My thoughts on reading "Rules of Play"

My initial reaction after beginning to read excerpts from this reading, honestly, was that of confusion. I had never looked so deeply into something that seemed as "elementary" as a game. However, as I continued to absorb the reading more deeply, I begun to realize that games are indeed cleverly designed "systems," just as we have seen in class.

Among the huge amount of terminology associated with game design, I really focused in on the opening discussion of what meaningful play entails.

I learned that meaningful play is made up of discernable and integrated aspects:

1. discernable: lets a player "know what happened"
2. integrated: a player's action has effect on the game's future.

Essentially, the main goal of a game is to create meaningful gameplay..

Another important idea I came across was actually presented as a quote:
"Games are a subset of play, play is a subset of games"
..One of those quotes that makes you think

This reading proceded to discuss "the magic circle," a sort of figurative realm that encompasses all of gameplay. Within this "circle" lies the aspects of rules, play, and culture. What context is the game to be played in? How will it be played? What is to be learned while playing?


My final thoughts on this reading are mixed. I found it hard to follow at very many points, and saw it difficult to comprehend. But I did gather some insight into the world of game design, and with our current project, I thought the excerpts from "Rules of Play" was a good, appropriate read

Andy