Role Categories Are Deduction Tools
Left to their own devices, players create terminology for patterns they encounter in games. My favorite example is the term "cantrip" in Dominion: it refers to actions that give both an
Attention Budget
Players have a limited amount of attention. Game design must consider how much attention players can allocate to each part of the game, what they will pay attention to, and how to reduce attention costs.
Real-Time Games Need Breaks
The big advantage of real-time games over turn-based games is that they prevent downtime by keeping players constantly engaged. Their greatest disadvantage is that they drastically reduce the budget of attention
Why Asymmetric Games Still Need Symmetric Systems
Interactivity in tabletop games can be controversial. Some people think it is an essential component of the experience, while others don't mind multiplayer solitaire. Interactivity encourages players to see the game
Why “I” Is Sometimes Better Than “You” in Game Rules
Second-person pronouns are common in board game rules, often indicating that the rule applies to the reader. First-person pronouns are less common but often more efficient. They reduce ambiguity and cognitive
The Most Satisfying Reward Might Be To Remove a Problem
It is tempting to see progression in games as a process of gaining more and more resources and options. But options create noise. When players have many options, it takes more effort to