Patterns in Game Design (Game Development Series)
Patterns in Game Design (Game Development Series)
Game Architecture and Design
A Theory of Fun for Game Design
A Theory of Fun for Game Design
Game design for social networks: interaction design for playful dispositions
Proceedings of the 2009 ACM SIGGRAPH Symposium on Video Games
Social network games: exploring audience traits
CHI '10 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
The "S" in Social Network Games: Initiating, Maintaining, and Enhancing Relationships
HICSS '11 Proceedings of the 2011 44th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences
Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World
Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World
Disassembling gamification: the effects of points and meaning on user motivation and performance
CHI '13 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
| Hi-index | 0.00 |
The phenomenal growth of social network games in the last five years has left many game designers, game scholars, and long-time game players wondering how these games so effectively engage their audiences. Without a strong understanding of the sources of appeal of social network games, and how they relate to the appeal of past games and other human activities, it has proven difficult to interpret the phenomenon accurately or build upon its successes. In this paper we propose and employ a particular approach to this challenge, analyzing the motivational game design patterns in the popular 'Ville style of game using the lenses of behavioral economics and behavioral psychology, explaining ways these games engage and retain players. We show how such games employ strategies in central, visible ways that are also present (if perhaps harder to perceive) in games with very different mechanics and audiences. Our conclusions point to lessons for game design, game interpretation, and the design of engaging software of any type.