Resources
Looking for more? Below are a variety of additional materials such as presentations that dive deeper into specific subjects in the book; as well as a store fully stocked with links to obtain all the books, games and music referenced in
A Theory of Fun.The original presentation in PDF format.
A Grammar of Gameplay
The GDC 2005 design presentation on game design atoms.
Why Games Matter
The Training Fall 2005 keynote.
A Theory of Fun: 10 Years Later
It has been ten years since the original talk that spawned the book! To celebrate, the GDC Online conference asked the author
to present a new talk revisiting the material in the book given ten years' worth of new research and thinking.
Raph's Website
The author's website, featuring numerous articles on game design, online communities, literary criticism, and much more.
Raph's Store
Buy the author's merchandise related to the book A Theory of Fun for Game Design.
O'Reilly
Publishers of A Theory of Fun for Game Design.
Gamasutra excerpt
An excerpt covering all of chapter 5 from the book.
The Theory of Fun resource store!
The following items are all mentioned or referenced in some fashion in A Theory of Fun for Game Design, and are gathered here for easy reference or purchasing.
Many of the older games referenced are not easily available. You will need to find them on compilations, run them on emulators, or cast a wide net for platforms on which you can find a version running.
(Includes Laser Blast)
(Includes Centipede, Tempest, Asteroids, and Pong)
(includes Gyruss)
(Includes Joust, Robotron 2084, Sinistar, Defender, and Smash TV)
(Includes Planetfall, Enchanter, Deadline, and Zork)
(Includes Star Raiders)
(Includes Ultima IV)
(Includes Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis)
(Includes Go moku)
(Rumis is a boardgame)
Mostly unavailable on a modern platform: Kangaroo, Vanguard, Choplifter, M.U.L.E., Welltris, Blue Max, Gorf, Deathrace, Murder on the Zinderneuf, Loom, Star Traders, Empire, Balance of Power, Fool's Errand, Crystal Quest, Seven Cities of Gold, Archon, Hidden Agenda, Adventure, Dune II, the Apshai series, Elite, Eastern Front 1941, Hextris. Most of these can still be played via emulation.
Crystal Quest is now available for iOS.
You can find Balance of Power and the original Civilization in working PC versions, if you dig a lot. I got them on a covermount disk celebrating the anniversary of Computer Gaming World.
Playable in freeware versions out there on the Net: Qubic, Adventure (as Advent, Colossal Cave, or Adventure), Empire (on the Net).
Nomic is more of a mathematical exercise than a game.