Another Proposed Definition of “Game”

“A game is a system in which players engage in an abstract challenge, defined by rules, interactivity and feedback that results in a quantifiable outcome often eliciting an emotional reaction.”

Missile Command classic game.

Let’s look at each element of the definition:

System—A set of interconnected elements occur within the “space” of the game. A score is related to behaviors and activities which, in turn, are related strategy or movement of pieces. The system aspect is the idea that each part of a game impacts and is integrated with other parts of the game. Scores are linked to actions and actions are limited by rules.

Players—Games involve a person interacting with game content. This happens in first person shooters, board games and games like Tetris, someone is playing the game and they are the player. Later we’ll refer to the players of games as “learners.” The act of playing a game often results in learning and learners are our target audience for gamification of instruction. But, for now, in this context—defining a game—we’ll stick with the concept of player.

Abstract—Games typically involve an abstraction of reality and typically take place in a narrowly defined “game space.” This means that a game contains elements of a realistic situation or the essence of the situation but is not an exact replica. This of the game Monopoly which mimics some of the essence of real estate transactions and business dealings but is not an accurate portrayal of those transactions.

Challenge—Games challenge players to achieve goals and outcomes that are not simple or straight forward. For example, even a simple game like tic-tac-toe is a challenge when you play against another person who is of equal knowledge of the game. A game becomes boring when the challenge no longer exists. But even the challenge involved with the card game of solitaire provides enough challenge that the player continues to try to achieve the winning state within the game.

Rules—The rules of the game define the game. They are the structure that allows the artificial construct to occur. They define the sequence of play, the winning state and what is “fair” and what is not “fair” within the confines of the game environment.

Interactivity—Games involve interactions. Players interact with one another, with the game system and with the content presented during the game. Interactivity is a large part of games.

Feedback—A hallmark of games is the feedback they provide to players. Feedback within a game is typically instant, direct and clear. Players are able to take in the feedback and attempt corrections or changes based on both the positive feedback they receive as well as negative feedback.

Quantifiable Outcome—Games are designed so that the winning state is concrete. The result of a well designed game is that the player clearly knows when they have won or lost. There is no ambiguity. There is a score, level or winning state (checkmate) that defines a clear outcome. This is one element that distinguishes games from a state of “play” which has no defined end state or quantifiable outcome. This is also one of the traits that make games ideal for instructional settings.

Emotional Reaction—Games typically involve emotion. From the “thrill of victory to the agony of defeat,” a wide range of emotions enter into games. The feeling of completing a game in many cases is exhilarating as is the actual playing of the game. But at times frustration, anger and sadness can be part of a game as well. Games, more than most human interactions, evoke strong emotions on many levels.

Together these disparate elements combine to make an event that is larger than the individual elements. A player gets caught up in playing a game because the instant feedback and constant interaction is related to the challenge of the game which is defined by the rules which all work within the system to provoke an emotional reaction and finally result in a quantifiable outcome which is an abstract version of a larger system.

NOTE: This definition based on the definition of “game” by Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman in their book “Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals” and work by Raph Koster is his seminal work “A Theory of Fun.”