Situational Design lays out a new methodology for designing and critiquing videogames. While most game design books focus on games as formal systems, Situational Design concentrates squarely on player experience. It looks at how playfulness is not a property of a game considered in isolation, but rather the result of the intersection of a game with an appropriate player. Starting from simple concepts, the book advances step-by-step to build up a set of practical tools for designing player-centric playful situations. While these tools provide a fresh perspective on familiar design challenges as well as those overlooked by more transactional design paradigms.

Key Features

Introduces a new methodology of game design that concentrates on moment-to-moment player experience

Provides practical design heuristics for designing playful situations in all types of games

Offers groundbreaking techniques for designing non-interactive play spaces

Teaches designers how to create games that function as performances

Provides a roadmap for the evolution of games as an art form.