Having not had much gaming experience, I was really excited for Chapter 6 of Artful Design which is all about Game Design. I first thought about how it related to the previous chapters on interactive interfaces. One of the first main differences highlighted between a game vs. interactive interface design was that gamification was referred to as an “invisible design”. A lot of the previous designs involved engaging the physical senses, but game design seems to go beyond that. A recurring theme I latched onto throughout this chapter was the idea of freedom, and how play is not only irrevocably linked to freedom but also in a way freedom in and of itself.
Principle 6.1 states that play is what one does to be free. This concept of play as freedom gave me pause as I reflected on all the times I felt that play was confining. Whether it’s the rules, the map, the storyline, or even monetary constraints that certain ‘unartful’ games will give you, a lot of games make me feel trapped. However, there are two counterarguments brought about by the content of this chapter that would show that play is a form of freedom in and of itself; the first being that no matter how ‘unfree’ I feel in certain games playing them is ultimately a choice. No matter how much you love your job or enjoy your obligations, there is a lack of choice in these activities that doesn’t exist in play. Secondly, the type of play that artful design strives to achieve is, well, artful, and many of the examples of games used in this chapter and in the course as a whole are decidedly un-confining. For example, Assassin’s Creed: Origins has quests that you can complete, but you can also spend your time in the game in the sublime landscape of Aaru simply being and exploring. This element of freedom in play to me emphasizes the importance of the option for simply being in game design.
I thought that Principle 6.7 and Definition 6.9 support the idea of play giving you the freedom to be from 6.1. Perhaps I’m extrapolating a bit, but games requiring active participation gives the player a sense of agency that is extremely freeing. They have the control in the game as they play and are free to make their own decisions to steer the game/narrative. Definition 6.9 states that games are free, voluntary, and unproductive by design. There is no obligation to play, and if there were then maybe it shouldn’t be considered a game at all. There is something sacred about play being voluntary and unproductive, and I believe that once these things no longer hold true it’s no longer play or perhaps the game is being misused, for example competitive video game players who play for profit or people who become overly obsessed or addicted to playing.
As I became convinced through this reading that playing is freeing I went back to one of the first things mentioned in this chapter that I initially disagreed with: that play is NOT entertainment. Entertainment, specifically watching tv, was always my preferred mode of unproductivity. To me, watching tv had zero meaning, zero goals, zero means of self improvement, it was the best and easiest way to shut off my brain. If tv and games both fall under the category of entertainment, is watching tv a way of achieving freedom the same way gameplay is? After reading this chapter the answer is actually no, starting with the fact that games/play are not a form of entertainment. Play is not trying to seek an outcome of pleasure, unlike entertainment. Play is also interactive and player driven, going back to Principle 6.7, whereas entertainment implies some sort of show in which the viewer is not a participant, but rather just a spectator. Play is an activity and an end-in-itself; every moment of play achieves its intention unlike say watching two minutes of a show or reading one page out of a book. In fact, sometimes I get frustrated with suspenseful shows and just want to get them over with. When I’m gaming, even if there is some sort of mystery to unfold, every interaction I have with the game is rewarding in one way or another. After reading this chapter, I have a new appreciation for games and lots of recommendations to try out!