Welcome to Digital Play Zone!

I'm Winn Liu. I'm pretty sure we can all think of fun games, but whether or not we can explain why said games are fun is a different story. Fun is a very broad term, we all understand what it means, but the word fun doesn’t help us as developers to decipher what exactly makes the game entertaining.

You may be wondering why we have to break down and find the meaning of fun. Well, if we don't know what is fun, how will we be able to make more of such games?

Many games have many different appeals that make us want to play. The question is, what are said things that drive us to continue playing? Let's find out together, shall we?

First of all, let's set the rules to the question: what is fun?

To me, fun is the things in a game, movie, or story that can keep the audience immersed and entertained. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the key elements I see in games and why such things work in keeping us entertained.

I would say that this is one of the most common aspects that make games appealing. I find that people love to learn new patterns and techniques. The satisfaction of being able to complete a level because of how much they practised or using new strategies they thought out is truly incomparable.

I find that the satisfaction is similar to when you finally realise that you are decent at a hobby. Say, playing an instrument or cooking new recipes.

Despite all that, I also notice that it's quite a controversial take to attribute learning to fun. But, I would like to argue that people have bad connotations with learning because of school and parents or guardians forcing them to learn things in a way that they could not follow.

If you think about it, every single hobby you find fun, entertaining or appealing, started as a curiosity that turned into an obsession. From there you found a way to learn this hobby in a way that you enjoy. Once you started to grasp the fundamentals of the hobby, you started to see the accomplishments of your endless learning.

Another aspect of why games are fun is the story and design. Having a great story can allow people to immerse themselves in a world of endless possibilities. Where the struggles of their own life can be put on hold for a while.

Writing a good story is difficult, so here is a blog on how to write engaging stories.

Humans are social creatures, we like it when we are able to share, enjoy and relate to others.

This is why there are games that have co-op as an option.

These can be team-based games where you work together or competitive games where you are against each other. Generally, I see more competitive games being played.

Have you ever played a game and wondered, “Can I do this to progress?” To be able to do things by their imagination. This goes back to our first point on mastery, it has the same concept, players like to have the satisfaction that their ideas worked. That sense of accomplishment is something that is taught since young by our parents, friends, and teachers.

Fun has a different meaning for everyone. For me, fun is when you can be immersed and engaged in the medium. It is being able to learn and memorise so that when you finally beat the level, the adrenaline is immeasurable.

These are my interpretations of fun in games, I’m sure you would have your aspects of a game that you find enjoyable. Give it a think, what do you think fun means to you?

As newer games come out every year, with the latest technology and techniques, the concept of fun continues to change alongside them.

I hope that these tips I shared with you today about what makes a game fun will help you to make your own game. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions on game design or if you have stories about making a game fun you would like to share!