Games MDA

X's n O's

MDA stands for Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics. MDA is a formal approach to understanding games, it attempts to bridge the gap between game design and development, game criticism and technical game research.

Mechanics are the components of the game, they are the rules or methods designed for each individual game to determine game play.
Dynamics is the run time behaviour of the mechanics acting on player inputs.
Aesthetics are the emotions that our hopefully evoked by the player when playing the game, these make the game 'fun'.

It is good to use certain words when describing the aesthetics of a game;
'1. Sensation - Game as sense pleasure
2. Fantasy - Game as make believe
3. Narrative Game as drama
4. Challenge - Game as obstacle course
5. Fellowship - Game as social framework
6. Discovery - Game as uncharted territory
7. Expression - Game as self-discovery
8. Submission Game as pastime'

'MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Research' by Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc and Robert Zubek.

I read a presentation by Clint Hocking, in which he spoke about game intentions. I learned that there were two types of intentions in a game, high order and low order. High order is when you can use a function in human ways, whereas low orders is just using mechanics. Hocking also takes about when a multiple mechanics interconnect, can result in an unexpected outcome.

https://learn.canvas.net/courses/3/pages/level-4-introduction-and-readings