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How Games Move Us: Emotion by Design
An engaging examination of how video game design can create strong, positive emotional experiences for players, with examples from popular, indie, and art games.
This is a renaissance moment for video games -- in the variety of genres they represent, and the range of emotional territory they cover. But how do games create emotion? In How Games Move Us, Katherine Isbister takes the reader on a timely and novel exploration of the design techniques that evoke strong emotions for players. She counters arguments that games are creating a generation of isolated, emotionally numb, antisocial loners. Games, Isbister shows us, can actually play a powerful role in creating empathy and other strong, positive emotional experiences; they reveal these qualities over time, through the act of playing. She offers a nuanced, systematic examination of exactly how games can influence emotion and social connection, with examples -- drawn from popular, indie, and art games -- that unpack the gamer's experience.
Isbister describes choice and flow, two qualities that distinguish games from other media, and explains how game developers build upon these qualities using avatars, non-player characters, and character customization, in both solo and social play. She shows how designers use physical movement to enhance players' emotional experience, and examines long-distance networked play. She illustrates the use of these design methods with examples that range from Sony's Little Big Planet to the much-praised indie game Journey to art games like Brenda Romero's Train.
Isbister's analysis shows us a new way to think about games, helping us appreciate them as an innovative and powerful medium for doing what film, literature, and other creative media do: helping us to understand ourselves and what it means to be human.
This is a renaissance moment for video games -- in the variety of genres they represent, and the range of emotional territory they cover. But how do games create emotion? In How Games Move Us, Katherine Isbister takes the reader on a timely and novel exploration of the design techniques that evoke strong emotions for players. She counters arguments that games are creating a generation of isolated, emotionally numb, antisocial loners. Games, Isbister shows us, can actually play a powerful role in creating empathy and other strong, positive emotional experiences; they reveal these qualities over time, through the act of playing. She offers a nuanced, systematic examination of exactly how games can influence emotion and social connection, with examples -- drawn from popular, indie, and art games -- that unpack the gamer's experience.
Isbister describes choice and flow, two qualities that distinguish games from other media, and explains how game developers build upon these qualities using avatars, non-player characters, and character customization, in both solo and social play. She shows how designers use physical movement to enhance players' emotional experience, and examines long-distance networked play. She illustrates the use of these design methods with examples that range from Sony's Little Big Planet to the much-praised indie game Journey to art games like Brenda Romero's Train.
Isbister's analysis shows us a new way to think about games, helping us appreciate them as an innovative and powerful medium for doing what film, literature, and other creative media do: helping us to understand ourselves and what it means to be human.
167 pages, Hardcover
First published March 4, 2016
About the author
Katherine Isbister
5 books14 followersKatherine Isbister is a game and human computer interaction researcher and designer, currently a professor in computational media at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Isbister received her Ph.D. from Stanford University, with a focus on the design of interactive characters. In 1999, she was selected as one of MIT Technology Review's Innovators under 35. In 2011, she received a Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. From 2014 to 2015, she held a Lenore Annenberg and Wallis Annenberg Fellow in Communication at the Stanford Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.
Isbister received her Ph.D. from Stanford University, with a focus on the design of interactive characters. In 1999, she was selected as one of MIT Technology Review's Innovators under 35. In 2011, she received a Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. From 2014 to 2015, she held a Lenore Annenberg and Wallis Annenberg Fellow in Communication at the Stanford Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
July 9, 2016
I expected more from this book, or expected different, better said. It was interesting, no doubt about it, but 75% of the content is about multiplayer online games or games that include physical movement (kinect, wii, move...) - so for "my games" didn't bring me more than some tangential useful knowledge. The book's good, just know you'll find a lot of stuff con cool experimental games with online features, strange hardware and social components.
May 20, 2018
I don't really understand who this book is for. It does not seem to have any further goal beyond pointing out that yes, games have interesting ways of affecting us emotionally. This is a trivially obvious and shallow discussion to anyone who has done any critical thinking or reading on games, but this book is unlikely to reach any audience that hasn't.
I also think it was a poor decision to devote so much space to motion control, network capabilities, and similar, because the limited space devoted to how *all* games abstract their controls is woefully insufficient for even touching on the breadth of emotional impact games can have.
Finally, the writing is impressively styleless. When reading, it is rarely good when an upcoming blockquote seen in your peripheral vision always promises a reward of fresh writing.
I also think it was a poor decision to devote so much space to motion control, network capabilities, and similar, because the limited space devoted to how *all* games abstract their controls is woefully insufficient for even touching on the breadth of emotional impact games can have.
Finally, the writing is impressively styleless. When reading, it is rarely good when an upcoming blockquote seen in your peripheral vision always promises a reward of fresh writing.
May 14, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I would highly recommend it to people who don't think that video games can be a legitimate form of art. It's actually a lot more academic than I thought it would be, but that just adds to its persuasiveness. Games can be pieces of art that provoke emotional responses, not just mindless time sinks!
May 17, 2018
Something a bit different.
This takes a look at the decisions game designers make when trying to illicit an emotional response in their players
Was also particularly interesting to read about the games that have been created as part of research into the area.
This book probably has a really specific audience. But if you're interested in the "art" of making games it made for an easily digestible straight forward bit of reading
This takes a look at the decisions game designers make when trying to illicit an emotional response in their players
Was also particularly interesting to read about the games that have been created as part of research into the area.
This book probably has a really specific audience. But if you're interested in the "art" of making games it made for an easily digestible straight forward bit of reading
May 30, 2018
Games Are Cool - now complete with citations.
November 5, 2017
2 qualities that separates games from other media: choice & flow.
"Actions with consequences—interesting choices—unlock a new set of emotional possibilities for game designers"
"feelings in everyday life, as well as games, are integrally tied to our goals, our decisions, and their consequences."
"how game designers build upon the feelings generated by choice and control to create a broad palette of emotional experiences for players"
"the ease with which players can enter a pleasurable, optimal performance state that psychology researcher Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi calls “flow.”
"When people are in flow—when musicians play at their best, when athletes are in “the zone,” when programmers stay up all night creating brilliant code—time seems to melt away and personal problems disappear."
“games are held as an innovative and powerful medium for doing what all media do—helping us understand ourselves and explore what it means to be human.”
"flow theory useful in exploring the deeper “why” behind the fun players have with games"
"flow theory offers a useful lens for understanding the unique emotional power of games compared to other media."
"designers offer interesting choices and keep players in flow, they’re able to also start evoking another class of feelings in their players—the rich social emotions we experience in relationship with others."
“Can a Computer Make You Cry?”
"we engage this delusion willingly—it allows us to experience alternate situations and ways of being human, which in turn informs our own experience of being human."
"Yet in any medium other than games, we are only witnesses, not actors, and cannot affect the outcomes of the stories before us."
"Because they depend on active player choice, games have an additional palette of social emotions at their disposal."
“Ultimately, I think the power of a game lies in its ability to bring us close to the subject. There is no other medium that has this power. I saw people cry over Train, not just once, but multiple times. People watching, playing, those trying to save the passengers. That’s powerful, and it’s the medium that does that.”
"Cart Life masterfully evokes in players the feeling that there is never enough time, while also providing sweet moments with the customers and relatives and friends in the vendors’ everyday lives. "
"I was investigating whether an NPC’s dominant or submissive style “personality” would affect how persuasive that NPC was in a team situation. "
"The most frequently cited moments involved the death of NPCs with whom players had spent considerable time during gameplay. Players wept over losing valued and trustworthy companions."
"To play it is to become, during gameplay, emotionally involved in the personal fears and consequences of this conflict."
"Advocates of “games for change”—games designed to impact a player’s actions and growth toward advancing some kind of social good—believe this sort of immersion by enactment and identification may be an important tool in reaching younger audiences who are turning less and less to traditional information sources such as television and print journalism."
"Game designers have developed powerful tools for enhancing social emotions that arise from gameplay."
"game designers are really only beginning to explore how to use these capacities to create rich emotional experiences."
"the long history of games is primarily a story of rules and equipment created to engage people together socially."
"We know social interaction in general is deeply consequential to human flourishing."
"Social play, then, helps address one of the most fundamental of human needs, in ways that solo play (even with charismatic NPCs) probably doesn’t."
"Playing together brings meaningful choices into the social interactions of gameplay."
"games provide us with opportunities for both sociability and social play."
"three building blocks designers use in social digital games to evoke rich emotional responses in players: coordinated action, role-play, and social situations."
"something deeply satisfying and bonding about overcoming a challenging mental and physical situation with someone else, especially if it requires close coordination"
"When people play together as avatars, the game transforms from a private, personal journey into real social interaction."
"Game designers combine avatars and actions to generate rich possibility spaces for emotionally meaningful social interaction."
"The game worlds they create may be imaginary, but the social dynamics are not."
"social roles usually shape and constrain individual behavior, creating a more manageable experience for everyone"
"using game elements to create social situations that are interesting and compelling, scenarios where players have fun together."
"a game where every player would contribute to the collective success of the group"
"Designers of MMOs stress the importance of working with players as they explore and renegotiate what is possible and desirable in play."
"In multiplayer gaming, the meaningful actions that make up each individual’s gameplay experience combine to create real social experiences between players, despite the “virtual” nature of the world they find themselves in."
"how players can become highly engaged, even transformed, when they inhabit avatars and interact in social gameplay, however artificial and fantastic their digital “virtual” surroundings may be."
"We can hold multiple identities both within ourselves and in our conceptions of each other."
"I would argue that no other medium offers this kind of transformative power at the individual and social levels."
"striking impact that movements of the body can have on players’ emotional and social experience."
"game designers use movement to shape emotion and social connection—setting up physical challenges that provoke emotional responses, using movement to catalyze interesting social dynamics, and using the body as a vehicle for bringing players’ fantasy identities to life."
"Not only do our movements shape our own emotions, but they also affect anyone who’s watching us—emotions are, in a sense, “contagious.”
"keyboard-based experience that makes players acutely aware of physical presence and effort,"
"aim to enhance “your connection with yourself and with the present moment”
"emotional tenor of what unfolds depends upon each player’s attitude and approach."
"Game designers combine the building blocks of emotional connection described in chapter 2—coordinated action, avatar-based role-play—with the power of network connections to create a wide range of emotionally meaningful social experiences for players who are geographically distant from one another. "
"sharing and exchanging of digital objects, the cultivation of “summer camp”–like contexts for play, and the shaping of hobbyist and activist communities around play."
"Gift giving and favors are part of the social glue that holds us together and strengthens our connections with one another."
"These aren’t conversation but they nevertheless strengthen the social fabric."
"The magic circle is a term coined by Dutch historian and cultural theorist Johan Huizinga in the 1930s—a cocreated safe and bounded context in which players can comingle fantasy and reality, and which thus allows for freer and more flexible social connection and emotional expression."
"Games at a mass scale allow us to observe one another’s strategies and to create a community of expertise much as communities form around hobbies."
"Actions with consequences—interesting choices—unlock a new set of emotional possibilities for game designers"
"feelings in everyday life, as well as games, are integrally tied to our goals, our decisions, and their consequences."
"how game designers build upon the feelings generated by choice and control to create a broad palette of emotional experiences for players"
"the ease with which players can enter a pleasurable, optimal performance state that psychology researcher Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi calls “flow.”
"When people are in flow—when musicians play at their best, when athletes are in “the zone,” when programmers stay up all night creating brilliant code—time seems to melt away and personal problems disappear."
“games are held as an innovative and powerful medium for doing what all media do—helping us understand ourselves and explore what it means to be human.”
"flow theory useful in exploring the deeper “why” behind the fun players have with games"
"flow theory offers a useful lens for understanding the unique emotional power of games compared to other media."
"designers offer interesting choices and keep players in flow, they’re able to also start evoking another class of feelings in their players—the rich social emotions we experience in relationship with others."
“Can a Computer Make You Cry?”
"we engage this delusion willingly—it allows us to experience alternate situations and ways of being human, which in turn informs our own experience of being human."
"Yet in any medium other than games, we are only witnesses, not actors, and cannot affect the outcomes of the stories before us."
"Because they depend on active player choice, games have an additional palette of social emotions at their disposal."
“Ultimately, I think the power of a game lies in its ability to bring us close to the subject. There is no other medium that has this power. I saw people cry over Train, not just once, but multiple times. People watching, playing, those trying to save the passengers. That’s powerful, and it’s the medium that does that.”
"Cart Life masterfully evokes in players the feeling that there is never enough time, while also providing sweet moments with the customers and relatives and friends in the vendors’ everyday lives. "
"I was investigating whether an NPC’s dominant or submissive style “personality” would affect how persuasive that NPC was in a team situation. "
"The most frequently cited moments involved the death of NPCs with whom players had spent considerable time during gameplay. Players wept over losing valued and trustworthy companions."
"To play it is to become, during gameplay, emotionally involved in the personal fears and consequences of this conflict."
"Advocates of “games for change”—games designed to impact a player’s actions and growth toward advancing some kind of social good—believe this sort of immersion by enactment and identification may be an important tool in reaching younger audiences who are turning less and less to traditional information sources such as television and print journalism."
"Game designers have developed powerful tools for enhancing social emotions that arise from gameplay."
"game designers are really only beginning to explore how to use these capacities to create rich emotional experiences."
"the long history of games is primarily a story of rules and equipment created to engage people together socially."
"We know social interaction in general is deeply consequential to human flourishing."
"Social play, then, helps address one of the most fundamental of human needs, in ways that solo play (even with charismatic NPCs) probably doesn’t."
"Playing together brings meaningful choices into the social interactions of gameplay."
"games provide us with opportunities for both sociability and social play."
"three building blocks designers use in social digital games to evoke rich emotional responses in players: coordinated action, role-play, and social situations."
"something deeply satisfying and bonding about overcoming a challenging mental and physical situation with someone else, especially if it requires close coordination"
"When people play together as avatars, the game transforms from a private, personal journey into real social interaction."
"Game designers combine avatars and actions to generate rich possibility spaces for emotionally meaningful social interaction."
"The game worlds they create may be imaginary, but the social dynamics are not."
"social roles usually shape and constrain individual behavior, creating a more manageable experience for everyone"
"using game elements to create social situations that are interesting and compelling, scenarios where players have fun together."
"a game where every player would contribute to the collective success of the group"
"Designers of MMOs stress the importance of working with players as they explore and renegotiate what is possible and desirable in play."
"In multiplayer gaming, the meaningful actions that make up each individual’s gameplay experience combine to create real social experiences between players, despite the “virtual” nature of the world they find themselves in."
"how players can become highly engaged, even transformed, when they inhabit avatars and interact in social gameplay, however artificial and fantastic their digital “virtual” surroundings may be."
"We can hold multiple identities both within ourselves and in our conceptions of each other."
"I would argue that no other medium offers this kind of transformative power at the individual and social levels."
"striking impact that movements of the body can have on players’ emotional and social experience."
"game designers use movement to shape emotion and social connection—setting up physical challenges that provoke emotional responses, using movement to catalyze interesting social dynamics, and using the body as a vehicle for bringing players’ fantasy identities to life."
"Not only do our movements shape our own emotions, but they also affect anyone who’s watching us—emotions are, in a sense, “contagious.”
"keyboard-based experience that makes players acutely aware of physical presence and effort,"
"aim to enhance “your connection with yourself and with the present moment”
"emotional tenor of what unfolds depends upon each player’s attitude and approach."
"Game designers combine the building blocks of emotional connection described in chapter 2—coordinated action, avatar-based role-play—with the power of network connections to create a wide range of emotionally meaningful social experiences for players who are geographically distant from one another. "
"sharing and exchanging of digital objects, the cultivation of “summer camp”–like contexts for play, and the shaping of hobbyist and activist communities around play."
"Gift giving and favors are part of the social glue that holds us together and strengthens our connections with one another."
"These aren’t conversation but they nevertheless strengthen the social fabric."
"The magic circle is a term coined by Dutch historian and cultural theorist Johan Huizinga in the 1930s—a cocreated safe and bounded context in which players can comingle fantasy and reality, and which thus allows for freer and more flexible social connection and emotional expression."
"Games at a mass scale allow us to observe one another’s strategies and to create a community of expertise much as communities form around hobbies."
August 2, 2020
Isbister takes a valiant swing at the popular question: what emotions, if any, do video games inspire in their players? She makes a decent case for the emotional potential of games in her discussions of games like Planetfall, City of Heroes, and Journey... but at the same time, it’s hard to ignore the narrowness and paucity of the emotions discussed.
I love Planetfall, and I was amused to see it brought up when I had been thinking of Floyd the Robot only a few pages before. But if video games’ most beloved tragic moment dates back to a text game from 1983, doesn’t that say something about how little effort has been put into mining this emotional vein? And while feelings of connectedness and accomplishment are important, it doesn’t seem like much compared to the range of expression available in sculpture, painting, television, or even tabletop roleplaying games.
I don’t know. Maybe the cool, dispassionate gaze of academia is a poor lens for revealing emotion in games. Maybe the emotional world of games is still in its beginning stages. Or maybe this is as far as it goes — and while games make great intellectual puzzles and psychological tools, carrying emotional content is something they’re just not that good at.
I love Planetfall, and I was amused to see it brought up when I had been thinking of Floyd the Robot only a few pages before. But if video games’ most beloved tragic moment dates back to a text game from 1983, doesn’t that say something about how little effort has been put into mining this emotional vein? And while feelings of connectedness and accomplishment are important, it doesn’t seem like much compared to the range of expression available in sculpture, painting, television, or even tabletop roleplaying games.
I don’t know. Maybe the cool, dispassionate gaze of academia is a poor lens for revealing emotion in games. Maybe the emotional world of games is still in its beginning stages. Or maybe this is as far as it goes — and while games make great intellectual puzzles and psychological tools, carrying emotional content is something they’re just not that good at.
August 14, 2020
The book wasn't exactly what I've thought when saw the title or read the introduction; it is definitely not a book about the psychology perspective of games or why human brain reacts a certain way to a certain game mechanic.
This is a collection of approximately 10 approaches applied by game designers to form social experiences in games (only the consequences of each method is discussed, not how it's being applied) along with examples of some games where mentioned methods were used; which of course can be helpful for inspiration.
In conclusion, there are some insights, but they aren't enough to put your time on reading a 150-pages book, whereas you could gain the same knowledge from a not-so-long article.
This is a collection of approximately 10 approaches applied by game designers to form social experiences in games (only the consequences of each method is discussed, not how it's being applied) along with examples of some games where mentioned methods were used; which of course can be helpful for inspiration.
In conclusion, there are some insights, but they aren't enough to put your time on reading a 150-pages book, whereas you could gain the same knowledge from a not-so-long article.
May 3, 2021
No podría decir que el libro sea malo, insuficiente o poco efectivo, pero sí puedo decir que me esperaba mucho más. Había leído a muchas compañeras y compañeros alabarlo y la verdad es que... decepciona, o al menos a mi me ha decepcionado. Quizás llego ya tarde a él o quizás los ejemplos (apenas un puñado de juegos ya conocidos de Indiecade y museos varios, no me resultaban ya atractivos) o puede que, simplemente, no sea tan relevante ni interesante en 2021 como lo fue en su día.
No obstante no diría nunca que no es interesante ni, quizás, recomendable a alguien recién llegado al mundo del desarrollo y diseño de videojuegos.
No obstante no diría nunca que no es interesante ni, quizás, recomendable a alguien recién llegado al mundo del desarrollo y diseño de videojuegos.
November 25, 2019
A great book that has given me some new insights in how and why certain games evoke emotions.
It doesn't have any mind blowing revelations though and I would have loved to see some unconventional examples like for example games that are more known for their depiction of violence.
It doesn't have any mind blowing revelations though and I would have loved to see some unconventional examples like for example games that are more known for their depiction of violence.
December 23, 2022
A guy marrying a DS game character, arcade cabinet game used in a social movement, & games as meditation!
Although a bit dull in formatting and insistent on restating the obvious, the unique examples & small anecdotes about how games can affect human lives are what makes this book worth reading.
Although a bit dull in formatting and insistent on restating the obvious, the unique examples & small anecdotes about how games can affect human lives are what makes this book worth reading.
April 21, 2018
This text is a good entry point towards the larger conversation over how gamers can be attached emotionally and socially to the video games they play, and what motivates us to further deepen the emotional connectivity to them. I enjoy the challenge Isbister used in steering away from the Triple-A games, but my inner selfishness wished she incorporated maybe one example in the text on how a game like Bioshock can affect emotion. Her analysis of the mega indie game, "Journey" was great and I very much so enjoyed reading it; definitely makes me want to replay that game and enjoy the Journey (pun fully intended). Lastly, the analysis throughout "Social Play: Designing for Multiplayer Emotion" was the best part of the text. Here, she discusses the effectiveness of being able to share emotional and social experiences through online play with a variety of games that extended beyond regular Call of Duty/other shoot 'em up games. Reading about these indie games was impactful and eye opening to games that I did not know existed.
Favorite Chapter: Social Play: Designing for Multiplayer Emotion
Favorite Chapter: Social Play: Designing for Multiplayer Emotion
September 15, 2018
It's an easy read from an interesting angle, but two things stop me rating it any higher. So many of the games covered are covered everywhere; there are only so many times you can read the same insights on the sims, train, and journey. It also really teases at depth and then brushes past it repeatedly. I know it's a small tome, but I wanted to know more of the whys and hows than the whats and whos.
December 11, 2017
Expone de forma muy clara y sencilla las distintas técnicas de diseño que se utilizan para evocar sentimientos en el jugador, distinguiendo entre varios tipos de juego. Además, selecciona ejemplos muy interesantes y curiosos para dichas técnicas.
April 5, 2020
I translated this book into Persian. I Really enjoy it. it has 4 chapter and describes the concep of engagement and feeling in game and gaming.
May 15, 2021
My second book of my Humble Bundle collection of ebooks, and this one was more my style.
"How Games Move Us" does exactly what it says it will, exploring how games affect the player/s and the emotions they evoke. It looked at the social aspects to games and how these replicate, enhance, and compliment our real world emotions and relationships. It also explored physical motion and interaction, as this was an area of research for the author and possibly due to its prominence when the book was written (as it is less common in games today).
I found it a great mix of theory and exploration. There were many examples used and it helped to apply the academic to more practical applications. I found myself thinking about my own gaming experiences and how they fit into this emotional design. It could be said that it didn't go deep enough, that it was just a surface exploration of these concepts and theories. But as a relatively short book, I found it a great entry into games as an emotional art form. I really enjoyed reading it.
One quote in the book that stuck out to me was about the discussion of games as art, and how they compare to films or books. It really stuck with me and made me consider the unique perspective games can provide; how the differences in gaming compared to more common art forms actually validate it rather than dismiss it as art.
"How Games Move Us" does exactly what it says it will, exploring how games affect the player/s and the emotions they evoke. It looked at the social aspects to games and how these replicate, enhance, and compliment our real world emotions and relationships. It also explored physical motion and interaction, as this was an area of research for the author and possibly due to its prominence when the book was written (as it is less common in games today).
I found it a great mix of theory and exploration. There were many examples used and it helped to apply the academic to more practical applications. I found myself thinking about my own gaming experiences and how they fit into this emotional design. It could be said that it didn't go deep enough, that it was just a surface exploration of these concepts and theories. But as a relatively short book, I found it a great entry into games as an emotional art form. I really enjoyed reading it.
One quote in the book that stuck out to me was about the discussion of games as art, and how they compare to films or books. It really stuck with me and made me consider the unique perspective games can provide; how the differences in gaming compared to more common art forms actually validate it rather than dismiss it as art.
"People talk about how games don't have the emotional impact of movies. I think they do - they just have a different palette. I never felt pride, or guilt, watching a movie"
- Will Wright, designer of The Sims
June 9, 2020
As someone just getting into game development and design this book was an enlightening read. It’s made me understand why I feel the way I do as I play games and has allowed me to better articulate why this happens. Now that I’ve learned this it has made me better understand how I can capture the varied emotions that games make us feel.
Katherine Isbister delves into how individuals playing games feel emotion through avatars and NPCs along with other game design elements. She looks into how game design uses emotion to foster relationships through meaningful game experiences in multiplayer gameplay. She supports all of her arguments with well researched evidence conducted either by herself or others. The games she mentions are fairly varied by genre though I'm interested in seeing what she would say about virtual reality now that more people are using it with the clear intent of bringing empathy out in their players.
How Games Move Us: Emotion by Design is a short but concise look into how games of different genres and gameplay styles help bring out emotions in gamers and how this differs from other forms of media like books and television. It is written in such a way that even someone who has had little exposure to video games could follow along and learn from. With how short this book is I recommend it to anyone interested in learning about video game design, but even if you aren’t I still recommend this book for anyone interested in learning about the value of games.
Katherine Isbister delves into how individuals playing games feel emotion through avatars and NPCs along with other game design elements. She looks into how game design uses emotion to foster relationships through meaningful game experiences in multiplayer gameplay. She supports all of her arguments with well researched evidence conducted either by herself or others. The games she mentions are fairly varied by genre though I'm interested in seeing what she would say about virtual reality now that more people are using it with the clear intent of bringing empathy out in their players.
How Games Move Us: Emotion by Design is a short but concise look into how games of different genres and gameplay styles help bring out emotions in gamers and how this differs from other forms of media like books and television. It is written in such a way that even someone who has had little exposure to video games could follow along and learn from. With how short this book is I recommend it to anyone interested in learning about video game design, but even if you aren’t I still recommend this book for anyone interested in learning about the value of games.
October 19, 2023
A pretty odd one.
I've played video games nearly my entire life. I've always had a console in my house, or apartment, hell, my free time is usually defined by an "active" game, the way I've always got a book I'm reading. Once I finish, I queue up another one to have - it's like there's a slot in my brain that needs to be filled.
So while I can't deny the presence and influence of play in my life, there's a multi-dimensionality this novel either doesn't acknowledge, or purposefully sidesteps.
As other reviewers have said, who is this book for? Anyone who has played games consistently is familiar with the ideas in this, if not with specific terms but with the positive reasons to engage in play. This specifically curated list of games avoids the titles that are played by the bulk of humans, the mobile puzzle games, first person shooters, MMOs. It feels like the novel either a) avoids mentioning them to eliminate the need to widen the scope of the argument, or b) is implying that most games in the mainstream aren't "moving us" in similar ways as the niche titles in the bulk of the book.
To their credit, the author doesn't paint a rosy picture over the impact of video games entirely (the anecdote about the man marrying a dating sim character is a detail I'll never forget), but I would have read a book at twice the length if it really dove deep into the psychological impact of play at large. The analysis of the games she provides in the text can be fascinating, but this is ultimately niche content for a medium that reaches further than that.
I've played video games nearly my entire life. I've always had a console in my house, or apartment, hell, my free time is usually defined by an "active" game, the way I've always got a book I'm reading. Once I finish, I queue up another one to have - it's like there's a slot in my brain that needs to be filled.
So while I can't deny the presence and influence of play in my life, there's a multi-dimensionality this novel either doesn't acknowledge, or purposefully sidesteps.
As other reviewers have said, who is this book for? Anyone who has played games consistently is familiar with the ideas in this, if not with specific terms but with the positive reasons to engage in play. This specifically curated list of games avoids the titles that are played by the bulk of humans, the mobile puzzle games, first person shooters, MMOs. It feels like the novel either a) avoids mentioning them to eliminate the need to widen the scope of the argument, or b) is implying that most games in the mainstream aren't "moving us" in similar ways as the niche titles in the bulk of the book.
To their credit, the author doesn't paint a rosy picture over the impact of video games entirely (the anecdote about the man marrying a dating sim character is a detail I'll never forget), but I would have read a book at twice the length if it really dove deep into the psychological impact of play at large. The analysis of the games she provides in the text can be fascinating, but this is ultimately niche content for a medium that reaches further than that.
May 6, 2020
The book does a great job at showcasing a wide variety of the ways games succeed in creating emotional experiences, and gives a good sweeping look at innovators in the space. Grouping games by the type of experience gave me a lot to compare - the chapters were very neatly packaged. I also gained a lot thanks to the wide net it casts - I've always been interested in these kinds of games, but I learnt about a variety games that I hadn't heard of. Although the book is a few years old in a very fast-moving space, it is still very valuable as a baseline.
So, if you're familiar with the topic I think the book is still very worth reading, thanks also to it's compactness.
If you're curious about how games can work as an artform, this is a fantastic starting point!
The book is well-cited and I will definitely be going on to read some of the works mentioned (Celia Pearce, Sherry Turkle, Leigh Alexander.)
So, if you're familiar with the topic I think the book is still very worth reading, thanks also to it's compactness.
If you're curious about how games can work as an artform, this is a fantastic starting point!
The book is well-cited and I will definitely be going on to read some of the works mentioned (Celia Pearce, Sherry Turkle, Leigh Alexander.)
July 1, 2021
I enjoyed this short, accessibly written entry in the "Playful Thinking" series from MIT Press. Katherine Isbister sets out to explore how and why games (specifically video games, although I find valuable parallels in her work to some other forms of games) have emotional impact on their players. She covers four basic areas, with one chapter each: the ideas of choice (including character customization) and flow; social play, e.g. roleplaying and coordinated multiplayer action; physical play; and networked play. Each chapter offers engaging analysis written in very readable prose (a goal of the "Playful Thinking" books, which I applaud) and offers multiple examples ranging from the quotidian and well-known to obscure indie games.
I found myself wanting to dive in deeper to a number of the topics Isbister covers (and to play many of the games!), which I think is exactly the point of a volume like this: a slim, accessible entry point to an important topic.
I found myself wanting to dive in deeper to a number of the topics Isbister covers (and to play many of the games!), which I think is exactly the point of a volume like this: a slim, accessible entry point to an important topic.
October 5, 2017
So interesting & so relevant.
"One of my aims as a game researcher is to grow the emotional palette of games as we know them"
This book helps me see how games should be viewed as a creative challenge & breeding ground for teaching emotional intelligence, empathy, social interaction, identity, and all sorts of other amazing types of personal & human interaction. This book gives really wonderful examples of games that are pushing the envelope of what games can & should do.
As a teacher, I'm inspired to create & craft curriculum based on the games & ideas I learned from this book. I've never identified myself as a Gamer but now I want to try!
"Games are capable of so much, and there is room for a far broader range of thriving genres and forms than we have today"
I hope video games have the same respect & love as other mediums in the future!
"One of my aims as a game researcher is to grow the emotional palette of games as we know them"
This book helps me see how games should be viewed as a creative challenge & breeding ground for teaching emotional intelligence, empathy, social interaction, identity, and all sorts of other amazing types of personal & human interaction. This book gives really wonderful examples of games that are pushing the envelope of what games can & should do.
As a teacher, I'm inspired to create & craft curriculum based on the games & ideas I learned from this book. I've never identified myself as a Gamer but now I want to try!
"Games are capable of so much, and there is room for a far broader range of thriving genres and forms than we have today"
I hope video games have the same respect & love as other mediums in the future!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2020
While the book is pleasant to read and informative, I had a hard time grasping which audience it was aimed at. Clearly not the seasoned gamer, as the content is rather common knowledge to anyone who has gamed on console or PC - and all explained and described in detail. But on the other hand, the games used as examples were often obscure and odd. Why not talk about World of Warcraft in detail when there are chapters after chapters on the power of in-game social interactions? Why focus on LovePlus (which is, as a feminist gamer, not the greatest dating sim out there. The whole goal of the game is for the player (typically male) to mold the girl into his fantasy girl. Yuck.)? I also wished we had a bit more about Journey too, for the emotional power that the game has.
November 13, 2023
This is a funny book in that its worth very much depends on who's reading it. It's perfect for someone who only has a passing familiarity with games but wants to learn more: it uses comprehensible language and concepts, provides plenty of examples, and is fairly short. But for someone is already reasonably knowledgeable on the medium, it's somewhat lacking. Isbister focuses almost exclusively on "games" and not much on "emotion". The examples were appreciated, but there's no discussion of what is meant by emotion, nor of any prior research into the interaction between games and emotion. The book focuses more on justifying games as an expressive medium than actually explaining how they do so. It was interesting, but it felt as though it was missing something.
July 3, 2019
Great examples, usable analytic distinctions for addressing game design and emotions of play, too vague connection between human cognition and game design. I realize that the book's purpose is not to do that last thing (it concerns itself with design), but I think I will be looking for that in future books. The book is brief, but it has great ideas about the social and empathetic feelings relevant in solo- as well as online play. Great chapter on the role of bodily movement; have not really read about the importance of body and physical controls before.
December 19, 2022
Had some nice points and was mostly well written, but was occasionally dated and lacked an in-depth discussion of the topic and the mechanics behind it. If you're looking for a summary/survey it might be good - especially if you're not already "into" games as a medium - but I felt it rather lacking in its discussion. Though it relies heavily on neuroscience, and it doesn't really seem to be a purely "academic" book, the lack of any conversation on developments in affect theory felt like an obvious (and sorely missed) lacuna.
March 19, 2024
It was a good book! I don’t personally agree with the ~3.5 stars on Goodreads; the book gave varied examples of a multitude of different mediums, and ended strongly with strong words of wisdom from reviewers and players alike. The researcher, although speaking in a strongly-academic tone, clearly cared about video games, their players, and developers.
I would recommend this quick and easy read to anyone just getting into game development, or to people who need a quick bit of inspiration to remember *why* they got into game development to begin with.
I would recommend this quick and easy read to anyone just getting into game development, or to people who need a quick bit of inspiration to remember *why* they got into game development to begin with.
March 4, 2019
A high-level overview of some of the techniques used by game designers to evoke emotion, with a useful ludiography of games that provoke an emotional response. I think, given the scope of the topic and the size of the book, my expectations were too high going in; this might function well as an accessible primer for someone new to game design, but isn't recommended for anyone with more than an amateur interest.
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February 25, 2020Demasiado superficial para que cause ningún impacto. Apenas un rosario de juegos que han ganado el Indiecade o referencias a otras experiencias lúdicas que, a estas alturas, ya están manidas. Se dedica a describir estos añadiendo que provocan emociones, como si fuera una novedad que cualquier actividad humana tiene una respuesta emocional. Supongo que de aquí a tres años lo leerá Dayo y hará un vídeo sobre el tema.
August 31, 2018
A short, informational book about how video games as a medium engage and connect us, and how they evoke emotional responses. It reads like an extended research paper, but I enjoyed the subject matter and the concepts discussed therein, and I came away with some fun new knowledge that I plan on applying when developing my own games.
September 30, 2018
Interesting but light on content
There is interesting content. However, there are issues with the book. The content itself is a bit on the light side and there is a considerable amount that is taken for granted. While there are these issues, it's still decent reading for people interested in game design.
There is interesting content. However, there are issues with the book. The content itself is a bit on the light side and there is a considerable amount that is taken for granted. While there are these issues, it's still decent reading for people interested in game design.
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