Uncertainty in Games (Playful Thinking)

This book is not worth the money I paid for it and should have been little more than a free blogpost on a site. It was basically about a guy shoehorning the idea of unpredictability into every game example. I'm annoyed that I wasted time reading this because I'm compelled to read everything to the end, but you really don't need to buy this book. Just know unpredictability makes for fascinating games. That sentence is all you need.

It's not often that one comes across a real in-depth study of a family of mechanics, and Uncertainty in Games is one of those rare gems. Written from the perspective of a game design practitioner, it is a thorough exploration of uncertainty mechanics specifically, an examination of what they are, what makes them work, and illustrated with a wide range of examples from existing games.This is the kind of a book where a very experienced practitioner speaks to other designers, and shares his observations about the craft. The author is an accomplished game designer, and his experience and fascination with the domain clearly show. Readers looking to glean insights about the varieties of uncertainty in games, and how it gets used across various titles and genres, will come away richly rewarded.I have been using this book as a supplemental text in a game design course for several years now, and I can't recommend it highly enough, not just to students but to fellow game developers as well.

Reading this under-appreciated book (it's currently languishing at #557,270 on the Amazon best seller rankings) it came as a wonderful revelation to me that an author could take a subject of such seemingly limited appeal and produce a work of such general insight and interest.Costikyan sets out to examine the question of just how much uncertainty and what types of uncertainty make games intriguing and captivating rather than irritating and frustrating?This apparently innocuous question hides great subtlety and depth, not least when you consider that it's not just games but plots of novels, films, and stories of any sort that need elements of uncertainty and surprise to sustain our interest.Along the way Costikyan gives an expert overview of gaming of all sorts from Advanced Dungeons and Dragons to Super Mario to Sid Meier's Civilization, but don't be misled though into thinking this book is only about gaming. It has much wider ambitions than pure gaming. Costikyan ranges far and wide in his discussions, for example it's through this book that I discovered the work of the psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi author of Flow, a seminal work on creativity and happiness.Uncertainty in Games deserves a much wider readership.

This is a good discussion about uncertanty in games, and is worth its value, giving some hints for designers.However, it is a bit too small. The book could continue in different ways.

Makes a strong case for the presence of uncertainty in games, and the difference between it and randomness. I completely agree with the idea that uncertainty, in its many faces, can increase the appeal and value of a game and make for a a more interesting game.Worth a read if you're looking for some ideas on your next journey to the game design world.

A previous reviewer stated that this book was a bit short. I agree that the book is short, but it truly was an eye opening experience. It takes you through your most beloved games, and explains to you why they are loved by so many. I think this is a must read for anybody that either wants to understand what makes games fun, or wants to build a fun game themselves.

good book. enjoyable if you are a game developer,

good

I noticed that this book covered all material on Uncertainty in games down to the very last detail and all sources of uncertainty were formalised and described incredibly well with brilliant examples. It pretty much covered everything possible and helped a great deal with my Games Design exam :)

Made me think differently about games and game mechanics. Great read.

Libro editado por el MIT con un contenido sencillo que no se hace pesado durante la lectura. Greg Costikyan hace un recorrido por distintos géneros de videojuegos, seleccionando ejemplos concretos y como mantienen al jugador enganchado

I would reccomend this book not only to game designers and game designers wannabee, but to anyone that thinks to himself as an expert boardgamer. Or gamer.