ABSTRACT
What a game designer can control, can get their hands in, is the game. Others say that the “real problem” with a lack of game design vocabulary is not a problem of standardized definitions, but a lack of terms, at all, to discuss some of the complex ideas that arise as part of the game design process. “Endogenous meaning”: endogenous is an excellent term that Costikyan brought from the world of biology to game design, and it means “caused by factors inside the organism or system,” or “internally generated.” “System” means games are made of interrelated elements that work together. An incredibly thought-provoking philosophical examination of the nature of games. Often, the things people enjoy most about games, such as social interaction or physical exercise, have nothing to do with problem solving.
