Why Games Work, And How To Build Them - Hackaday

Why Games Work—and How to Build Them
Most of us love games—but what, exactly, makes a game engaging? Raph Koster tackles this in a thoughtful breakdown of game design, focusing on the practical “worky bits” that make games tick.

The big idea
Koster outlines a practical twelve-step framework that explains why some games click and others don’t. At its core, an effective game:

• Poses interesting problems for players to solve
• Delivers meaningful, timely feedback
• Aligns with player motivation

These elements don’t operate in isolation. The craft is in orchestrating their interplay—designing challenges, timing feedback, and tapping motivation so each part reinforces the others.

Why it matters (especially to hackers and makers)
This way of thinking isn’t just for game studios. Many compelling community and convention activities are games at heart. It’s the same playful mindset behind projects like running DOOM inside KiCAD’s PCB editor or building first-person 3D experiences on a Commodore PET.

Bottom line
Great games are systems of challenge, feedback, and motivation tuned to engage the player. Koster’s framework offers a clear lens for designing (and diagnosing) those systems.

Source: https://hackaday.com/2025/12/13/why-games-work-and-how-to-build-them/