Why Gamification Fails: A Parable

What happens when you try to exploit the engagement energy of games without respecting the features that make them engaging.

Life is a Game

What if life is really a game? Many writers and thinkers have said so; but what does it mean? In this book, economist and game design professor Edward Castronova tackles the question head on.

2040: An American Insurgency

This game simulates an American civil war in the year 2040. There is also a free version suitable for classroom exercises. Nov 2020: Draft game board added

Announcing VIRUS: A Pandemic Disaster Response Simulation for 36-108 Players

I made a game to help organizations respond to things like COVID-19. It’s being offered for free as my contribution to the crisis. This is a simulation of a virus pandemic attacking a US state. Players play all the critical roles: Governor, National Guard, Police Chiefs, Doctors, FEMA, CDC, and the President. Solid takeaways and very engaging too. See inside for details on running it for your group.

Videogames and Violence: A Nothingburger

18 months of research finds no evidence that violent games cause social violence.

Past Glory

More than 15 years ago, I wrote this paper about the economies of games. The nice people at Today I Found Out recently made a video about it. Thanks to former student Sami Stegall for the heads up!

The Future of Gaming: Your Data, Your Wallet

An interview with Quartz Media’s Jacob Templin on the game industry and its revenues.

The Alcoholics Anonymous Game

A free game about alcoholism and the Alcoholics Anonymous program.

Politics of a Video Game Generation

A decade ago, I predicted that games would change how people approach politics.

Forctis Advisory Board

I was honored to join the advisory board of Forctis, a blockchain startup….

Online is becoming well-designed anarchy

Developments in online games point to a future of designed digital anarchy.

Game Design at Indiana

A promo about the Game Design program.

An Experiment with 575,000 Subjects

In a massive experiment on money, a virtual society seems to act like a real one.

Infiniverse Advisory Board

I was honored to join the Advisory Board of Infiniverse, an alternate-reality startup….

Why Do Games Have Gods?

“Why God?” is often asked about the real world. It seems like a hangover from our goat-herding days. How odd, then, that Gods are everywhere in fantasy worlds. Why?