A Grammar of Game Play: How Games Work

About this book

Raph Koster's "A Theory of Fun" book was hailed by critics and reviewers as "An instant classic," "The best game design book I have ever read," and "One of the best books for our industry." Following on the success of this classic book on game design, Koster now introduces readers to a new way at looking at game design in A Grammar of Gameplay. This highly creative and stimulating book uses the author's unique illustrations and commentary to help the reader develop a working "grammar" to understand how games are designed, how they communicate, how they model reality, and how they stimulate and challenge players. Anyone from game designers to game players will want to read this book for a greater understanding of how games work, while those interested in the theory and concepts will once again find extensive end notes designed to help them do deeper research.Just as with A Theory of Fun, this book's unique approach of providing a highly visual storyboard combined with a narrative on the art and practice of designing successful games is sure to be a hit with game and interactive designers. Some of the important concepts presented in the book include using game design patterns, understanding games as models, creating a language to dissect and communicate design ideas, maximizing the use of art styles, color, storytelling, and music to create dynamic interactive environments, and much more. This unique visual guide will stimulate anyone who is interested in game design to look at game design in an entirely new way.