When it comes to designing games, it’s not just about technology or art. To create a truly engaging and meaningful game, a designer must first understand what a game really is. Studying the nature of games gives designers the vocabulary and framework to analyze, compare, and build experiences that are both fun and purposeful.
Game designers who can clearly articulate what a game is are better equipped to make deliberate choices about rules, goals, and systems, rather than relying on instinct alone. Beyond design, understanding games helps us appreciate their cultural significance, see how they engage players, and recognize why people invest time and emotion into them.
What is a Game?
The first question we need to ask ourselves as game designers is “What is a game?”
This question seems straightforward, especially since we’ve all played games before. Yet, defining a game can be surprisingly complex. This question isn’t confined to any one type of game—whether it’s a board game, a card game, a sport, or a digital game, the essence remains the same. How would you explain what a game is to someone who has never encountered one? Think about some of your favorite games—how do they differ from other forms of entertainment?
Understanding what a game truly is allows us to appreciate them on a deeper level and even design our own. Scholars and game designers have proposed various definitions, each highlighting different aspects of what makes a game. As we explore these definitions, you’ll notice some common elements that form the foundation of any game.
A Universal Approach To Games
It is important to note that we will be discussing games as a whole, encompassing all types—traditional, physical, tabletop, and digital. The concepts and principles we explore apply to games in general, rather than focusing on any specific type.
Definitions of a Game
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word game is defined as
- “an activity which provides amusement or fun”.
While this captures the essence of enjoyment, it’s too broad to define what makes something a game. Turning to the Internet, Google’s first definition describes a game
- “a form of play or sport, especially a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck”.
This highlights the competitive and rule-based nature of games but still lacks the specificity needed for a comprehensive definition. Over the years, several prominent game designers and researchers have offered their own definitions of what constitutes a game. Here are a few widely cited definitions:
- “A series of meaningful choices .” – Sid Meier, game designer known for the Civilization series.
- “An activity among two or more independent decision-makers seeking to achieve their objectives in some limiting context .” – Clark C. Abt, game researcher and author of Serious Games.
- “A form of art in which participants, called players, make decisions to manage resources through game tokens in the pursuit of a goal .” – Greg Costikyan, game designer and author known for his work on game theory and design.
- “A closed formal system that subjectively represents a subset of reality, emphasizing the importance of rules and the systemic nature of games.” – Chris Crawford, game designer and theorist known for his book The Art of Computer Game Design.
- “A type of play activity, conducted in the context of a pretend reality, in which the participant(s) try to achieve at least one arbitrary, nontrivial goal by acting in accordance with rules .” – Ernest Adams, game designer and author of Fundamentals of Game Design.
- “A system in which players engage in an artificial conflict, defined by rules, that results in a quantifiable outcome .” – Katie Salen & Eric Zimmerman, game designers and authors of Rules of Play.
Examining each definition, what similarities do you notice? Are there any key terms that keep appearing? Understanding these recurring themes will guide us in defining the key elements of a game.
Games Defined
After reflecting on the various definitions discussed in this chapter, along with my own research, I have formulated a definition that encapsulates all these ideas to comprehensively define the term game.
Definition of a Game
“A game is an interactive system and type of play activity where players use creativity to overcome structured challenges in pursuit of a defined goal, while following the rules of a pretend reality, with their actions resulting in an uncertain yet measurable outcome.”
-Akram Tagahvi-Burris, game designer and educator.
This definition captures the essential attributes of games, including the interplay of creativity, structure, and player engagement. It will serve as a reference point as we continue to explore the deeper elements that make up the framework of games.