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Most Helpful Reviews
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Liked It “This book was really enjoyable, and a quick read. It got me thinking about entirely different aspects of game development from those I encounter day-to-day (probably because I'm not a designer) and included a fair amount of psychology and other interesting (and maybe even useful) tidbits. I'm not...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Didn’t Like It “Raph spends the first few chapters talking about his children and about how learning is fun. And then spends the rest of the book talking about how games are a form of art. There is no theory, and although he finds learning new languages fun, he never deconstructs that to provide a useful...” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“This book was really enjoyable, and a quick read. It got me thinking about entirely different aspects of game development from those I encounter day-to-day (probably because I'm not a designer) and included a fair amount of psychology and other interesting (and maybe even useful) tidbits. I'm not settled on how to apply this stuff in my work, but it certainly can't hurt to step back and view game development in the larger context of fun, play, and learning.”
Jim Martin wrote this review 9 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Awesome, this book is awesome!”
Pp D. wrote this review Wednesday, May 15, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Smart ideas presented simply and effectively. It could have done with a smaller form factor.”
game_itamar wrote this review Friday, January 25, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“The best book about serious (and entertainment) games I have read.”
Robert S. Becker, PhD wrote this review Wednesday, January 23, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Great book. Who would have thought a book about fun would be, well, such fun. If you are interested in game design and have questions like these - why some games are fun and others are boring? or, How playing a game and learning are connected? or, Why making a game too hard - or too easy - is a mistake... Get this book, you will love it!”
John Cooper wrote this review Monday, January 21, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Raph spends the first few chapters talking about his children and about how learning is fun. And then spends the rest of the book talking about how games are a form of art. There is no theory, and although he finds learning new languages fun, he never deconstructs that to provide a useful blueprint for game design.”
Brook Grewcock wrote this review Monday, January 30, 2012. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A great book for game designers and educators. Games = learning”
Dianne R wrote this review Thursday, January 27, 2011. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Koster's book is really about learning with games.”
Julie M wrote this review Sunday, December 5, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This is a cute book -- kind of reminded me of Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics" or Martin Gardner's "Aha!" The title mostly refers to the first part of the book during which Koster gives a quick overview of his take on a theory of how "fun" works. The second half of the book is more of a manifesto on games as art. People deep in the world of game design might not get much out of this directly -- although it's nice to just see an important game designer's take on the subject. But this book would be great for folks just digging into the theory and practice of game design for the first time. It almost begs to be on the reading list in college classes about game design, interactive media, or art theory in general.”
Josh Knowles wrote this review Monday, March 22, 2010. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“A very important and well-thought out step towards establishing a formalism for the medium of videogames. Accessible and thought-provoking, a must for people in the industry and videogame enthusiasts alike.”
Daniel Roy wrote this review Saturday, July 26, 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
