The art of game design : a book of lenses / Jesse Schell, Carnegie Mellon University and Schell Games, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Includes bibliographical references and index

1. In the beginning, there is the designer -- 2. The designer creates an experience -- 3. The experience takes place in a venue -- 4. The experience rises out of a game -- 5. The game consists of elements -- 6. The elements support a theme -- 7. The game begins with an idea -- 8. The game improves through iteration -- 9. The game is made for a player -- 10. The experience is in the player's mind -- 11. The player's mind is driven by the player's motivation -- 12. Some elements are game mechanics -- 13. Game mechanics must be in balance -- 14. Game mechanics support puzzles -- 15. Players play games through an interface -- 16. Experiences can be judged by their interest curves -- 17. One kind of experience is the story -- 18. Story and game structures can be artfully merged with indirect control -- 19. Stories and games take place in worlds -- 20. Worlds contain characters -- 21. Worlds contain spaces -- 22. The look and feel of a world is defined by its aesthetics -- 23. Some games are played with other players -- 24. Other players sometimes form communities -- 25. The designer usually works with a team -- 26. The team sometimes communicates through documents -- 27. Good games are created through playtesting -- 28. The team builds a game with technology -- 29. You game will probably have a client -- 30. The designer gives the client a pitch -- 31. The designer and client want the game to make a profit -- 32. Games transform their players -- 33. Designers have certain responsibilities -- 34. Each designer has a purpose