Critically analyzing games gives us the opportunity to look beyond surface-level enjoyment and dig into how games function as systems. Every game is composed of interconnected parts that come together to shape the player’s experience. By breaking down these elements, we can identify the player experience the game is designed to create. We can then evaluate whether the game actually delivers on that experience.
Having a structured approach is especially useful here. Game analysis frameworks provide a shared vocabulary and methodology for examining games. They help us ask: What is this game trying to achieve for its players? Are its mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics working together to meet those goals? With a framework in hand, our analysis becomes more consistent, more insightful, and easier to communicate.
Analysis vs. Reviews
It’s important to distinguish between a game analysis and a game review.
- Game analysis: This is an exploration rooted in design theory and practice. It identifies design obstacles, examines whether the mechanics align with player motivations, and evaluates if the game is delivering the intended emotional or experiential outcomes. For instance, if a puzzle game aims to provide a satisfying sense of problem-solving, analysis would look at whether its mechanics encourage creativity or merely frustrate the player.
- Game reviews, by contrast, are consumer-focused. Their purpose is to tell readers whether a game is worth buying or playing. They cover aspects like price, content value, entertainment quality, and accessibility, but they don’t typically go deep into the design mechanics or systemic structure of the game.
If you’re a designer, developer, or student of games, practicing analysis can be far more valuable. It sharpens your design thinking, helps you understand industry trends, and gives you the ability to articulate what makes games work (or fail).
Why Use Frameworks in Game Analysis?
Frameworks act as analytical lenses, different tools you can use depending on what you want to examine. They don’t provide “right answers,” but they guide your questions and focus your observations. Here are a few of the most influential and widely used frameworks in game analysis:
- MDA Framework (Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics) – Developed by Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek, this framework bridges design and player experience. Mechanics are the rules and systems, Dynamics are the emergent behaviors that arise when players interact with those mechanics, and Aesthetics are the emotional responses players experience.
- Formal, Dramatic, and Dynamic Elements – Introduced by Tracy Fullerton and Chris Swain, this model emphasizes how formal rules, dramatic storytelling, and dynamic player interactions combine to shape games.
- Elemental Tetrad – Jesse Schell identifies four essential elements of games: Mechanics, Aesthetics, Story, and Technology. Analyzing how these four elements support (or undermine) each other can reveal why some games resonate strongly with players.
- Layered Tetrad – Jeremy Gibson Bond refines the Tetrad into layers: Inscribed (the designed rules and assets), Dynamic (how players actually play), and Cultural (how the broader culture interprets or uses the game).
- PLAYER Framework – Developed by Akram Taghavi-Burris, this framework emphasizes the player’s central role, breaking analysis down into: Player, Layered Interaction, Atomposer, Yielded Experience, and Engagement and Relationships. This model puts the focus directly on how players interact with and make meaning from games.
Each framework has its strengths and limitations, highlighting different aspects of the game experience. While MDA connects design choices to player emotions and the Layered Tetrad emphasizes cultural context, I encourage students to use the PLAYER framework since it aims to provide the most holistic approach to game analysis.
Why Aspiring Designers Should Write Game Analyses
Whether you’re hoping to work in game design, software development, or related fields, writing periodic game analyses can be a powerful way to showcase your skills and passion. It demonstrates that you can think critically about games, not just play them. Posting these analyses on a portfolio, blog, or LinkedIn profile communicates to potential employers or collaborators that you understand design at a systems level.
Ultimately, analyzing games isn’t just about dissecting what already exists—it’s about training yourself to create better games. The more you practice this skill, the more prepared you’ll be to build experiences that align mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics with meaningful player goals.