Meaningful Game Design: The Methodology and Psychology of Tabletop Games

This book provides readers with the tools and methods with which to create effective tabletop games. It covers the design and development process thoroughly, guiding readers through the necessary mechanics, messages, and motivations of games that must be understood in order to build successful tabletop games, including serious educational games for teaching or training.

Through a range of learning activities and methodologies, readers will develop an understanding of games and an appreciation for the creating and testing of game play whilst critically exploring the relationship between games, motivation, and learning. It includes chapters on design methodology, narrative, accessibility, playtesting, and more.

This book will be of great interest to students of game design and serious game design courses. It will also appeal to designers, educators, and hobbyists interested in designing and developing their own tabletop games, educational or otherwise.