Gaming the System: Designing with Gamestar Mechanic (John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning)

Understanding games as systems, with complex interactions of game elements and rules.

Gaming the System demonstrates the nature of games as systems, how game designers need to think in terms of complex interactions of game elements and rules, and how to identify systems concepts in the design process. The activities use Gamestar Mechanic, an online game design environment with a systems thinking focus.

Katie Salen Tekinbas is Professor in the School of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul University and Chief Designer and Researcher at Institute of Play.

Melissa Gresalfi is Associate Professor of Mathematics Education and Learning Sciences at Vanderbilt University.

Kylie Peppler is Assistant Professor in the Learning Sciences Program and Director of the Creativity Labs at Indiana University Bloomington.

Rafi Santo is a doctoral student in the Learning Sciences Program at Indiana University Bloomington.

James Paul Gee is Mary Lou Fulton Presidential Professor of Literacy Studies at Arizona State University. He is the author of Social Linguistics and Literacies, a foundational work in the field of New Literacy Studies, and Why Video Games Are Good For Your Soul.