introducing applied ludology
hands-on methods for game design research
Aki Järvinen
www.gameswithoutfrontier s.net

manuscript

ludology is no method

abundance of descriptiveness

need for systematics

need for commensurability

call for practical, concrete
application of ludological
concepts

‘ludo-psychology’

unifying theory

solutions
in games
without
frontiers

typologies, categories, templates

‘rapid analysis methods’

game design research

for students & teachers

game analysis boot camp

‘100+
games
project’

Asteroids Rummy games:
Ta g
Doom Gin, Canasta Croquet
Space Invaders
Paintball Magic the Black Jack
Dance Dance
Soccer Gathering Petanque
Revolution
Ice Hockey Mastermind Diner Dash
Animal Crossing
Basketball Frequency Nintendogs
The Sims
Ice Skating Wo r l d o f Bowling
MS Flight
Ta b l e t o p R P G s Warcraft Halo
Simulator
Te x a s H o l d ' e m Modern Art Hundred meter
Tr a c k & F i e l d
Poker Bridge (Contract sprint
Roulette
Carcassonne Bridge) Deal or No Deal
Slot machine
Go SimCity Who Wants to be
Rush Hour
Jigsaw puzzles Missile Command a Millionaire
14/15 Puzzle
Te t r i s FallOut Singstar
Rubik's Cube
Botfighters Rez Mancala
Hex
Lotto Silent Hill Darts
Myst
Legend of Zelda Chu-Chu Rocket Mario Kart
ICO
series Bomberman Rock Paper
Zork
SSX Half-life Scissors
Final Fantasy
Te k k e n s e r i e s Grand Theft Auto Pokemon
series
Civilization III Lost Cities
Billiards
Ticket to Ride Scratch ticket Max Payne
Boxing
Da Vinci Code Manga Manga! Puzzle Bobble
Backgammon
Ricochet Robot Bejeweled, Zoo We r e w o l f / M a f i a
Fantasy leagues
Monopoly Keeper L a b y r i n t h Wo o d e n
Connect-4
Snakes & Ladders Breakout Maze
Scrabble
Pac-Man Arkanoid Qix
Fox & Geese
Pong Skeet Loop
Lord of the
T i c - Ta c - To e Super Monkey Tw i s t e r
Rings: Boardgame
Tr i v i a l P u r s u i t Ball Hopscotch
Draughts /
Pictionary Tu g o f W a r Bingo
Checkers
Alias Sudoku Bonnie's
Risk
Chess Niagara Bookstore
Starcraft
Uno Zuma Snake
Cribbage
Solitaire Musical Chairs Flow
Dominoes
(Windows) Ye n g a

components
environment
information
game theme
game mechanics
elements rule set
players
contexts

theor y of player experience

moods, emotions, pleasures,
enjoyment, pretense

emotions as valenced
reactions to events, agents,
or objects

adapting
the OCC
model

self / other / system

key
concepts

psychology of goals

the road to attaining goals is
beset by emotions

Accomplish Gain Information
Accumulate Gain Ownership
Alignment Guard
Capture Herd
Collection King of the Hill
Conceal Last Man Standing
Configuration Match
Connection Nur ture
Contact Outplay
Deliver y Overcome
Discard Race
Eliminate Reconnaissance
Enclosure Rescue
Evade Stealth
Exploration Sur vive
Gain Competence Tr a v e r s e

game mechanics as verbs

Accelerating / Decelerating Information-seeking
Aiming & Shooting Jumping
Allocating Manoeuvring
Arranging Motion
Attacking / Defending Moving
Bidding Operating
Browsing Pe r fo r m i n g
Building Placing
Buying / Selling Po i n t - t o - p o i n t M ove m e n t
Catching Powe r i n g
Choosing Sequencing
Composing Sprinting / Slowing
Conquering Stor ytelling
Contracting Submitting
Controlling Substituting
Conversing Ta k i n g
Discarding Tr a d i n g
Enclosing Tr a n s f o r m i n g
Expressing Upgrading / Downgrading
Herding Vo t i n g

cognitive, physical & psychomotor
abilities

Ideational Fluency
Induction
Language
Naming Facility
development Quantitative
Reasoning Associational
Ve r b a l ( P r i n t e d )
Fluency
language Memor y Span
comprehension Expressional Fluency
Associative Memor y
Lexical knowledge Wo r d F l u e n c y
Meaningful Memor y
Reading Sensitivity to
Visual Memor y
comprehension Problems
Visualization
Special Reading Originality /
Spatial Reasoning
comprehension Creativity
Closure Speed
Reading Decoding Figural Fluency
Closure flexibility
Reading Speed Figural Flexibility
Pe r c e p t u a l S p e e d
Cloze ability Sensor y Ability
Hearing Acuity
Spelling ability Ability to attend
Hearing Acuity
Foreign Language Cognitive Style
(phonemic)
Profiency Static strength
Speech Synthesis
Phonetic Coding Gross body
Speech Sound
Grammatical Equilibrium
Discrimination
Sensitivity Choice Reaction
General Sound
Foreign Language Time
Discrimination
Aptitude Reaction Time
Sound Frequency
Communication Speed of Limb
Discrimination
ability Movement
Sound Intensity/
Listening Ability / Wrist-finger Speed
Duration
Comprehension Discrimination Multilimb
Oral Production coordination
Musical sensitivity
Oral Style Finger Dexterity
Resistance to
Writing Ability Stimulus Distor tion Manual Dexterity
Sequential Reasoning Te m p o r a l T r a c k i n g

player ability sets

model of
gameplay
dynamics

analysis
methods

Example:
identifying
eliciting
conditions
for
suspense

suspense as a compound emotion
of hope + fear + uncer tainty

model of
suspense
elicitation
in games

next step:
online
analysis
tools

infinite online database

a teaching aide

OTHER PAGES
Analysis
Search
Help Teacher
summary
query
pop-up UI
from any page
results
admin
method method
login
selection view
screen
IGE METHOD: pages 3 to 5
Identify Identify Identify Identify
Identify Identify Identify
Interface Theme Players Contexts
Compo- Environ- Informa-
nents ments tion
Summa-
rize &
Start
Add
Notes
GGM METHOD
Identify Define Summa-
Link Mec-
Identify &
Game Game rize &
hanics
Categorize
Mecha- Start
Mech. Add
to Goals
Goals
nics Relations Notes
IEC METHOD
Analyse
Analyse
Define
Select Identify
Identify Identify Proxim.
Proxim.
Game
Emotion Uncer-
Fear Hope to End
to Victory
Sequ-
type tainty Condition
Condition
ence
Summa-
TBA in
rize &
phase2!
Start
Add
Notes
PAS METHOD
TBA in
Identify Construct
Choose
phase2!
Uncer- Player
from
Start
tainty Ability
GGM
Factors Set
Analyses
IGR METHOD
TBA in Summa-
Identify Identify Identify Identify
phase2!! rize & Start
Motiv. & Goals & Feedback Outcome
Add
Gratif. Means Rhetoric Rhetoric

mygamestudies.com
2007 . 12 . 10

aki@gameswithoutfrontiers.net
http://www.gameswithoutfrontier s.net
http://www.slideshare .net/
gameswithoutfrontiers