A game is not a game without a special kind of conflict
A game is not a game without a special kind of conflict
A game is not a game without a special kind of conflict
By Eric Zimmerman
February 06, 2023
Summary
Every game pits players with or against each other in a system of conflict.
This is the double-edged potential of conflict that every game designer and player confronts.
How do you maintain collaborative play in the midst of full-tilt struggle? How do you harness the elemental spark of dramatic conflict without letting it burn down the whole game? How does conflict resist toxicity and remain productive, meaningful and joyful? It all comes down to the community that emerges when we play.
The game designer Bernie De Koven viewed this kind of play community as a space for gaining a truer understanding of oneself.
In his book The Well-Played Game, he described the power of realizing that players can choose to change the game itself if they want to play better together.
Finally, the layer of person, with relationships and responsibilities outside of the game: whose turn is it to pay for the pizza? Why aren't there more girls in our game club? Playing a game doesn't mean occupying just one of these layers.
In an arcade fighting game, on one level you identify with the character you're playing, extending yourself into the world of the game.
Reference
Zimmerman, E. (2023, February 6). A game is not a game without a special kind of conflict: Psyche ideas. Psyche. Retrieved February 14, 2023, from https://psyche.co/ideas/a-game-is-not-a-game-without-a-special-kind-of-conflict