ABSTRACT
Have you ever wondered how magicians trick you? How they seem to defy the rules of physics or read your mind? I’m not going to give away magicians’ secrets but, in reality, magicians and mentalists have a good understanding of human cognition, such as perception, attention, and memory. They learn to take advantage of brain loopholes, and when they master certain practices (such as “misdirection”—whereby the attention of the audience is distracted to deceive their senses), they succeed in tricking us (Kuhn and Martinez 2012). For me, a video game is also a type of magic: When it’s done well, players suspend their disbelief, and they enter a state of flow. Understanding the gamer’s brain will provide you with tools and guidelines to help you craft the magical experience you intend for your audience. And it is an even more important tool to master today as video games represent an increasingly growing competitive market.
