A Theory of Fun for Game Design
Encyclopedia
A Theory of Fun for Game Design is a book written and illustrated by Raph Koster
. It is based upon a presentation Koster gave at the Austin Game Conference in 2003, and the book reflects its origins by displaying text on one page and a cartoon/graphic from the talk on the other page.
Raph Koster's thesis is that games are all essentially "edutainment
", teaching us the skills we might need in real life in a safe, low-stakes environment. A good game, according to him, is "one that teaches everything it has to offer before the player stops playing."(p. 46)
Raph Koster
Raphael "Raph" Koster is an American entrepreneur, game designer, and author of A Theory of Fun for Game Design. Koster is widely recognized for his work as the lead designer of Ultima Online and the creative director behind Star Wars Galaxies...
. It is based upon a presentation Koster gave at the Austin Game Conference in 2003, and the book reflects its origins by displaying text on one page and a cartoon/graphic from the talk on the other page.
Raph Koster's thesis is that games are all essentially "edutainment
Edutainment
Edutainment is a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse.-Overview:...
", teaching us the skills we might need in real life in a safe, low-stakes environment. A good game, according to him, is "one that teaches everything it has to offer before the player stops playing."(p. 46)