 Culture p. 502
29 Defining Culture p. 504
30 Games as Cultural Rhetoric p. 514
31 Games as Open Culture p. 536
32 Games as Cultural Resistance p. 556
33 Games as Cultural Environment p. 570
  Commissioned Game p. 588
  James Ernest  
  Additional Reading and Resources p. 602
  Conclusion p. 604
  Bibliography p. 608
  List of Games Cited p. 620
  Index p. 638