What Makes a Game
The Core Mechanics of Games
The analysis of both academic and practical definitions has shown that despite the many differences there are substantial similarities between all definition of games. What all these definitions have in common is the fact that they describe games as simulated and formal systems that include the notion of decision-making based on a pre-defined set of rules. With regard to the practical purpose of this blog I consider the following description of Jane McGonigal as the most suitable way to define a game - primarily because it focuses on the core mechanisms and their specific function within a game.
