Coming soon · Book Profile
Tenth Anniversary The Art of Game Design A Book of Lenses 3rd Edition
A comprehensive guide to game design that teaches designers to create powerful player experiences by viewing their work from over one hundred different perspectives, or 'lenses'.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
The Art of Game Design presents a holistic approach to creating games, framing the designer's ultimate goal not as making a game, but as creating an experience. Author Jesse Schell introduces a unique and powerful toolkit of over 100 'lenses'—sets of critical questions derived from disciplines like psychology, architecture, music, and storytelling—that empower designers to analyze their work from a multitude of viewpoints. This methodology helps creators ensure that all the core components of a game—the mechanics, the story, the aesthetics, and the technology—work in harmony to support a unifying theme. Rather than offering a rigid formula, the book teaches a way of thinking that fosters creativity, reveals hidden problems, and guides the iterative process of transforming a simple idea into a deeply resonant and engaging experience for the player.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- An aspiring or practicing game designer, developer, or student who wants to move beyond simply making functional games and learn how to craft truly great, innovative, and memorable experiences for players.
- The problem
- Struggling to consistently create high-quality games, their designs often feel unbalanced, uninspired, or lacking a cohesive vision, leading to mediocre projects that fail to engage players. Feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of game design, they are uncertain how to make good decisions and anxious that they lack the innate 'gift' or a unified theory to guide their creative process.
- The plan
- Shift your focus from making a 'game' to creating an 'experience' in the player's mind.
- Analyze your design using the four core components of the Elemental Tetrad: Mechanics, Story, Aesthetics, and Technology.
- Systematically apply the 'Book of Lenses' to view your design from every possible angle, asking critical questions to identify weaknesses, spark creativity, and achieve a unified vision.
- The payoff
- Becoming a confident, insightful, and versatile game designer. · Creating games that are cohesive, innovative, and deeply engaging. · Being able to clearly articulate design decisions and lead a team toward a unified creative vision.
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.