Logo
ScienceStack
Table of Contents
Fetching ...
Sign In

A Vocabulary of Board Game Dynamics

Joshua Kritz, Geraldo Xexéo

TL;DR

This paper tackles the lack of a formal vocabulary for board game dynamics by generating and validating a dynamics lexicon through a focus group and a survey, framed within the MDA model. It yields a 29-term final vocabulary organized into a taxonomy, derived from an initial set of 57 concepts and refined via statistical validation that supports combining respondent groups. The contribution provides designers and researchers with a concrete language to discuss dynamic aspects of board games and lays groundwork for future expansions and framework integration. The work emphasizes that dynamics are central to understanding player experience and advocates for broader, player-centered dynamical analysis in game studies.

Abstract

In recent years, significant advances have been made in the field of game research. However, there has been a noticeable dearth of scholarly research focused on the domain of dynamics, despite the widespread recognition among researchers of its existence and importance. The objective of this paper is to address this research gap by presenting a vocabulary dedicated to boardgame dynamics. To achieve this goal, we employ a focus group to generate a set of dynamic concepts that are subsequently subjected to validation and refinement through a survey. The resulting concepts are then organized into a vocabulary using a taxonomic structure, allowing the grouping of these concepts into broader and more general ideas.

A Vocabulary of Board Game Dynamics

TL;DR

This paper tackles the lack of a formal vocabulary for board game dynamics by generating and validating a dynamics lexicon through a focus group and a survey, framed within the MDA model. It yields a 29-term final vocabulary organized into a taxonomy, derived from an initial set of 57 concepts and refined via statistical validation that supports combining respondent groups. The contribution provides designers and researchers with a concrete language to discuss dynamic aspects of board games and lays groundwork for future expansions and framework integration. The work emphasizes that dynamics are central to understanding player experience and advocates for broader, player-centered dynamical analysis in game studies.

Abstract

In recent years, significant advances have been made in the field of game research. However, there has been a noticeable dearth of scholarly research focused on the domain of dynamics, despite the widespread recognition among researchers of its existence and importance. The objective of this paper is to address this research gap by presenting a vocabulary dedicated to boardgame dynamics. To achieve this goal, we employ a focus group to generate a set of dynamic concepts that are subsequently subjected to validation and refinement through a survey. The resulting concepts are then organized into a vocabulary using a taxonomic structure, allowing the grouping of these concepts into broader and more general ideas.
Paper Structure (13 sections, 1 figure, 2 tables)

This paper contains 13 sections, 1 figure, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. the MDA framework
  3. Methodology
  4. The focus group
  5. Survey on dynamics
  6. Results
  7. Focus Group
  8. Curious cases
  9. Survey
  10. Statistical analysis of survey answers
  11. Resulting Vocabulary
  12. Related Work
  13. Conclusion

Figures (1)

  • Figure 1: Dynamics vocabulary