To talk about different design game, the real power comes from understanding the underlying principles at work so that we can successfully adapt and adopt for our own specific situation. It shares six core principles with all games that help us recognize opportunities to bring games into play.The first is Objectives: There needs to be some kind of goal or outcome that people can work towards. The more concrete and defined these are, the easier it is for people to participate. However, fuzzy objectives can be more rewarding, since they model real situations better. Consider more ambiguous objectives for teams that are already gelled and accept the ideas for design game.
The second is Constraints: There needs to be some limits on what players can or cannot do when achieving those objectives. Constraints should be relevant, related to each other, and present a coherent whole.
The third is Success criteria: There needs to be some way of knowing when the objectives are met. Clear success criteria help establish expectations and buy-in for game participation. Some games are more unstructured, with less well defined criteria. That ambiguity can make such design game better able to model some scenarios, but harder to sell inside an organization because they do not have a set ending.
The fourth is Reward: Incentives that reward success can be intrinsic outcomes of the design game good results, recognition, embedded in the game itself or getting more Monopoly money, or external recognition or prizes. Balancing rewards between players can be a challenge, and needs to be considered when adopting design game.
The fifth is Play: The most important reward needs to be a sense of fun, encouraging interaction and intrinsic value for the design game. That sense of play can be elusive playtesting a design game in your own team is important to get a sense of what is fun, and what isn’t before you roll it out with a larger group. Play operates in the area of flow-balance the challenges of the game with the abilities of the players.
The last is Competition: Sometimes, but not always, design game can involve individuals or teams competing to achieve those game objectives. While competition can be an easy game mechanic to introduce, it can also create the wrong dynamic depending on organizational culture and individual participants. Does competition make things fun, or turn people into raving lunatics bent on winning at all costs? If it’s the latter, you might look for more cooperative alternatives, including setting competition against previous performances, like beating our old record for ideas generated, instead of against other teams or individuals.













