Computing Reviews
Today's Issue Hot Topics Search Browse Recommended My Account Log In
Review Help
Search
The well-played game : a player’s philosophy
De Koven B., The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 2013. 176 pp. Type: Book (978-0-262019-17-0)
Date Reviewed: Dec 19 2013

I found this book both different and delightful. When it was first published, in 1978, it was probably a bit ahead of its time. Republished in 2013, it is more timely, relevant, and enlightening than ever. The author explores the concept of a game and what it means to play a game well. But, unlike earlier classics [1,2,3], in this case, the author does not set out to argue a point or conduct a scholarly analysis. Instead, he uses the Socratic approach of exploring concepts. He draws the reader into a guided joint venture to explore various aspects of “the well-played game.”

The book begins with definitions of the terms “game,” “play,” and “well played.” The author defines a game as “something that provides us with a common goal, the achievement of which has no bearing on anything that is outside the game.” Play is “the enactment of anything that is not for real,” and a well-played game is one “that becomes excellent because of the way [it is] played.” After these preliminaries, the author switches from an analytical mode to one of mutual discovery. He takes the reader on a conceptual journey through the nuances of a well-played game.

When playing poker, why is it okay to declare twos, tens, and one-eyed jacks to be wild, but it isn’t okay to change the wild cards in the middle of a hand? Why is it not okay to play poker with somebody who does not know the rules, but it is okay to play games where the rules are so complicated that most players don’t fully understand them and game officials are needed to sort things out?

I could go on and on with these questions. Why do World of Warcraft players feel betrayed when the game changes in a significant way? Why is Second Life not a game? Why is a Ponzi scheme a game that is not played? And so on.

The answers to these questions are quite simple. In the cases where something is okay, the game has the potential to be well played; in the cases where something is not okay, it would be difficult to have a well-played game. What is a well-played game? Well, the definition was provided already, but the subtleties of the well-played game are explored in patient detail as the reader participates in this journey through the nuances of the concept. The benefit of this approach is that you not only finish with an understanding of a well-played game, but, unlike the classic approaches, you also get a feeling for it.

While the classics mentioned earlier are must-reads for academics who study games, this book is a must-read for game designers and game players who may wish to tweak the games they play to make playing more rewarding. I would go even further. Because it is so delightful to read, I recommend it to anyone who likes a thought-provoking, intellectual journal. The writing style is deceptively simple. As you read, you wonder to yourself, “Can it really be this easy?” But don’t kid yourself; this is a book that can be read again and again for new insights each time.

More reviews about this item: Amazon

Reviewer:  J. M. Artz Review #: CR141821 (1402-0130)
1) Huizinga, J. Homo ludens. Beacon Press, Boston, MA, 1955.
2) Caillois, R.; Barash, M. (Trans.) Man, play, and games. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, IL, 2001.
3) Suits, B. The grasshopper: games, life and utopia. Broadview Press, Peterborough, ON, 2005.
Bookmark and Share
  Reviewer Selected
Featured Reviewer
 
 
Games (K.8.0 ... )
 
 
Social And Behavioral Sciences (J.4 )
 
Would you recommend this review?
yes
no
Other reviews under "Games": Date
How to beat your chess computer
Keene R., Levy D. (ed), Henry Holt, New York, NY, 1992. Type: Book (9780805023169)
Jun 1 1994
Relationships between fun and the computer business
Bushnell N. Communications of the ACM 39(9): 31-37, 1996. Type: Article
Apr 1 1997
NetWarriors online
Gradecki J., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1996. Type: Book (9780471135555)
Jul 1 1997
more...

E-Mail This Printer-Friendly
Send Your Comments
Contact Us
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.   Copyright 1999-2024 ThinkLoud®
Terms of Use
| Privacy Policy