JŠrvinen
Aki JŠrvinen
aki.jarvinen@veikkaus.fi
[computer games]: game aesthetics, game play
"Making and Breaking Games: A Typology of Rules"
'Every game is its rules', for they are what define it. (Parlett 1999, 3.)
What has been lacking from the field of game studies are systematic definitions and analysis of rules. Numerous theorists (e.g. Avedon & Sutton-Smith 1971, Caillois 1961, Crawford 1982) have already answered the question 'what is a game', usually with a multi-faceted definition. Practically all definitions state that games have rules, but detailed study of rules is almost non-existent. The proposed paper introduces a particular approach to the study of rules. As the title suggests: how rules make a game, and how games can be broken down by analysing rules.
In the proposed paper, different aspects of rules are studied: what are their functions, what do rules govern, what is a ruleset, and what are the elements in a game that rules govern. By studying the relationship of game elements, such as components (pieces/player characters/etc.) and the procedures associated with them (moving them on a board or manipulating them in other ways), the author introduces four types of rules: component rules, procedure rules, environment rules, and theme rules. Although the typology is constructed especially with digital games in mind, card, board and sports games are used as reference points.
The typology provides a better understanding of rules, and therefore games. It can also be applied as a tool for analysing rules in individual games. Moreover, the typology functions as a framework for thinking about a fundamental part of game design, i.e. the design and documentation of rules. In the LEVEL UP presentation, the author will expand the discussion into other interlocking concepts, such as game mechanics and dynamics.
References
Avedon, E.M. & Brian Sutton-Smith (eds.) (1971) The Study of Games. New York: Wiley.
Caillois, Roger (1961) Man, Play, and Games. Trans. Meyer Barash. New York: Free Press of Gelncoe, Inc.
Crawford, Chris (1982) The Art of Computer Game Design. http://www.mindsim.com/MindSim/Corporate/artCGD.pdf.
Parlett, David (1999) The Oxford History of Board Games. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Author bio
Aki JŠrvinen, MA, is working on a Ph.D. on computer and video game aesthetics, titled "Games without Frontiers: The Aesthetics of Digital Games". His thesis' progress can be followed at http://www.gameswithoutfrontiers.net. Aki has experience from both academic research and commercial game design. Currently he is researching and designing games for Veikkaus, the Finnish National Lottery.
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