Art of game design lenses

It was quite shocking to see high ratings without anyone noticing that chapter's terrible conclusions. How frustrating Eva I got so mad when I had to read it for class, and was very relieved to find that my professor used that chapter as a jumping off point for discussion I got so mad when I had to read it for class, and was very relieved to find that my professor used that chapter as a jumping off point for discussion about the problems with it. Jan 20, Graham Herrli rated it it was ok Shelves: design-related , game-design-and-gamification.

This book contains some thought-provoking suggestions about game design, but it also contains enough empty truisms to become annoying. For example: "there were many decisions the designer made to lay it out, and these decisions made a significant impact upon the game experience" p.

The final paragraph of each chapter and subchapter could probably be omitted without removing any information from the book. And the number of typos was astounding.

I sent Jesse Schell a list of nearly twenty t This book contains some thought-provoking suggestions about game design, but it also contains enough empty truisms to become annoying. I sent Jesse Schell a list of nearly twenty to correct in e-books or reprintings. Their sheer volume made me a bit dubious of the depth of thought that went into the book. Some parts of it, especially the emotional ramblings toward the end, read like first drafts. The premise of the book intrigued me.

Schell pulled together a collection of one hundred "lenses": ways looking at a game to see what needs to be changed about it. Some of these could be quite useful, although most don't need the surrounding context of the book to support them.

The book has a companion Deck of Lenses that might make a better purchase for anyone actually intending to use the lenses for a design. As a former professional juggler and former employee of Disney, Schell's perspective on the entertainment side of the industry was valuable, albeit somewhat trite. Although this step of clarification slows the process, it also means that we think about each detail more thoroughly p. One way of designing is to come up with the toy first and let that inspire the form of the game p.

Elements with few purposes should be merged p. This was a very proactive gesture and gave me considerable respect for his professional courtesy. Now that I own the deck, my earlier recommendation that the deck is likely more useful than the book still stands. The deck also has the added merit of being beautifully illustrated and satisfyingly crisp.

I think it's a good idea to publish the media in multiple formats like this; multiple entries into a world are something which Jesse Schell advocates convincingly for in his book. I've heard that Stephen Anderson also created a complementary deck of psychological principles to go with his Seductive Interaction Design.

Jun 25, George rated it really liked it Shelves: nonfiction. My crash course into game design continues. This book is an excellent resource for the whole process of making a game most of these lessons can also be used for software development in general.

My only problem is that some of the topics were covered too generally, but I understand that this is the on My crash course into game design continues.

My only problem is that some of the topics were covered too generally, but I understand that this is the only way to do it without making it the size of Encyclopedia Britannica. The four star review is mostly because the writing style didn't sit well with me. View all 3 comments. Apr 12, Kars rated it really liked it Shelves: non-fiction.

I have mixed feelings about this book. To start with the good: Schell takes a very holistic approach to game design. He's also plain spoken, demystifying a lot of the work that goes into making games. On the downside: the range of topics Schell covers in his effort to be holistic leads to some shallow treatments.

His insistence on accessibility means things are sometimes dumbed down too much, assumptions aren't examined or in the worst cases arguments are based on questionable pseudoscience. I I have mixed feelings about this book. I also found the insistence of turning everything into a lens tiresome. I personally find a list of things to keep in mind when designing unwieldy and ultimately unrealistic.

An approach that is at odds with the pragmatic tone of the rest of the book. In summary, I can't think of any game design book that covers this much ground, so it makes a great if hefty introduction to the field. However, each separate topic discussed herein is served better by other titles.

Nov 15, Caroline Berg rated it it was amazing Shelves: non-fiction. I figured it was about time I read this, having heard such great things about it from other game designers, and it is an excellent book.

Honestly, anyone interested in going into game design, be it for board games, RPGs, or video games should spend some time reading this book. However, as great as it is, I still disagree with parts of it. And to be fair, Schell does say in the book to question the knowle I figured it was about time I read this, having heard such great things about it from other game designers, and it is an excellent book. And to be fair, Schell does say in the book to question the knowledge presented within.

The parts that bothered me the most were Chapter 9, which portrays sexist stereotypes as to what games women play and why they play games and Chapter 23 which is unapologetically anti-solitaire gaming. Schell says, "the single-player phenomenon appears to have been a temporary abnormality" - seriously? As an avid solo gamer across all platforms I find this to be a very extroverted way of looking at games.

As long as there are introverts in the world, there will be solo games. Not everyone wants to game with friends. As for the rest of the book, it is a veritable wealth of information and would be well worth owning, especially for the lists of further reading material at the end of every chapter.

Apr 19, Sander Vanhove rated it it was amazing. This book is a bible for game designers. It introduces you to all the aspects of game design and gives pointers to places where you can learn about each topic in more detail. Good inspiration for beginners, but with flaws I am torn about this textbook.

There is much to like in The Art of Game Design, and the book is arguably at it's best when Schell relays his extensive personal experiences in the industry. I indeed found some sections to be excellent, for instance the discussions of design principles, of games in education, or or the social responsibilities of designers.

I also appreciated the accessible writing style. That said, as a uni instructor looking for a tex Good inspiration for beginners, but with flaws I am torn about this textbook. That said, as a uni instructor looking for a textbook for undergrad students in a Games Studies course, the book ultimately missed the mark for me.

Aside from its excessive length and over-ambitious scope, I found many of the observations poorly reasoned and often grounded in a cursory understanding of related fields. I was irritated by the frequent generalisations about 'human nature', the uncritical discussion of 'player types' taking the controversial arguments by Bartle at face value , and the frequent assumptions about gender in gaming 'women like to play nurturing roles', etc.

The book would have benefitted from a more careful consideration of the state of the field in disciplines like psychology, anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies.

Instead, the author ignores much of the academic literatures, and at one point even derides theoretically-minded work as 'pedantic'. This is a real same, and a missed opportunity.

In short, if you are looking for inspiration, there is plenty to be found in these pages, but for a more critical assessment of game design I'd recommend turning elsewhere. I read this book mostly because a friend was reading it and game design is something I'm peripherally interested in. That being said, with a few exceptions, I found the book pretty useful.

It covers the full range of decisions that go into game design and has tips, or at the book puts it 'lenses' through which you can examine you game. Who is your game for. What is your games 'world'. How do the players inter-act with that world. What are the spaces of that world.

It was effective is getting me I read this book mostly because a friend was reading it and game design is something I'm peripherally interested in. It was effective is getting me to look 'under the hood' as it were, and to recognize some of my own gaming decisions. For example, I realized I tend to be attracted to games with strong 'stories' where the game-play isn't divorced from the story or abstracted. I have a few criticisms. Some of the book does feel like it dwells a little deeply in 'gamer' culture.

The section in Gender and Demographics made me bite my tongue for it's predictability. Not that the underlaying message; that when you make a game you have to be conscious of the reality of different interest in different demographics, I just think his assertions regarding what those trends are is myopic and a tad ignorant of the broader social factors at play.

Over-all I'd recommend the book to those interested in Game-design. It's a pretty easy read. Aug 12, Rich rated it it was amazing. Jesse has to be one of the smartest people I know This book is not only a great way to learn about designing games, but teaches a lot of good tips for creating anything.

I particularly appreciate that the book is not overly technical its easily accessible to anyone who would pick it up , but it does go into some complex ideas Jan 31, Osama Alsalman rated it it was amazing. This is a life changing book, not as a game designer only, but as a human. For it contains many valuable lessons on the design of human experiences, I would recommend this book to anyone.

The last three chapters were the most effecting for me, for they discussed the effect of games and how they can transform us. Once you finish it, you will get a ring, a secret ring, but I can't tell you more. So, go read it yourself : This is a life changing book, not as a game designer only, but as a human. So, go read it yourself Dec 19, Madhur Bhargava rated it it was amazing. A very different take on game design! Most books try to teach by taking working examples and narrowing it down to details - this book is different - it narrows it down more to the thought process and encourages to look at the decisions being made through the lenses which are introduced in this book.

Although the book is specifically for game design, however, just as a personal opinion, I felt that the process can be scaled to a lot of other digital mediums.

The bonus part is the inspiration at t A very different take on game design! Mar 26, Mythreyi rated it did not like it. It starts off interesting. The structure lenses Jesse provides to understand a complex system i. But then midway through it derails. It has missed the point so much on gender that I have to wonder what else was over simplified?

Few of the quotes that were troubling "There is no female equivalent of a pickup game of touch football. On the surface, this is strange—girls tend to be more social, so you might expect that games involving large gatherings wo It starts off interesting. On the surface, this is strange—girls tend to be more social, so you might expect that games involving large gatherings would appeal to them more. The problem seems to lie in conflict resolution. Description Reviews 0 Description.

Reviews There are no reviews yet. Search Search for:. The Digital Deck of Lenses Short on desk space? For Residents of the United States: 1. Schell Games will add the Booster Pack into your self-addressed stamped envelope 3. You will receive the Booster Pack. Add them to the rest of the Deck and enjoy! Upcoming project? We'd love to learn about it!

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