Rules of Play

Rules of Play is a book of game design principles by industry veterans Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman that can be applied to every conceivable genre of gaming.  It does this by breaking down game design into three distinct areas:  Rules, Play and Culture.  Each area is covered extensively with a variety of examples and exercises to challenge the ways you think about game design.  Here’s an example from the Rules section:

-Take a board game and remove a key element from it.  (Role Selection from Puerto Rico, for example.)  What other changes would need to be made to have a playable game again?  Would the theme change over time, as well?

This book is a must for game designers, regardless of medium along with being an interesting read for the everygamer thanks to the insights it offers into the design process.  Check it out if you get the chance.

The table is yours,

Phil