This document summarizes the Well Played book series and journal published by ETC Press that analyzes and critiques video games. It discusses how the series examines gameplay, narrative, design, and literacy through presentations, books, conferences, and a peer-reviewed journal. As an example, it provides a live play session analysis of the indie games Monument Valley and Crossy Road, discussing their simple yet engaging gameplay, aesthetics, and progression systems that contributed to their commercial success. The overall goal of Well Played is to explore the value and meaning of video games through critical analysis and discussion of player experience.

1. Well Played
Video Games, Value, and Meaning
Drew Davidson

2. About Me

3. ETC Press
• First Publication in 2008
• Experimental, Academic, Open Source
• Entertainment Technologies Across Fields
• Books, Journals, Proceedings, Games
• http://press.etc.cmu.edu/

4. Well Played
• Well
Read
&
Well
Made
• Analysis
&
Cri2cism
• Gameplay
&
Narra2ve
• Design
&
Development
• Literacy
&
Mastery

5. Well Played
• Presenta2ons
• Books
• Conferences
• Journal

6. Well Played Books
Video Games, Value and Meaning
• ETC Press
• 1.0 – 2009
• 2.0 – 2010
• 3.0 – 2011
• 65 Articles

7. Well Played Journal
• Started in 2011
• To Date - 4 Volumes, 8 Issues
• Peer Reviewed
• Editorial Advisory Board
• Open Submissions
• Special Issues
• Regular Publication
• http://press.etc.cmu.edu/wellplayed/

8. Well Played Live Sessions
• GLS (2007 -
• DiGRA (2011 -
• IndieCade (2011 -
• Games for Change (2014 -

9. What is it?
• Live Play
• Illustrate & Analyze
• Developer Discussion

10. Two Games
• Monument Valley
• Crossy Road
• Indie Games

11. Monument Valley
• An Illusory Adventure of
Impossible Architecture
and Forgiveness
• April 2014
• Played @ Dozen Times

12. Play!
• I
• (escher, clear feedback

13. Crossy Road
• An Endless Arcade Hopper
• November 2014
• Some Forums
• Played A Lot (!)

14. Play!
• Original Chicken
• Character Menu
• (frogger homage, free gift

15. Monument Valley
• Escher Environments
• Simple Controls
• No Dying
• Gentle Progression
• Peaceful Aesthetics
• Subtle Story

16. Monument Valley

17. Monument Valley

18. Monument Valley

19. Play!
• II (photo, social
• III (story
• V (simple controls
• VI, VIII (gentle progression
• Forgotten Shores
• Ida’s (Red) Dream
• (aesthetics

20. Monument Valley

21. Crossy Road
• Clever Details
• Super Simple
• Lots of Splat
• Fun Aesthetics
• Character Unlocks
• Collect Coins
• Good Opt-In IAP, Ads

22. Crossy Road

23. Crossy Road

24. Crossy Road

25. Play!
• Poopy Pigeon, Doge, Swift Snail
• (details, splat, eagle
• Vampire, Frankenstein, Dragon
• (aesthetics
• Kookaburra, Xi, Disco Zoo
• (character unlocks, good iap
• Random (videos, photos
• Top Score Lines, Coins (ads

26. Crossy Road

27. Both Successful

28. Monument Valley
• $3.99 ($1.99,.99¢)
• April 2014
• November 2014
• New Levels (& Red)

29. Crossy Road
• Free (IAP, .99¢, $3.99, Ads)
• November 2014
• December 2014
• Piggy Bank
• January 2015
• February 2015
• New Characters

30. Why?
• Simple to Play
• Progression
• Subtle Social
• Details, Aesthetics
• Mystery, Surprise, Wonder

31. Why?
• Video Games, Value and Meaning
• Analysis & Criticism
• Literacy & Mastery
• Well Read & Well Made

32. Value & Meaning
• What it Means to Play a Game
• Why it’s Important
• Deconstruct & Discuss
• The Experience of Play

33. Analysis & Criticism
• Close Reading
• “Textual” Analysis
• Like Film and Literary Criticism
• Various Methods

34. Literacy & Mastery
• Flow
• Procedural
• Articulation
• Interactive
• Learning is Playing

35. Well Read & Well Made
• Playing Games
• Making Games
• Value & Meaning
• Good, Bad, Better

36. Well Played
• Video games are a Complex Medium
that Merits Careful Interpretation and
Insightful Analysis.
• Thanks!
• Questions?
• drew@andrew.cmu.edu