ABSTRACT
Casual games present a new frontier for the game designer. The success of casual games across a variety of platforms-from the standard PC-downloadable format to the infiltration of casual games into hardcore consoles such as XBox 360 to the incorporation of casual game thinking into new console design (in the case of the Wii)-made it clear that a well-made casual game could likely be played by people of all ages, all genders, and all levels of game play experience. The opportunity to design a game that could be played by anyone, another Tetris, is an incredibly appealing one, but also one fraught with design challenges, even for designers fluent in making games for more restricted audiences.
