Game Design Vocabulary

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Game Feeling

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The emotional response the game evokes in the player. The same game experience can result in a different emotional response for different audiences.

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Player Experience

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The impact of any given play session of a game on the player; its gameplay, narrative, thematic, pacing, difficulty, etc.

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8 Kinds of Fun

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There are 8 kinds of fun: sensation, fantasy, narrative, challenge, fellowship, discovery, expression, and submission.

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Sensation

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Fun derived from the senses; touch, auditory, visual.

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Fellowship

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Working together to complete an objective or to have fun through a shared experience.

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Challenge

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Making meaningful decisions to overcome challenges and gaining mastery over time to overcome increasingly difficult obstacles.

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Fantasy

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Living out a game experience as if you were a character in that world. Sometimes also referred to as 'immersion' by players.

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Narrative

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Pleasure from experiencing a well-told story as it unfolds.

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Discovery

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Fun derived from exploring and learning new things, both externally (e.g., interacting with uncharted territories) and internally (e.g., self-discovery).

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Expression

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Expressing oneself in the course of the game through acts like creating, building, or making choices (e.g., Minecraft is a game with a high capacity for expression).