| Title | : | GameTek |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1460757378 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781460757376 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 |
| Publication | : | Published October 27, 2020 |
If you shuffle a deck of cards what are the odds that the sequence is unique? What is the connection between dice, platonic solids and Newton's theory of gravity? What is more random: a dice tower or a number generator? Can you actually employ a strategy for a game as basic as Rock-Paper-Scissors?
These are all questions that are thrown up in games and life. Games involve chance, choice, competition, innovation, randomness, memory, stand-offs and paradoxes - aspects that designers manipulate to make a game interesting, fun and addictive, and players try to master for enjoyment and winning. But they also provide a fascinating way for us to explore our world; to understand how our minds tick, our numbers add up, and our laws of physics work.
This is a book that tackles the big questions of life through the little questions of games.
With short chapters on everything from memory games to the Prisoner's Dilemma, to Goedel's theorems, GameTek is fascinating reading anyone for who wants to explore the world from a new perspective - and a must-read book for serious designers and players.
PRAISE
'Math, physics, psychology and all the other stuff you didn't even realise you were using while playing board games! Dr E has opened the door to the game under the game in fascinating, fun detail. Now you have NO reason to ever lose again! Rock!' Tommy Dean, board-gamer and stand-up comic
GameTek Reviews
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I don't want to steer anyone away from this book. It's a 3+, really. It's interesting, it's well-written, but it's shorter than I'd expected and doesn't really hang together as a book. Each one, as an article/essay/blog post would have been very interesting, but I expect more ambition in a book, I want it to sweep me away (even nonfiction) and tell an interesting story from start to finish. And there was no start to finish here, just essay, essay, essay, etc., each one good, but the sum < parts.
It was kind of perfect for bedtime reading, one chapter per night. It's definitely not a history of games: it's a look at how our minds work with regard to game dynamics (and hence how designers might think about approach their games, given how humans are). Good stuff, and I learned things, but I won't be fondly recalling the book two years from now--I'll just wonder where I learned that stuff and shrug.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). -
This book is based on the author’s segments on the Dice Tower boardgaming podcast. Engelstein covers a variety of different topics like chance and probability, human perceptions (like loss aversion), and player engagement, bringing a different approach to how to consider some aspects of boardgames through a different lens. These are done through bite-sizes chunks, exposing many (me included) to different fields. Since the audio segments are not very long (there has since been a (spinoff?) podcast called Ludology which covers these types of topics in more depth), the chapters will be more of a repeat to those who have listened in the past rather than much new material, albeit with some limited fleshing out and with some graphs, pictures, and diagrams. The topics are not intended to be read to provide an in depth understanding but can be used to spark interest and reading for things that strike your further curiosity. This is an informative, engaging, and interesting read.
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GameTek by Geoffrey Engelstein is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late October.
The themes of science & math within gameplay while using odds, memory, flawed randomization, strategy, mutual exchanges, and foresight to play games skillfully. So, it's fun if you're into all that and reading the equations involved. -
Reading Geoff's well-written compilation of math/science/board game podcast wisdom...
A) makes me smile
B) reminds me of the sound of his voice on all those podcasts
C) messes with my head (I’m an English major, not a STEM guy)
D) is very enjoyable
E) all of the above
Highly recommended to gamers and folks interested in applied science. -
A nice compilation of essays that read almost like blog posts, which cover a wide variety of topics at the intersection of games and math, science, and psychology. The chapters are not cohesive, but it's a great package if you understand what you are getting.
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Mixing math, science, psychology and games a great read which is very engaging!
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Entertaining and approachable, with lots of interesting leads to pursue and things to think about. Well worth reading. Good light bedtime nonfiction.
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7/10 ⭐️
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I have been following Geoff on The Dice Tower podcast. His broad knowledge on games, mathematics and psychology provides interesting views on how games work, why design decisions have been taken and how they can be won. And of course, these insights can be used in daily life as well. Recommended if you are a boardgamer. Interesting if you are not because you might miss some of the references.
