Theory of Fun for Game Design

Do you love gaming? Do you have ideas for games of your own and want to learn how to produce them professionally? Longtime game designer Justin Gary has the answers you seek. After twenty years in the gaming industry, creating such games as Solforge, Ascension, and the World of Warcraft Miniatures Game, Justin is now sharing all his secrets in Think Like a Game Designer. Best of all, Justin’s secrets are really simple, practical, and common sense steps you can take yourself. Justin will walk you through each step and provide exercises for you to formulate your own game concepts and bring them to fruition. In Think Like a Game Designer, you will learn how to: • Overcome mental blocks to great creative work • Understand players’ emotional reactions and evoke the right ones • Brainstorm ideas and then refine them into useable ones • Follow the six steps of the core design loop for successfully designing a game • Capitalize on the excitement of Big Moments in a game • Get a job in the game industry and get your games published • Remove the grind of gaming or use it to your advantage • Integrate monetization into your designs • Deliver an enjoyable experience to your players so your game stands the test of time Whether you want to create video games, board games, or just discover how a true creative mind works, it’s all here in Think Like a Game Designer. It’s time to take the first step toward your game designer dream. Are you game? WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT JUSTIN GARY AND THINK LIKE A GAME DESIGNER “Every journey starts with a single step, and if your desired journey is to become a game designer, I can think of no better fi rst step than reading and doing the exercises in Justin’s book. Justin has managed to capture and communicate the process for designing games starting from the blank sheet of paper all the way to thousands of fans playing your game.” — Jordan Wiesman, Creator of Shadowrun and BattleTech, and Founder of WizKids game studio “Justin Gary went from world champion Magic: The Gathering pro-tour competitor to award-winning game designer and then to multi-million-dollar CEO. He has a lot to teach and you can fi nd that wisdom clearly articulated in these pages.” — Peter Adkinson, Founder of Wizards of the Coast and Owner of Gen Con, the largest tabletop gaming convention in North America “Think Like a Game Designer should be on the shelf of anyone interested in game design, or even just in playing games. Plus, even people with no interest in games will learn valuable lessons about innovation, marketing, and how games motivate their players.” — Ethan Mollick, Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Wharton School of Business “Justin Gary has crafted a fun book that takes the essentials of game design and presents them in a light, personable format that anyone can understand. If you are new to game design, this is a great way to get started!” — Jesse Schell, CEO, Schell Games and Author of The Art of Game Design “Straightforward and relentlessly practical, this book efficiently guides you through the key steps involved in designing and publishing a game.” — Raph Koster, Lead Designer of Ultima Online and Author of A Theory of Fun for Game Design