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Sirlin on Game Design, Podcast Episode 3: Uneven Playfields (Patreon)

Published:
2014-11-30 07:08:57
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Here's episode 3 of my podcast. Thanks to all the patrons for your support! This one is about my biggest frustration with what's happened to the world of competitive games.

Files

Previews only

Sirlin on Game Design, Ep3: Uneven Playfields

In this episode, we discuss uneven playfields in competitive games. That's when a competitive game gives some players a material advantage, rather than being fair. Although fairness should be a basic premise of a competitive game, MOST competitive games have unfortunately become uneven playfields, and players seem to accept this.

Comments

Jude McCulley

I really appreciated hearing you and Garcia bring up the distinction between games and activities. BINGO is a great example of this. It has bugged me ever since I was old enough to start thinking critically about games because it is not one. It tries to present itself as a game but there is literally no gameplay of any kind involved. You could just have a computer tell you in 0.2 seconds who wins. You could argue that your being able to play more cards than me shows you have more skill, but it seems kind of boring to base an entire game around such a simple test. Anyway it has always bugged me, but it has made me acutely aware of the difference between games and activities and how often people confuse one for the other.

sirlin

Bingo is a great example of that! Thanks, I will use that in the future.