This article will review what game mechanics are as well as how players interact and interpret them. Game designers’ roles with creating and using mechanics will be discussed as well as how mechanics are used for games-based learning and educational gaming. Lastly, this article will close on what designers should avoid when designing mechanics for their games.
Read MoreIn this article we’ll review what “sandbagging” is in games as well as provide examples from the most prevalent games where this happens. This article will also review competition in games as well as how players use and exploit the competitive advantage. Lastly, this article will end with an overview on designing for balance in games in order to make the best use of those competitive elements.
Read MoreYes they can! These kinds of games are called idiogames and this article will take a deeper look into what they are. Challenges surrounding how we create definitions around games will also be included. This article will also cover the structure of how these meaningful decisions produce personal outcomes for ourselves. Finally, this article will close on some idiogame examples.
Read MoreThis article answers the question: “What is an orthogame” as well as reviews the characteristics of orthogames. Orthogames will also be compared against competitive gaming and casual gaming.
Read MoreThis article will review the positives of learning and gaming in a socialized game environment as well as how gamers, players, students, and educators may create a socialized learning environment. This article will close on the outcomes and applications of socialized gaming.
Read MoreThis article will cover the different areas that games-based learning can be used for addressing soft skills development. This article will cover cognitive internal development; relational development; as well as how games can be used to develop students’ communication and creativity. This article will close with actionable items for using games-based learning to achieve these skill competencies.
Read MoreThis article will review some of the positives of including games in adult learning and development. The application of games compared to other activities will be discussed as well as some digital applications of games based learning.
Read MoreThis article will provide an overview of decisions and the decision space in games. It provides an overview of interesting choices for players. This article will include what characteristics make interesting choices for players; different types of decision spaces; and opportunities for creating informed choices. This article will conclude with direction on creating and designing decision spaces for the player experience a well as applications for both game and instructional design.
Read MoreThis article outlines what a core loop is as well as provides direction in its design. Examples of core loops are provided as well as some fatal mistakes to avoid in the design process.
Read MoreThis article will dive deeper into abstraction in games. Specifically what abstractions are; why they are used in games; and how they affect the player experience. This article will also review specific examples of abstraction in games and how they affect our play and engagement.
Read MoreThis article will provide an overview of achievements; why they should be used; and how achievements affect the player experience. The article will also review the different types of achievements and their applications. While we recognize achievements in game play; we can also use them for games-based learning applications.
Read MoreThis article will address how versatile points are in their applications. They can be used as a rewards system to help players continue to engage. Points can also change the player perception of the game through how they gain feedback. This article will also cover the different design philosophies when incorporating points into games as well as different methods for scoring. Lastly, the article will cover actionable takeaways for building scoring mechanics into your games, serious games, simulations or any other applications of games-based learning.
Read MoreFortnite recently became one of the most successful video games in history, which has been a mixture of surprise, fascination, and wonder for someone like me. Someone who was never been that big on the battle royal train from the beginning.
Celia Hodent’s is the former director of User Experience at Epic Games where she worked on Fortnite from 2013 to 2017. In her original post here: Gamasutra: Celia Hodent's Blog - Understanding the Success of Fortnite: A UX & Psychology Perspective she talks about the combination of her different disciplines in psychology, user experience, and how both informed the development of Fortnite.
Read MoreIntrinsic motivation is one of the most powerful motivating factors for people. Intrinsic motivation is what keeps players playing. They play for the love of the game instead of for a particular reward. But what is intrinsic motivation? What is motivation in general? This article will address intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation and how you can use both in games-based learning.
Read MoreGames-based learning is a serious way for us to meet the needs of our students in way that is both engaging and impactful. However, there are still some limitations to games-based learning that need to be considered before educators can use it in practice. Limitations of games-based learning include the outcomes of our students; the costs of investment; as well as the shift and priorities. This article will address these weaknesses of games-based learning as well as some best practices when creating new games-based learning systems.
Read MoreGames are one of the best places where we can use and apply what we’ve learned through our mistakes in order to inform our experience. Games-based learning is an application where we can use games as formative learning experiences to develop ourselves and our students. Games-based learning is based on experiential learning: learning through experience. But there is one thing for certain that needs to happen more in experiential learning: We need to make more mistakes.
Read MoreDynamics and loops are some of the most important elements of your game design. When thinking about your game dynamics it’s important to consider the following two questions: 1) What actions can players take? 2) How do those actions help them achieve the game objectives? This article will dive deeper into what game dynamics are as well as how you can use them engage the player in the “core loop” of your game.
Read MoreEngaging in a state of “flow” is one of the most mesmerizing things that your players can do. They are engaged with your game. They are performing at the top of their ability. They are so engrossed that they begin to lose track of time. A flow state is something that all designers should aim to achieve in their game design. But what is flow? What is a flow state? How can you achieve it in your own designs?
Read MoreGame themes are often one of the most memorable moments for players. They don’t remember so much the individual actions they took but rather the castle they helped raid; the city they built; or the ship they sailed. The same thing can be said for classes. Students may not remember every lecture, every question, or ever topic ever discussed. But they will remember their outcomes and how they were able to apply what they learned. When done correctly: theme becomes an invisible and inseparable framework for how we define the player experience. When combined with games-based learning; theme and content can help define and shape a memorable and applicable user experience.
Read MorePlayer interaction is an important characteristic to consider when designing games. The designer has to answer the questions “How is the player going to interact with the game? How will the player interact with other players? what kind of decisions can the player make?” All of these questions should be answered when designing for player interaction. What specific role does player interaction play in game design?
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