I Have No Words & I Must Design:

Toward a Critical Vocabulary for Games

Greg Costikyan

Really!? I've finished!? Thank  **** for that. That was a long read :P

Costikyan says - 'A game is an interactive structure of endogenous meaning that requires players to struggle towards goals'

Okay where to begin,

So apparently a lot of people are confused over the meaning of the word 'Game'. We'll begin with Chris Crawford, this guy contrasts between 'games' and 'puzzles' in his book 'The Art of Computer Games Design'. He believes that puzzles are static with a logic structure to be solved and that games are not and change with the player's actions. Costikyan goes on in saying that no-one would call a 'crossword' a game however some games have some degree of puzzle solving in them. Regardless  if there digital or non-digital, it is true that a game must be interactive to be a game meaning the player has to make choices to benefit them through-out their play.

So again the interaction from the player is important because it also allows for the game to go a different way, unlike a static puzzle were it can only be completed once. These decisions will change the state of the game and then it's up to the players skill. Structure is needed in all games, sets of rules etc for that game to be played correctly or however the gamemaster wants the player to play, there should be no confusion here.

I found it difficult what he meant by endogenous. He gives a definition - 'caused by factors inside the organism or system'. I don't believe it's the best term he could of used. But what I believe he means is items within a game are useless and invaluable without the game, such as monopoly money. He gives a good point about even though some games you can auction off items for real world cash the item is still invaluable without the game.

A game needs to have a perfect balance of difficulty. It can't be too difficult because the player will be unhappy and get frustrated with getting no-rewards but it also cannot be too easy because the game will have no thrill and the player will be unsatisfied. The player needs that struggle to not only keep them on the edge but to make the player feel like they've achieved something.

Lastly the Goals are what you are struggling towards. Without Goals it wouldn't be a game. I believe that's the most important part in the game but it doesn't define it, think of a puzzle, it to, has a goal.