Program and Play

On the Way to Fun:
an Emotion-based Approach to Successful Game Design

Published by AKPeters, 2010:

"How can video games be fun and immerse players in fantastic worlds where anything seems possible? How can they be so engaging to have become the main entertainment product for children and adults alike? In On the Way to Fun, the author proposes a possible answer to these questions by going back to the roots of gaming and showing how early games, as well as modern indie productions, captivated generations of players even without the need for fancy graphics and effects but by relying on basic emotions and instincts instead. This book will be most beneficial to aspiring and beginning game designers and to anyone who wants a better understanding of human nature and how it relates to the design process of immersive video game experiences."

PDF Samples provided by AKPeters:

Table of Contents   |   Preface   |   Introduction   |   Part I (sample)

Reviews / Comments:

“I love the ‘6-11 Framework’. It's a brilliant analysis. Wish I'd thought of it. Emotion is essential to establishing a deep connection with games. So many games lack it, and this book shows the way. The analyses of retro and indie games, and how they invoke emotion through instincts, are insightful and well thought out.”

Tom Sloper, Game Designer and Producer

A thoughtful and solid analysis. "On the Way to Fun" is a choice pick for any would be game designer

Midwest Book Review

“Constraining 'Fun' into a formula, or a diagram, seems like an impossible task. However, 'On the Way to Fun' gets damn close!”

Sergio Marchi, Writer