From a design perspective, it’s useful to understand what audiences exist for games; and how diverse the form actually is. And while success can be achieved by catering to the aesthetic of a particular audience, games that break the mold are often the most interesting. Still, it is worth contemplating what pleasures gamers draw from the games they play, and why they enjoy them.
Quotes on game design
It really is a labor of love; and you really appreciate it when you get into the middle of it and you see what happens, […] when you see the amount of time that so many people put in, and so little compensation… it changes your perspective. What a gift it is that there are designers who do this work for us. It’s just incredible that people are willing to do this and provide us with these games.
If you think it’s a rule but you’re not sure, see what happens when you break it.
This enlightened attribute of the designer—the capacity to harness, control, steer and produce play for intended purposes—is what makes them culturally respectable.
You can make (most) designs interesting through your play-talk—but when published, your design needs to speak for itself.