[Dr. CKeymaster Rupees: 1,000 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

This week, you read Chapter 6 (“The Elements Support a Theme”) of Schell’s The Art of Game Design.

Discuss, analyze, and reflect on this chapter in this discussion forum.

You must post at least once by 11:59 pm on Friday, January 27th… and you must respond to at least three of your classmates’ posts by 11:59 pm on Monday, Monday 30th.

As was the case last week, this is NOT a prescriptive post. The point is to have a conversation and to learn more about game design together. (You did this wonderfully last week — so, keep it up!)

To that end, here are some things you might discuss in your post:

– Quotes that you found to be especially insightful, along with explanations of why you selected these quotes.
– Questions that the readings raised for you — about your own experiences playing games, or about the way you previously thought about game design.
– Any “AHA!” moments you might have experienced, if the readings prompted you to suddenly see or understand something in a different light.
– Connections to your experience playing a game as part of last week’s quest.
– Questions you might have for your classmates (“Did anyone else think ___ about the part where Schell says ___…?”)
– Anything else, really, that’s notable, interesting, and discussion-worthy.

Have fun!

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Schell states, “As game designers, we must confront the painful truth that many people view games, in all their forms, as meaningless diversions. Usually, when I press people who hold this view, I can get them to admit some game that is very important to them. Sometimes it is a sport, either one they have played or one they watch religiously. Sometimes it is a card or board game that formed the cornerstone of their relationship with someone important to them” (Schell, 58). This quote stuck out to me because I think it goes to show that a game has to be personal or relatable in some way to hold a certain level of importance to someone. Also, we see that games are not limited to app or computer games, but can be a physical game or even a sports game (which I keep having to remind myself, Lol). Unfortunately, people not having an appreciation or understanding of someone else’s interest is far too common. Often, we discuss our interests with people who we know share the same interest and feelings as we do, as other people simply don’t get it or can’t relate as we see explained in the quote. I think it is important to be open-minded and understand that we don’t know everything. There is a lot to learn from other fields and people. Another quote is, “some designers reject the notion of theme, because they say, ‘the players will never notice.’ And it is certainly true that the players cannot always state clearly the theme of a work that truly moves them—and that is because theme often operates at a subconscious level” (Schell, 66). I think it is interesting to see the way in which games in general and game design work on ones psyche, especially as a psychology major. I think this has also made me come to a realization that games are even that more challenging, because now we are working on one’s subconscious and what they may like without consciously realizing they like it, which must be very challenging! I feel like games can sometimes be a ‘hit or miss’ for this reason.

[ChristopherParticipant Rupees: 865 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Megan,
You make a great point about the psychological aspect of game design, and how that makes it that much harder. We are trying to access unspoken emotions, which have no defined formula. Certain elements can make a game feel more immersive and emotional, but we can only find these elements by listening and reflecting really deeply on our own experiences.

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Megan,

I really like the point you brought up about people usually being around others that have the same interest. It reminds me of this class, I am commenting on people’s posts about them talking about games I have never heard of and hearing their interests in video games. My mind has been opened to a plethora of new games that I might have to look into because of how everyone is describing it as. For example, I rarely ever played video games but last weeks posts was very interesting to read about some of the video games that people played.

[KangweiParticipant Rupees: 370 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Megan!
I totally agree with you that usually we only share the things to those who has the same interest. And I also like your first quotes, which is ““As game designers, we must confront the painful truth that many people view games, in all their forms, as meaningless diversions. Usually, when I press people who hold this view, I can get them to admit some game that is very important to them. Sometimes it is a sport, either one they have played or one they watch religiously. Sometimes it is a card or board game that formed the cornerstone of their relationship with someone important to them”. It really reminds me that when I was a in middle school, I really love playing video games. But my mother always cannot understand why I so indulge in video games. She never knows the fun inside of games and she always just say “Reading more books are more worthwhile than wasting time on playing video games”.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Kangwei.

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Great Post Megan, what is considered a game varies from person to person. Games can seem meaningless to some and very important to others, in my opinion, it all just depends on what a person is into, how it aligns with your values and what type of stimulation you receive from the game when you play it or watch it.

[AhishaParticipant Rupees: 410 RupeesRank: Wooden Sword]

Hi Megan,
I also agree with you that for a game to be important and to stay with someone it has to have a personal element that they connect with. These games can be thought provoking or emotional, although they succeed in making the player connect to the game and come back to it.

[Aaliyah WitherspoonParticipant Rupees: 315 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi, I agree with what you said. I know I tend to talk about my passions with those who I know have similar interests. This shows my knowledge in one field, but it does not translate to other aspects of my life. There are things that I do not know and I’m thankful for the chance to learn a little bit more about everything and more about video games!

[IzabellaParticipant Rupees: 400 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Megan! I really liked the quote that you used in the beginning because it also stuck out to me when I was doing the readings! I have played many games in my life and there are many that are very important to me the experiences I have had are personal and important. I have made many friends through the games I have played and I think this is one example of how games can bring people together. I also like the point you brought up about how it does not necessarily have to be a video game, but it can also be a physical game. Physical games are extremely popular in the world and I love that you made this connection because sometimes we may focus solely on games such as Chess or video games, but forget sports are also games. I agree with your point about being open-minded because you may learn something unexpected from someone else that you never thought about so it is important to be open to listening to others because it may change what you think. I thought your response was amazing and I enjoyed reading it!

[RobertParticipant Rupees: 300 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Chapter six of “The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses” by Jesse Schell explores the importance of understanding player behavior in game design. The chapter covers various theories of player behavior, rewards and punishments, and player archetypes. Schell argues that considering player behavior in all aspects of game design, from mechanics to story, leads to more immersive and engaging experiences. Designing games with player behavior in mind can result in games that are challenging and accessible, avoiding frustration and boredom. Schell highlights the importance of considering player behavior in all aspects of game design, from mechanics to story and presentation. He argues that designing games that take player behavior into account can lead to more immersive and engaging experiences. Additionally, understanding player behavior can help designers create games that are both challenging and accessible, while avoiding frustration and boredom.The chapter concludes that understanding player behavior is crucial in creating enjoyable, engaging, and satisfying game experiences.

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

In Chapter 6, I really enjoyed reading the types of themes that Schell presents, especially truth-based theme. His explanation of Hercules was very attention grabbing for me because that is one of my favorite Disney movies but also showed how the theme is truth-based. There are so many tellings of this story but it shows that “when a story stays alive, told, and retold, for thousands of years like this story has, it is a pretty good clue that there is a truth-based theme hiding inside it,” (Schell 64). With stories like this, it shows the importance and the different interpretations of a story. This story is told so many ways but differently but in the end the theme is the same, you will always be able to overcome death if you are righteous enough. I really like how Schell brought up this up and no matter how you tell a story, the theme will always stay the same. This can be true for game designing when you come out with different versions of games and updated versions the themes will always stay the same.

[AniParticipant Rupees: 715 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Erin! I agree. When Schell used these examples, it made it easier to understand why having a theme that mattered to people was so important. It was only then I realized that a lot of my favorite games are ones that I feel the most relatable to. I also like how you mentioned that themes always stay the same, regardless of how the story is told. A good game has an underlying story or a common goal that the players want to work toward!

[Aaliyah WitherspoonParticipant Rupees: 315 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi, I really agree with what you’re saying. Themes really draw people in and make them more interest-if it is something they are attracted to. Most things that are even clickbait tend to be very interesting titles that draw people in. In the same way, very interesting themes attract more and more people to the game.

[KangweiParticipant Rupees: 370 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Erin!
I never notice that the theme of the game will never change no matter how many times it update its version. That’s for telling me that! I feel the theme remains unchanged indicates user’s gaming experience will also not change. And this will make player become more coherent with this game even new content is published.

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Erin, truth-based themes are classic and are so well liked because the truth is usually something simple that a broad audience can relate too, that is why movies like the Titanic are so well received as well as Hercules!

[ScottParticipant Rupees: 600 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Using the example of Hercules helped me understand the truth-based theme a little more. It’s insane how a story can be passed down through hundreds of generations and stay the same way it was when it was originally told. If you have a strong theme with a good message, it will remain relatively the same throughout the years to come.

[AhishaParticipant Rupees: 410 RupeesRank: Wooden Sword]

Hi Erin,
I really like the quote that you picked and the example that you gave about the movie Hercules. It is true that if something has a truth to it in its theme then it resonates with us more and the more we keep going back to it.

[Aaliyah WitherspoonParticipant Rupees: 315 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi, I believe the truth is liberating and that it sets us free as well as speaking volumes. Incorporating true aspects into movies will help people to remember them. Since what was witnessed is something that can be resonated with, this makes it much easier to recall because it stirred up a feeling inside of the person.

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

To benefit the user’s game experience, it is helpful to unify your theme. In this chapter, the author informs the reader that by doing so your elements will reinforce one another (Schell,50). I can relate this approach to game design to when I am working on a writing assignment. When I began writing I ask myself, “What am I writing about? What is my main point? Will my main points tie back into my thesis?” Considering these questions also checks for the lens of unification. What I gathered from this chapter is that not only do you want to unify your ideas, but you also want to create a theme that resonates with players. In this chapter, Schell explains how the classic movie “Titanic” is loved and resonates with everyone, “The main theme is not experienced based. Instead, it is a simple statement, which I would phrase as something like “love is more important than life and stronger than death”(Schell, 63). This is a clear theme that can appeal to and pull the heartstrings of many people, which is why the movie is so well received by many.

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Destiny! I like how you related the game design to a writing assignment. It is true, everything has a process or a certain amount of steps that must be followed in order to reach that end goal. In writing, there is also a theme, so I see how you related the two. I also agree with you on the part about the Titanic – it is a film that can resonate with really anybody, which I think is what makes it so popular as well.

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Destiny,

I really liked the quote you used since it does show that the theme of something is very important to the viewer or player. It is interesting to connect this idea to a game design because when you think about the theme of a game and the characters you have you need to make sure at least one person feels that they can connect to them. Unifying a game is much more important than what people think and it is very difficult to do. In the example of Titanic, so many people have connected with it and find the beauty in the theme which is what game designers should try to do to resonate with their intended audience.

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Destiny!
I like that Schell used the example of a movie, showing that some concepts of game design apply further to other forms of media. It is interesting that a theme can be different than what is visibly obvious. The theme of loving someone else seems like the side information admist the great shipwreck, but it is truly the reason the movie gained so many viewers.

[AhishaParticipant Rupees: 410 RupeesRank: Wooden Sword]

Hi Destiny,
I like the part of the chapter that you mentioned and it resonated with me as well. When the theme of something like a game or even a movie like the Titanic is emotional and true and resonates with us, then it makes that piece all the more better and causes its viewers or player to come back to it.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Ahisha.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Ahisha.

[ShamarParticipant Rupees: 280 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hey Destiny,
I liked how you used a writing assignment to define unification. We all should take steps to come up with a unification of themes and illustrate how the themes keep the players engaged in playing the game. The identified theme also creates a form of resonation, as you mentioned, in which you connected with an example of the movie Titanic to show how the themes incorporated in the game can provide powerful moments that evoke different emotions from viewers and players.

[IzabellaParticipant Rupees: 400 RupeesRank: White Sword]

I agree that it is very important to have a unified theme in your game because otherwise, it will be very confusing for the players, but also for the elements to come together. Having a unified theme from the beginning will help all of the elements that go into making a game uphold that same theme. I like the connection you made with that and your writing assignment and how you can connect everything back to your thesis and I think that is very interesting. I loved when Schell discussed the movie Titanic and I am so glad you talked about it as well because I agree with your point that it has a clear theme and it appeals to people’s emotions which is likely why it is so loved by many. I think your response was great and you did a fantastic job!

[IzabellaParticipant Rupees: 400 RupeesRank: White Sword]

I think this chapter has been my favorite that we have read so far because it brings up a point that I have always thought about and believed and that is that the experiences people have with games can be extremely meaningful for a variety of reasons. I have seen all kinds of friendships blossom over simply playing a game together and sharing that experience can be so meaningful. Experiences can be meaningful and invoke all kinds of emotions, such as happiness, love, or even anger. Getting angry at a game, but loving to play it can still be a meaningful experience as well. I had an “AHA” moment when I read the two steps to creating a theme on page 59 that discussed picking a theme and simply picking all means to enforce that theme. I had never thought about it in such simple terms and I think putting it in those terms can help people make decisions regarding certain aspects they want to add to their game and answer some important unanswered questions. Would anyone else have a very difficult time picking a theme? I definitely would because, as discussed with the pirate example, there can be many themes under one idea, such as the different scenarios shown when talking about pirates. If I wanted to create a shooting game, there would still be many questions that I would need to answer and I believe that the clearer the idea is when you start, the easier the process will be. I loved the quote that said, “The best themes are ones that resonate with players — themes that touch players deeply.” (Schell 63). I definitely agree with this quote because no matter how well thought-out your theme is if it does not resonate with anyone it will not be as popular as those that do. Many people who play games want to feel certain ways, even if they don’t know it, such as the example used where our desire to be free is shown in the fantasy of being a pirate. There are many unconscious feelings that people like to feel, such as freedom, and when these are represented in games, people resonate with them and this creates meaningful experiences. In conclusion, I thought this chapter was super interesting because it definitely made me think about how important it is to have a clear theme and vision in mind and keeping that in mind to make sure every part of your game reinforces your theme.

[EthanParticipant Rupees: 885 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Izabella! I also really enjoyed this chapter as it made me reflect on the games that left me with many memorable experiences. I feel as if it would be pretty hard to pick a theme. Not only because it’s so important, but we must make sure that the audience resonates with it. I do think the most important part is to pick a theme that means something to you though. If you are passionate about your theme it will make it easier for you to incorporate elements that revolve that theme.

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Izabella! I completely agree with you that the game experience can be very meaningful to the player. The quote you picked about the game resonating with players is so true – I feel like the player needs to connect with the game on some level to enjoy it. Sometimes, this could even be an unconscious connection – something we really enjoy and love yet we may not understand why.

[RachelParticipant Rupees: 385 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Izabella,

I agree with you completely! It is extremely important to have a clear theme and vision in mind. When players who relate to the theme get together, they have something to resonate to, and it creates relationships between players outside of the game. Players are able to find meaning between each other by using the game as a source of connection and resonance. I myself personally also made so many friends online because we share the same interests and visions, and most importantly, we met in a game that we all enjoy together.

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hello Izabella, I enjoyed this chapter as well. Picking a theme is very important and unifies the elements in a game. I think the author did a great job explaining why the theme was important and i was able to take what I learned from this chapter and apply it to real life applications such as writing. when you write a story you need to also have a theme or something like a thesis that sums up all your total main points, doing this organizes your writing and makes a great piece.

[KangweiParticipant Rupees: 370 RupeesRank: White Sword]

After reading Chapter 6, I learnd many types of themes. I found the “Unifying Theme” part extremely similar to the steps when we are writing. As schell introduce to us, there are two steps to use a theme to strength the power of the game’ experience, that is “Stpe 1: Figure out what your theme is. Step 2: Use every means possible to reinforce the theme.” This process is exactly the same with the process we do while we are writing. We first declare a statement and then we use all possible facts, example, and evidences to reinforce the statement and prove the statement is true. In addition, I also like the example given by Schell of the VR game “Battle for the Buccaneer Gold” that he participated in creating. This provides us who are new to game design with an good example. He told us how he helped the team find the theme of the game. His team first determined what the game included and did research on it, such as pirates and pirate history. Then they encountered difficulties when determining the theme of the game, because they felt that the things they had studied, such as pirate history, were not suitable as themes. In the end, they accidentally discovered that players are actually interested in the experience of being a pirate. They immediately set the theme of the game as “being a pirate.” In addition, they also showed us many techniques that can enhance the theme of the game.

[AniParticipant Rupees: 715 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Great comparison! This process does remind me a lot about writing and formulating a thesis. We figure out what we want our paper to be about (thesis) and create points to support our claim. This process honestly reminds me of many things we do in life! I really like Schell’s simplicity in his explanation of unifying themes. He writes his argument in a way that makes it easy for the reader to understand. Additionally, it is interesting to see how themes vary from game to game, and we were able to see two examples from Schell’s projects within this chapter.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Ani.

[ChristopherParticipant Rupees: 865 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Kangwei,
I also liked the example that Schell used. It shows that the process of finding a suitable theme is not something to be taken lightly, and it’s not as simple as thinking about what might work for a game – it must be relatable and emotional. The fact that they only figured out the theme from humming the music from Pirates of the Caribbean suggests that it is a process that requires a lot of listening, of taking inspiration and being in tune with your own personal feelings and emotions regarding an experience.

[IzabellaParticipant Rupees: 400 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Kangwei! I totally agree with your connection to the Unifying Theme part of the reading to our writing that we do in our daily life as well as our classes. I think it is important to have a clear idea about what you are writing about or else you will get lost very quickly. I have tried writing essays before without a clear thesis and they were very chaotic and confusing. I like how you talked about the steps that Schell discusses when trying to find a good theme for “Battle for the Buccaneer Gold” and how they first did research. I think this highlights an important message that a theme may not always be instantly clear, but some research and thought might need to be put in for it to make sense. I thought your response was great and I think you did an amazing job at analyzing the readings and discussing them!

[ChristopherParticipant Rupees: 865 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Chapter six opened up my perspective on how games should be considered and viewed. I realized that they are much more than just something I play in my free time when I have nothing else to do. One quote I found really interesting was, “At their technological limit, games will subsume all other media.” This quote was so powerful because it allowed me to realize the sheer potential of games. Since they have an interactive component, they are able to do more than any other form of media. They can have everything all in one in order to create an experience that can nearly emulate life itself. The idea of having a theme was also really important. Schell states that “if our games have unifying, resonant themes, the experiences we create will be much, much stronger,” which I agree with because this will give them something to relate back to, think about, to associate themselves with. When Schell first mentioned the word theme, I thought of the moral of a story. However, the theme of a game can be something completely different. It probably should be something different, something that relates to the experience. However, in both a story and a game, the theme unifies the experience and provides the audience with something to take away. The question of creating a relevant theme is another subject entirely. The questions that the Lens of Resonance asks are important, as they allow you to evaluate and consider your game from a completely different perspective. These are really important for me to ask myself when designing a game, as they force me to consider things I normally would not.

[JasmineParticipant Rupees: 320 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Christoper,

I enjoyed reading your post, I agree this chapter has broaden the perceptive on the consideration and view of games. The unifying and resonant themes contribute to a strong gaming experience.

[RachelParticipant Rupees: 385 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Christopher!

I really appreciate that you are realizing that games are so much more than just something to play in free time. Everything in our lives can be games – this class in a sense is a game. We complete quests every week. We can make doing homework a game, or even doing household chores and daily activities. It is similar to how some people keep a planner to organize their to-do list, equivalent to the list of quests in a game. The definition of “game” is broad enough to encompass all media as Schell stated.

[AniParticipant Rupees: 715 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Chapter 6, “The Elements Support a Theme,” discussed the importance of a game’s theme and why game designers often spend a lot of time at this stage. On page 58, it states, “The parts of the experience that are important to people, such as the drama of a sporting event, the camaraderie between bridge players, or the rivalry of chess enthusiasts, all are determined by the design of the game” (Schell 58). I thought this quote was insightful because it made me realize that it isn’t the game that draws people to continue playing, rather it is the emotions that we experience when playing. When the games we play have a theme, we enjoy it more because it gives us a sense of purpose to work toward a common goal. Personally, when I think of the games I enjoy the most, it is usually because I enjoy their stories and themes the best. Later in the chapter, Schell writes about the significance of resonance in themes. He says that the best themes are ones that resonate with the players. I really like the Toontown Online project example. When working on this project, Schell and his team said the biggest difficulty was finding a theme that would appeal to a common conflict most people have, stating, “We wanted to create a game that kids and parents could play together, with a theme they could both relate to” (Schell 65). Through the Lens of Resonance and a Unifying theme, players are able to indulge in a positive playing experience because they are playing toward something exciting or important to them!

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hello Ani! I loved reading your response. I think it is most definitely true that the best themes are the ones we can relate to. I feel like this is relevant to any kind of art in general – books, music, etc. I also agree with you that it is not simply the game, but also the way the game makes us feel, or the emotions we feel while playing the game. I also liked the part where Schell discussed creating a game for both children and parents to play together. I think it would be a great way for a child and parent to bond and have fun.

[JasmineParticipant Rupees: 320 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ani,

I really enjoyed reading your post. I too think the theme of the game gives players more purpose to continue on with the experience. Giving a fun gaming experience for families most certainly reflects resonance in theme.

[DestinyParticipant Rupees: 475 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Great post, the theme of a game definitely unifies all of the elements to create an experience for users. This is why it is so important to make sure that all of the elements are balanced to support the intended theme.

[ScottParticipant Rupees: 600 RupeesRank: White Sword]

The quote you mentioned perfectly describes how it really isn’t the game that keeps players coming back to it, rather, it’s the experience. The game designer cares most about the experience that their players receive from playing their games. This is why the experience in which a game provides a player is so vital to a video game’s success.

[ScottParticipant Rupees: 600 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Reading chapter 6, one of the most important things that I learned was the lens of unification, or lens #11. To use this lens, you have to consider the reasoning behind your game. You have to ask the questions: what is my theme? am i using every means possible to reinforce that theme. This specific lens ends up working very well with the elemental tetrad. “Use the tetrad to separate out the elements of your game, so you can more easily study them from the perspective of a unified theme.” (Schell, 63). Another important element of this reading was how one may go about unifying the theme of a game. You need to figure out exactly what your theme is, and use every means possible to reinforce that theme. Described by Shell, “The theme is what your game is about. It is the idea that ties your entire game together—the idea that all the elements must support.” (Schell, 59). Establishing a theme is one of the most important things you can do when designing your game, because once you have figured out your theme, everything else you add into the game will play off the theme.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Scott.

[ChristopherParticipant Rupees: 865 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Scott,
I felt the same way about the importance of the theme. It really is the central element of the game, and so it must be very clearly defined in order for the game to feel like a true experience, since everything else is dependent on that theme. Constantly asking if you are doing everything possible to support the theme will also make the experience much more tangible, especially when it is addressed across the tetrad.

[JasmineParticipant Rupees: 320 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Scott,

Great post, I enjoyed reading. I totally agree with your chosen quote, “Use the tetrad to separate out the elements of your game, so you can more easily study them from the perspective of a unified theme” (Schell, 63). I believe this process can help a game designer put together a creative game that may keep players returning.

[KangweiParticipant Rupees: 370 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Scott！
I also feel that we could connect lense #11 and lense#9 together. Those four elements could reinforce the theme of the game and make the game composition becomes more solid. In addition, I feel the theme of the game is equivlent to the game content or the game mechanisms. This is because I think both of the theme and content or mechanism are directly link to the player’s gaming experience. Both the theme of the game and the content of game explains what will player do when playing the game.

[RachelParticipant Rupees: 385 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Scott,

I felt the same way with you, a theme is extremely important. Establishing a theme essentially allows designers to choose their audience in a sense. With the theme, they can choose to what audience they wish to appeal to. Mobile games such as Pokemon GO or Candy Crush appeal to casual players, while competitive games like Valorant or League of Legend appeal to online gamers. They unite the player audience under the theme of the game.

[RachelParticipant Rupees: 385 RupeesRank: White Sword]

In Chapter 6, “The Elements Support a Theme”, Schell starts the chapter off by introducing a quote by Herman Melville, “To write a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.” One of the lines by Schell that caught my attention was when he states “…we must confront the painful truth that many people view games, in all their forms, as meaningless diversions” (Schell 58). This is the painful truth for both designers and players – it is easy for people to have a stereotype of gamers, as they consider that games cannot be deep and meaningful. Thus comes in the idea of themes, both resonating and unifying. These themes and ideas give more to a game, and it allows the designers to effectively focus the game towards something that gives meaning to their players. Games that use a theme effectively capture the attention of players and resonates with them – becoming more than just a “mere” game. It adds depth and meaning, making a game stronger, captivating, and meaningful.

[MeganParticipant Rupees: 965 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hello Rachel, I completely agree with you. It is unfortunate that people have this perception of gamers that they are a certain way. However, if only one knew what goes into game design and playing, I think they would respect it. I truly can see how challenging and difficult it must be to create a game, and ensure the audience is going to like it, while combining all of the necessary elements.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Megan.

[JasmineParticipant Rupees: 320 RupeesRank: White Sword]

A quote I found interesting and important was, “A unifying theme is good—it focuses your design toward a single goal. But some themes are better than others. The best themes are ones that resonate with players—themes that touch players deeply”(Schell, 63). This quote stood out to me being that I agree with this statement, I see this with the game call of duty, they give a story when new mission games are released. I notice that players are intrigued by this and the theme resonates with the players to keep watching and playing to unlock more accessibilities. This keeps players engaged and returning.

[ChristianaParticipant Rupees: 425 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Jasmine!

It is interesting you mentioned Call of Duty. I am not really familiar with the game, so what do you think is the theme of that game? If they are giving stories , is the theme truth-based, taken from universal emotions and feelings we experience in real life? Out of all the the themes, those are the ones I like the best. Like you pointed out, those that resonate with us are the best ones, and I think that is true of truth-based themes.

[Aaliyah WitherspoonParticipant Rupees: 315 RupeesRank: White Sword]

From reading chapter 6, an important point I took out was the emphasis on unification within a theme. The author’s story about the pirates’ ride in Disneyland led to me understanding why it’s so important to have a theme in my game. Even the small parts of the game all added up to fit the general theme; for example, the theme clicked to the author when he started humming the song that was played on the ride. It shows how everything unified together actually does end up making the theme work.

[AlexisParticipant Rupees: 735 RupeesRank: White Sword]

“The primary benefit of basing your design around a single theme is that all of the elements of your game will reinforce one another, since they will all be working toward a common goal. Sometimes it is best to let a theme emerge as you are creating the game. The sooner you have settled on a theme, the easier things will be for you, because you will have an easy method of deciding if something belongs in your game or not”(Schell 59).

This quote stuck out most to me in this chapter because I feel as though determining a theme, within anything, especially a game, is the base of the planning process. Without a theme the process of game writing can get very messy and unorganized. Therefore, I think this quote is very informative about how important determining a theme in game writing is and that it needs to be established early on in order to create a smooth transition into the rest of the game writing process. This resonated with me most because in terms of writing I am a very structured person so this was very helpful information for me to know that in order to have an organized game writing experience, I now know to start with a theme first.

[EthanParticipant Rupees: 885 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Alexis! I like how you stated that the theme of the game is the base of the game. I also liked how you connected it to the writing experience. When writing, I feel that once I have my main points and my theme, it makes the writing process easier. However, with a fragile and loose theme, I find it harder to get my point across. Perhaps it is the same in game design as Schell explained. The sooner you have the theme of your game, the more you can emit from that theme and incorporate it as elements in your game.

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Alexis, I think you’re right that without deciding on a theme early things can get disorganized. Often when you see a piece of media that just doesn’t feel like its saying anything, its not even because it’s not trying to say anything, it’s because it’s trying to say too many things and none of them end up said very effectively. Probably because there are a lot of themes to choose from, and especially when there are multiple people involved in a project people might not agree on what to focus on. So keeping it simple and coherent can improve the quality of your game.

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

When reading the listed examples of games and their respective themes, I noticed that some of the games were based off of existing media while others were original. Also that as someone working at Disney this author has somewhat of a bias for that, haha. Anyway, since the section about the lens of resonance talked about what themes people would appreciate and connect to, it’s also worthwhile to think about how the games which are based on existing media – maybe even another game if it’s a sequel or a spinoff – have the themes already apparent in the earlier work to draw off of and build on. So that when people play a Disney movie game, they are also in a Disney movie mindset and remembering everything they liked and noticed themewise in that movie. If it’s a sequel to a game, they’re probably remembering those themes and wondering what this game will do that’s new or building on that. I think Schell talks a lot in this chapter about what themes and ideas from the original works could be used in their game adaptations, but not a lot about the hype that an adaptation automatically generates just by being an adaptation of a popular work. Unless I just missed a sentence, let me know haha.

[AlexisParticipant Rupees: 735 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Pragya! I like how you used the example of disney related games having to keep up the theme throughout their games in order for players to get that specific disney experience. I think when games are made based off of already existing movies and other things, keeping the theme consistent and well put together is essential for players to feel connected to the game and experience.

[EthanParticipant Rupees: 885 RupeesRank: White Sword]

“The best themes are the ones that resonate with players — themes that touch the players deeply.” This quote and the whole section on resonance in the chapter really resonated with me (Hehe). This chapter was one that connected with me the most, as I think that themes are an imperative part of what makes games special to me. When playing the games, if there is a theme that connects to me deeply, it makes the overall experience more memorable. One of the aha moments I had in this chapter was with how I viewed games in general. When I would have free time, I would see games as just a fun way to pass my free time. I would only take the experience and separate it from the game without thinking about the elements of the game that really emitted the memorable experience. “… experiences aren’t just associated with games at random; they are what emerge when players interact with a game.” I loved this quote because it made me think about games like Pokemon GO where it has the theme of letting me feel like I’m a Pokemon trainer. Being able to experience this through the game and incorporating it to the real world made my dreams come true and produced a memorable experience that I have been able to have until now. What are some games with themes that made your overall experience more memorable and why?

[AlexisParticipant Rupees: 735 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ethan! I am fairly picky in my choice of games as I only plays those of which I know I will enjoy based on the theme as well as the mechanics. My favorite kinds of games are those with fun themes such as Candy Crush or the board game Sorry! as those games have fun themes with vibrant colors and a more simplistic layout. Everyone has their preferences, and those preferences are based heavily on themes therefore building the theme of each game is one of game writers most crucial steps in my opinion.

[ZiyangParticipant Rupees: 45 RupeesRank: White Sword]

“Theme is about focusing your work toward something that holds meaning for your players.”(Schell 67) Theme is sometime invisible to players. Players might not notice it if you did it in the right way; however, if you are doing it wrong, your players will definitly notice it. Pick an interesting theme is important, that needs to be something deep down people’s imagination. Those imagination might be shaped by the environment. Like boy might want to be spaceman just because they watched “star war” when they were young. For girls they might want to be a princess living in beautiful palace. To make players’ dream come true, before even they realize it. Some desire we have are hiding deep inside of us. (might be refered as subconscious)
After a good theme has been picked, all resources you can control should be following the theme. You might need to compromise a little bit like not using the most advanced technique to made animnation since you want it to be like hand-drawn. But all those sacrifies are necessary, since a unified theme makes players feel more comfortable. So that they can enjoy the rest great part of the game, and after they finished, then they look back; suddently they realize what the game wants to tell them.

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Schell mentions that a game can’t be put in different forms or media, but different media can be put in games. This made me think about the black mirror interactive show. It is, in a way, a game, where the viewers have the power to choose the outcome of the show. Then, does that make the show a game now or has the game been the main thing and the show was the mechanics to play the game?

The point of a theme Schell focuses on zooms into the importance of it. Throughout all of his texts, Schell’s use of examples helps me understand the concepts and points he brings into view. In this chapter, he uses his example of developing a game based on Pirates of Caribbean. To do this he had to find and centralize a theme, which ties back to his point of game designers having to “create new kinds of organisms” or in this case, themes (Schell 50). His process of discovering a theme was very interesting, as it was different to what I had pictured in my head. I had thought of a game designer just picking a topic/ theme and just basing a game off of it. However, the most important part of finding a theme was resonance.

[EthanParticipant Rupees: 885 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Joeun! I really like the Black Mirror reference! I never really thought about interactive shows as games but now that I think more about it, I do think that implementing mechanics into a show does make it into a game in a way. However, an interactive show is more story heavy rather than mechanic heavy. I also liked how you mentioned the long process that Schell took in discovering the theme for the Pirates of the Carribean game. It seems almost simple when you look at the title but it takes a bit and actually experiencing it to see what it was and how it was incorporated.

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

I feel like it’s possible that despite its story focus, it is still a game, but also that means the 4 elements do not work in tandem. Do you think that means that following the balance of the 4 elements create a great game? I feel like for Black Mirror it was a movie first then a game, so even if the 4 elements were not followed equally, the movie aspect of it carried how it was accepted by the audience.

[AlexisParticipant Rupees: 735 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Joeun! Prior to this course I also thought that developing a game theme was much more simplistic than we have now learned it to be. I believed that game designers simply chose the theme the thought went well with the game idea and used their own imaginations from there. However, I understand now that I was very wrong in thinking this as I now know it’s extremely important to consider the audience in developing a theme and make sure it is something that the players can resonate with. By creating a theme with resonance, the game will have more of an appeal to players as it allows players to take interest in and relate to this theme, thus creating higher engagement.

[ChristianaParticipant Rupees: 425 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Joeun!

I like how you brought up the Black Mirror interactive game. I think it is a difficult, yet interesting question. As the definition of a game is already so hard to form, it makes it hard to classify an ambiguous game such as this. I have never played the game before, but I would like to argue that it is a show, simply because you can only change the ending, and everything else is set.

[AhishaParticipant Rupees: 410 RupeesRank: Wooden Sword]

In this chapter the quote that stood out to me most was, “Sometimes it is best to let a theme emerge as you are creating the game,” (Schell 59). In this chapter Schell discusses how important themes are in a game. He explains that themes have to be very easily noticeable and incorporated throughout the whole game for the game to be organized. I also thought it was interesting that Schell wrote about his own experience as well in designing a pirate game for Disney. He said that once they stopped trying to hard to figure out the pirate theme was when they found out the real theme which was making the player feel like a pirate. I can also see this in the game that I played for the quest last week which was animal crossing. The theme is predominant throughout the game which was design, and it can be seen throughout the game. My question to the author is, what if there is more than one theme or what if the theme changes, or is that a sign of a sloppy game?

[ErinParticipant Rupees: 1,235 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Ahisha,

I feel like there are times where there will be more than one theme to a game but I do not think that is a sign to sloppy game design. Sometimes, there are different interpretations of the game by the player and they might resonate with a different theme than the person they are playing with. Even as time goes on there could be different themes based on what is happening in the world and society. New views of a theme are different than what they once were. There can be many themes to one game but that is not a sign of sloppy game design.

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Ahisha!
What is the theme to Animal Crossing? I have never played it before. I do believe the answer to your question is how the theme is delivered to the audience. For Schell, his delivery by incorporating his theme to every aspect of the game allowed a high quality, enjoyable game to be presented.

[ScottParticipant Rupees: 600 RupeesRank: White Sword]

I like the quote you mentioned, it shows that sometimes it’s better let the theme of your game come to you while creating it. Opposite to trying to establish a theme before starting the game designing process, this can help take less pressure of you when beginning to start designing your game. Being in a creative mindset can help the ideas relating to your potential theme start to formulate.

[ChristianaParticipant Rupees: 425 RupeesRank: White Sword]

Hi Ahisha!

To answer your question, I think there can be more than one theme in a game, similar to how there can be multiple themes in a book. Especially since the decision is ultimately at the hands of the player, who may have a completely different interpretation as to what the theme is than the designer, but it can still he considered a theme of the game. In addition, I do not think it is sloppy to change one’s theme midway, as it shows that the game has evolved to be so much more, which is always a good sign.

[ShamarParticipant Rupees: 280 RupeesRank: White Sword]

In chapter 6, Schell discusses the importance of creating a game theme that will create a form of resonance among the players and how these themes will engage the players into exploring these themes based on their power. To create a game with a powerful theme, one must make an experience that will provide the player an escape route from reality into entering a dream world where they explore this theme. In his chapter, Schell claims, “ when you manage to tap into one of these resonant themes, you have something deep and powerful that has a true ability to move people and to give them an experience that is both transcendent and transforming” (pg. 63). I found this to be very insightful because I enjoy playing games, such as God of War: Ragnarok (2022), because they include potent themes that often relate to societal issues and our desired themes separate us from reality we’re from stress, and rules from the society.

[JoeunParticipant Rupees: 1,090 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Shamar!
You put it beautifully how you described the transcendent quality a theme must bring to a game. I also agree with your point that a theme must resonate with the audience and provide something deep and powerful; however, that is a great description of Disney games. What about games like Flappy Bird, where the whole world became obsessed with putting a bird through plumbing pipes? What would be the resonating theme there?

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Joeun, not to be too pretentious here but I think instead of Flappy Bird inspiring something deep inside of us, I think instead part of simple games like that is the temporary togetherness it creates when everyone is interested in playing the game before the fad passes and it gets old. It’s so simple that most people can figure it out, and there’s also some novelty to wondering why everyone’s so into it when it’s so simple… so then more people go play it to find out!

[ChristianaParticipant Rupees: 425 RupeesRank: White Sword]

“When you manage to tap into one of these resonant themes, you have some-thing deep and powerful that has a true ability to move people and to give them an experience that is both transcendent and transforming” (Schell 63).

I chose this quote because I also find resonance to be a powerful factor in games. Some games can have the simplest of goals, yet evoke such a strong feeling in people, like how Animal Crossing gives such a level of comfort for doing something quite mundane. I think that even nostalgia can cause someone to fall in love with a game – whether it reminds them of their childhood or a time when things were much easier, this feeling evokes such a strong emotion for something as even mindless as Fruit Ninja.

For example, I think Disney games play into that whole factor of wanting to be a kid again, which is why so many grown adults are still die-hard fans of Disney. something as simple as that has the ability to move the hearts of many.

[PragyaParticipant Rupees: 195 RupeesRank: Magic Sword]

Hi Christiana, I think you’re right that nostalgia plays a big role in getting people interested. Nostalgia can make people willing to look past a lot, so you can actually get people thinking a work is better than it objectively is. This doesn’t invalidate their feelings about it, it just means that the nostalgia factor is an important part of the game experience. Not only do some games intentionally try to get to this feeling, but once a game sets off you can create nostalgia by rereleasing it or making sequels to it.

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