Coming soon · Book Profile
Uncertainty in Games
Games require uncertainty to hold our interest, and the struggle to master uncertainty—in its many distinct forms—is the central appeal of games and the key lever every designer must consciously wield.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
In this short, argumentative volume, veteran game designer Greg Costikyan makes a bold and unifying claim: uncertainty is the beating heart of every game. Where most interactive products (word processors, shopping sites, air conditioners) strive to eliminate uncertainty, games are built to cultivate it. Costikyan situates games as a cultural elaboration of play, then dissects a wide-ranging cast of games—from Super Mario Bros. and Chess to Poker, Diplomacy, CityVille, and NetHack—to reveal the many distinct sources of uncertainty at work: performative, solver's, player unpredictability, randomness, analytic complexity, hidden information, narrative anticipation, development anticipation, schedule, perceptual, and semiotic. The payoff is practical: designers who understand where uncertainty lies in their games can diagnose flat or frustrating designs, tune existing sources, or inject novel ones to create genuinely original experiences. Compact, opinionated, and richly illustrated with examples, the book is both a taxonomy and a toolbox for anyone who wants to design—or simply think more deeply about—games.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A game designer (or thoughtful player) who wants to craft novel, compelling game experiences rather than merely reskin a well-understood genre.
- The problem
- Their game feels flat, dull, or frustrating, and they can't articulate why or how to fix it. They feel stuck relying on imitation, lacking a vocabulary to reason about what actually makes a game engaging.
- The plan
- Accept that games require uncertainty to stay interesting.
- Learn to distinguish games from puzzles and other interactive systems.
- Study a diverse cast of games to see how each generates uncertainty.
- Learn the taxonomy of uncertainty sources (performative, solver's, player unpredictability, randomness, analytic complexity, hidden information, narrative, development, schedule, perceptual, semiotic).
- Diagnose your own game: identify where its uncertainty lies and whether it fits the audience.
- The payoff
- Designs that are appropriately challenging and engaging for their intended audience. · The ability to diagnose and repair flat or frustrating games. · Confidence to innovate by combining or injecting novel sources of uncertainty.
See our guide
Additional reading
- Start with Why · Simon Sinek
The book's core idea—'People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it'—is central to crafting a compelling crowdfunding narrative that connects with backers on an emotional level.
- To Sell Is Human · Daniel Pink
Provides insights into the psychology of pitching and influence, such as the importance of making the audience (backers) feel like collaborators, which is a key strategy for engagement.
- Funding the Dream Podcast · Richard Bliss
A recommended resource for creators, offering interviews and specific insights into crowdfunding tactics and strategies.
- jamesmathe.com (blog) · James Mathe
A creator's blog recommended by the author for its detailed, list-based entries full of practical information for crowdfunders.
- Ready Player One · Ernest Cline
Recommended as an enjoyable alternative read for those who decide crowdfunding isn't for them, showing the author's engagement with geek culture.
- Homo Ludens · Johan Huizinga
Referenced for its foundational concept of the 'magic circle,' which defines play as a separate, protected space outside of ordinary life. This contextualizes the author's own theory.
- Man, Play and Games · Roger Caillois
Cited for its academic definition and categorization of games, providing a counterpoint to the more practical definitions offered by game designers.
- Rules of Play · Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman
Mentioned as a key contemporary text offering a precise, systemic definition of a game, which the author uses as part of his survey of existing definitions.
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience · Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
The concept of 'flow' is discussed as a state of deep immersion that is often associated with fun, but the author distinguishes his theory by focusing on learning rather than mastery.
- The Essential Difference · Simon Baron-Cohen
The theory of 'systematizing' versus 'empathizing' brains is used to explain why different types of games may appeal to different people, particularly along gender lines.