Games MDA

I found the reading MDA Framework complex and hard to follow in places. What did interest me was the idea of Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics as a way to understand games. I was not familiar with these terms, except for mechanics (the rules under which the game operates: the actions and control mechanisms) I was interested in how dynamics (the play of the game) such as challenge can be created in games, by having things like time pressure. I will use this idea in my game to create challenge. Viewing the game from the player experience is 'aesthetics'. Designers need to consider this as they have a different perspective to the player. I never thought of game design in this way before. I think the vocabulary to describe fun in a game or gameplay by using words like challenge, fantasy and fellowship will be very useful in describing my own game ideas. In  Designing to promote intentional play. The author gives examples of gamez that encourage the player to be active and thinks is the future of games. What are game mechanics and dynamics? Is an interesting and easy to follow article on game design. Different types of players are seen as explorers, achievers, socialisers and killers and it is important that the designer understand the profile of their audience when designing the game mechanics and dynamics. In Beginners guide to game mechanics, tetris is used as an easy way to explain game mechanics including mobility, randomizers and scoring systems. Its interesting that each game has a combination of many game mechanics.