""Rules of Play" is an exhaustive, clear, cogent, and complete resource for understanding games and game design. Salen and Zimmerman describe an encyclopedia of game design issues, techniques, and attributes. In particular, they analyze the elements that can make a game experience richer, more interesting, more emotional, more meaningful, and, ultimately, more successful. It should be the first stop you make when learning about game design."--Nathan Shedroff, author of "Experience Design"

""Rules of Play" makes a monumental contribution to the development of game theory, criticism, and design. It will instantly become a standard textbook in the field on the basis of its rigor and scope--yet it is written in such an engaging style that many will read it for pleasure. Salen and Zimmerman do for games what Sergei Eisenstein did for cinema--offer an expert practitioner's perspective on central aspects of the aesthetics and cultural importance of an emerging medium."--Henry Jenkins, Director of Comparative Media Studies, MIT

"This is the most impressive book on game design I've ever seen. Broad in scope yet rich in detail, "Rules of Play" sets a new standard for game analysis."--Will Wright, Game Designer of "Sim City" and "The Sims"

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& quot; Rules of Play is an exhaustive, clear, cogent, and complete resource for understanding games and game design. Salen and Zimmerman describe an encyclopedia of game design issues, techniques, and attributes. In particular, they analyze the elements that can make a game experience richer, more interesting, more emotional, more meaningful, and, ultimately, more successful. It should be the first stop you make when learning about game design.& quot; -- Nathan Shedroff, author of Experience Design

& quot; Rules of Play makes a monumental contribution to the development of game theory, criticism, and design. It will instantly become a standard textbook in the field on the basis of its rigor and scope--yet it is written in such an engaging style that many will read it for pleasure. Salen and Zimmerman do for games what Sergei Eisenstein did for cinema--offer an expert practitioner's perspective on central aspects of the aesthetics and cultural importance of an emerging medium.& quot; -- Henry Jenkins, Director of Comparative Media Studies, MIT

& quot; This is the most impressive book on game design I've ever seen. Broad in scope yet rich in detail, Rules of Play sets a new standard for game analysis.& quot; -- Will Wright, Game Designer of Sim City and The Sims

" "Rules of Play" is an exhaustive, clear, cogent, and complete resource for understanding games and game design. Salen and Zimmerman describe an encyclopedia of game design issues, techniques, and attributes. In particular, they analyze the elements that can make a game experience richer, more interesting, more emotional, more meaningful, and, ultimately, more successful. It should be the first stop you make when learning about game design." --Nathan Shedroff, author of "Experience Design"

" "Rules of Play" makes a monumental contribution to the development of game theory, criticism, and design. It will instantly become a standard textbook in the field on the basis of its rigor and scope--yet it is written in such an engaging style that many will read it for pleasure. Salen and Zimmerman do for games what Sergei Eisenstein did for cinema--offer an expert practitioner's perspective on central aspects of the aesthetics and cultural importance of an emerging medium." --Henry Jenkins, Director of Comparative Media Studies, MIT

" This is the most impressive book on game design I've ever seen. Broad in scope yet rich in detail, "Rules of Play" sets a new standard for game analysis." --Will Wright, Game Designer of "Sim City" and "The Sims"

Games have become as much a genre of pop culture as film or television, but game design has yet to develop a theoretical framework or critical vocabulary. In Rules of Play Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman offer an impassioned defense and definition of this emerging field.