Re: Game design and protocol design (was: Re: Centralization dangers of applying OpenID Connect to wallets protocols)

On Sat, Mar 26, 2022 at 12:59 PM Manu Sporny <msporny@digitalbazaar.com>
wrote:

> "More protocol designers need to study game design."
>

I agree with Manu that as a community we need to learn from game design,
and in particular, cooperative game and incentive design.

This is why Shannon and I wrote a book on the design of cooperative games,
and I've had many of my blockchain community peers say after reading "Part
3: Theory of Cooperative Games" —  "Oh, I can see now why you wrote this
book!".

We both want to follow this book up with a book on Cooperative Play, and a
third on Cooperative Work and Incentives — the first is 1/3 complete.
Unfortunately too much work, too little time!

-- Christopher Allen

"Meeples Together: How and Why Cooperative Games Work"

https://www.meeplestogether.com/about/

The authoritative source on cooperative board games and card games for
gamers, aficionados, critics, and designers, featuring a deep dive into
co-op gaming’s titles, mechanics, theory, and frontiers.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Matt Leacock
Chapter 1: The Basics of Cooperation
Part One: The Spectrum of Cooperative Gaming
Chapter 2: Styles of Competition
— Case Study: Terra
Chapter 3: Styles of Teamwork
— Case Study: Contract Bridge
— Case Study: One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Chapter 4: Styles of Cooperation
— Case Study: Pandemic
— Case Study: Forbidden Island
— Case Study: Forbidden Desert
Part Two: The Mechanics of Cooperative Games
Chapter 5: Cooperative Systems
— Case Study: Flash Point: Fire Rescue
Chapter 6: Challenge Systems
— Case Study: Robinson Crusoe — Adventures on the Cursed Island
Chapter 7: Players Facing Challenges
— Case Study: Shadows over Camelot
— Case Study: Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game
Chapter 8: Players Undertaking Tasks
— Case Study: Arkham Horror 2e
Chapter 9: Adventure Systems
— Case Study: Mansions of Madness 2e
Part Three: The Theory of Cooperative Games
Chapter 10: A Theory of Cooperative Gaming
— Case Study: Space Alert
Chapter 11: A Theory of Challenge Design
— Case Study: Ghost Stories
Chapter 12: When Games Go Wrong
— Case Study: D-Day Dice
Part Four: Cooperative Frontiers
Chapter 13: The Psychology of Cooperative Gaming
— Case Study: Hanabi
Chapter 14: Assembling the Puzzle
— Case Study: SOS Titanic
Appendices
Appendix I: The Basics of Game Design
Appendix II: Game Design Dilemmas
Appendix III: Game Design Types
Appendix IV: Game Design & Social Theories
Appendix V: Cooperative & Teamwork Game Synopses & Reviews
Index
Continuing case studies, thoughts, apocrypha, and more are available in our
Meeples Together blog https://www.MeeplesTogether.com

Quotes

“Meeples Together is a must read for any emerging game designer, and an
interesting read for all hobby gamers.”
—Richard Launius, designer of Arkham Horror

“If something I did is not in Shannon and Christopher’s book, I’m not sure
I did it.”
—Mike Selinker, co-designer of Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Thornwatch,
and Betrayal at House on the Hill

“This is the single most valuable resource to date for the design of
cooperative games. Thorough and detailed, it walks through common patterns
and problems succinctly and clearly.”
-Raph Koster, author of A Theory of Fun

-- Christopher Allen