In 1912, sociologist Émile Durkheim came up with the theory of "Collective Effervescence." He theorized that experiencing emotionally charged events together creates social unity. Collective effervescence requires both shared attention and
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
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
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
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