Episode 4: Playing with Definitions

In this episode I discuss the paper „On Ludic Beauty“ by Daniel Vella. The paper looks at the aesthetic systems of Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Schiller and how they relate to games. This will lead us to some fundamental questions regarding games as an art form: HOW are game art? What is the unique addition to artistic expression that games can provide? And how does that change how we look at games when we play them?Works CitedBooks and PapersCRITIQUE OF JUDGEMENT, Immanuel Kant, 1793GAMES - AGENCY AS ART, C. Thi Nguyễn, Oxford University Press, 2020ON LUDIC BEATUY, Daniel Vella, Routledge, 2026Published in: The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Games, Routledge, 2026ON THE AESTHETIC EDUCATION OF MAN, Friedrich Schiller, 1795GamesCATAN, Klaus Teuber, Kosmos, 1995DOMINION, Donald X. Vaccarino, Rio Grande Games, 2008GALAXY TRUCKER, Vlaada Chvátil. Czech Games Edition, 2007MAGIC: THE GATHERING, Richard Garfield, Wizards of the Coast, 1993PANDEMIC, Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, 2008SUPER MARIO BROS. 3, Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo 1988THAT’S PRETTY CLEVER!, Wolfgang Warsch, Schmidt Spiele, 2018THE WEREWOLVES OF MILLER’S HOLLOW, Philippe des Pallières, Hervé Marly, Lui-Même, 2001

In this episode we’re shaking things up a bit. Together with my guest Peter Jürgensen I’m talking about different elements of game definitions as compiled in Rules of Play by Salen / Zimmerman. And we’re making a game out of it: who can give better examples of games that break those definitions?Works CitedBooks, Papers and VideoGLUED TO GAMES, Scott Rigby, Richard Ryan, Praeger, 2011GDC TALK ABOUT TANK TACTICS, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9WMNuyjm4wIMPRO, Keith Johnstone, Faber & Faber, 1979RULES OF PLAY, Katie Salen, Eric Zimmerman, MIT Press, 2004Games (Excluding Sports and Public Domain)1000 BLANK WHITE CARDS, Riff Conor, Nathan Phoenix, Brybelly, 1996 (Published version of a public domain concept)BALATRO, LocalThunk, 2024BIG OR BANG, Peter Jürgensen, Korea Board Games, 2026CANDY CRUSH SAGA, King, 2012CANDY LAND, Eleanore Abbot, Hasbro, 1949CATAN, Klaus Teuber, Kosmos, 1995DARK SOULS (Series), FromSoftware, 2011 ffDAS REGELN WIR SCHON, Karl-Heinz Schmiel, Moskito Spiele, 1994DEMOCRAZY, Bruno Faidutti, Descarte Editeur, 2000DIPLOMACY, Allan B. Calhamer, Avolon Hill, 1959DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, Wizards of the Coast, 1974 ffEL GRANDE, Wolfgang Kramer, Richard Ulrich, Hans im Glück, 1995FARMVILLE, Zynga, 2009FINISHED!, Friedemann Friese, 2F Spiele, 2017FLAPPY BIRD, Dong Nguyen, .Gears, 2013FOOD CHAIN MAGNAT, Jeroen Doumen, Joris Wierisinga, Splotter Spellen, 2015GREED INCORPORATED, Jeroen Doumen, Joris Wierisinga, Splotter Spellen, 2009HANABI, Antoine Bauza, Cocktail Games, 2010MAGIC: THE GATHERING, Richard Garfield, Wizards of the Coast, 1993MINECRAFT, Markus Person, Jens Bergensten, Mojang Studios, 2011MONOPOLY, Elisabeth J. Magie, Chales Darrow, Parker Brothers, 1935NEPTUNES PRIDE, Jay Kyrbuz, Iron Helmet Games, 2010PANDEMC LEGACY: SEASON 1, Rob Daviau, Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, 2015PECHVOGEL, Peter Jürgensen, Zoch, 2018RORY’S STORY CUBES, Rory O’Connor, The Creativity Hub, 20057 WONDERS, Antoine Bauza, Repos Production, 2010SIM CITY (Series), Will Wright, Electronic Arts, 1989 ffSLAY THE SPIRE, Anthony Giovanetti, Casey Yano, Mega Crit, 2019SLAY THE SPIRE: THE BOARD GAME, Gary Dworetzky, Anthony Giovanetti, Casey Yano, Contention Games, 2024SNEAKY CARDS, Cody Borst, Gamewright, 2015SO YOU’VE BEEN EATEN, Scott Almes, LudiCreations, 2022THE BRAIN, Peter Jürgensen, 999 Games, 2023THE MIND, Wolfgang Warsch, Nürnberger Spielkarten Verlag, 2018UNO, Merle Robbins, Mattel, 1971WARHAMMER 40,000 (Series), Rick Priestly, Games Workshop, 1987 ffWORLD OF WARCRAFT, Blizzard Entertainment, 2004ZENDO, Kory Heath, Andrew Looney, Looney Labs, 2001

After having looked at some definitions of the terms “Play” and “Game” in the last episode, today we’re going a bit deeper and we’ll look at possible definitions of “Computer Game”. Which is relevant for board games because those definitions will try and separate computer games from other games. And by looking at those separators we will learn something about board games.Works CitedPapers and BooksWHAT IS A COMPUTER GAME?, Veli-Matti Karulahti, John R. Sageng, In: The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Games, Routledge, 2026ART AND THE AESTHETIC: AN INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS, George Dickie, Cornell University Press, 1974HOMO LUDENS, Johan Huizinga, The Beacon Press, 1950INTERACTIVE FICTION: THE COMPUTER STORYGAME „ADVENTURE“, Mary Ann Buckles, University of California, 1985CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE (Series), Various Authors, Bantam Books, 1979-1998AVATARS OF STORY, Marie-Laure Ryan, University of Minnesota Press, 2006THE GRASSHOPPER, Bernhard Suits, University of Toronto Press, 1978THERE IS NO MAGIC CIRCLE: ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMPUTER GEMES AND TRADITIONAL GAMES, M. Liebe, In: Proceedings of the Philosophy of Computer Games, 2008Games (excluding Sports and public domain):PONG, Allan Alcorn, Atari, 1972GRAND THEFT AUTO (Series), David Jones, Mike Dailly, Rockstar Games, 1997ffCALL OF DUTY (Series), Uncredited, Activision, 2003ffPOKEMON GO, Matthew Ein, Junichi Masuda, Niantic, 2016THROW THROW BURRITO, Inman, Lee, Spence, Exploding Kittens, 2019RUSH HOUR, Nob Yoshigahara, Think fun, 1996RUBIK’S CUBE, Ernö Rubik, Rubik’s Brand, 1974EXIT: THE GAME (Series), Inka & Markus Brand, Kosmos, 2016ffUNLOCK (Series), Carroll, Cauet, Demaegd et all, Space Cowboys, 2017ffDONKEY KONG, Shigeru Miyamoto, Gunpei Yokoi, Nintendo 1981SPACE INVADERS, Tomohiro Nishikado, Taito, 1978PAC-MAN, Toru Iwatani, Namco, 1980COLOSSAL CAVE ADVENTURE, William Crowther, 1976CANDY CRUSH SAGA, Uncredited, King, 2012OATHSWORN: INTO THE DEEPWOOD, Baerald, Buchyk, Jackson, Lu, Lu, Shadowborn Games, 2022AGEMONIA, Max Wilkström, Lautapelit, 2024KINFIRE CHRONICLES: NIGTH’S FALL, Wilson, Hardy, Kapuścińska, Perdue, Incredible Dream Studios, 2023MONOPOLY, Elisabeth J. Magie, Charles Darrow, Parker Brothers, 1935CATAN, Klaus Teuber, Kosmos, 1995THE LORD OF THE RINGS, Rainer Knizia, Kosmos, 2000PANDEMIC, Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, 2008SETI: SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL INTELLIGENCE, Tomáš Holek, Czech Games Edition, 2024FORREST SHUFFLE, Kosh, Lookout Games, 2023PLANET UNKNOWN, Ryan Lambert, Adam Rehberg, Adam’s Apple Games, 2022ARK NOVA, Mathias Wigge, Feuerland Spiele, 2021THE LOST RUINS OF ARNAK, Elwen, Mín, Czech Games Edition, 2020

In this episode I start to look at games philosophy, which is going to be a big part of this podcast. I start off with some definitional groundwork. Looking at different definitions of the terms "Play" and "Game".Works CitedPapers and Books:WHAT’S IN A GAME? HUIZINGA, CAILLOIS, AND CONVENTIONAL BEHAVIOR IN GAMES, Chad Carlson, Routledge, 2026SUITS ON GAMES AND THEIR VALUE, C. Thi Nguyen, Routledge, 2026Both of the above can be found in:THE ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF PHILOSOPHY OF GAMES, Routledge, 2026MAN, PLAY AND GAMES, Roger Caillois, University of Illinois Press, 2001HOMO LUDENS, Johan Huizinga, The Beacon Press, 1950THE GRASSHOPPER, Bernhard Suits, University of Toronto Press, 1978RULES OF PLAY, Katie Salem, Eric Zimmerman, MIT Press, 2004Games (excluding Sports and public domain):BRASS, Martin Wallace, Rowley, 2007SETI, Tomáš Holek, Czech Games Edition, 2024FLIP 7, Eric Olsen, The OP Games, 2024LOVE LETTER, Seiji Kanai, Alderac Entertainment Group, 2012MAGIC: THE GATHERING, Richard Garfield, Wizards of the Coast, 1993

In this first episode, I introduce myself and tell you about this project. In the main part of the episode I talk about the language we use when talking about board games and what that language tells us about how we see board games.Works cited:Novels:TSCHICK, Wolfgang Herrndorf, Rowohlt, 2010Games:EL GRANDE, Wolfgang Kramer, Richard Ulrich, Hans Im Glück, 1995KANBAN, Vital Lacerda, Stronghold Games, 20147 WONDERS, Antoine Bauza, Repos Production, 2010ABYSS, Bruno Cathala, Charles Chevallier, Bombyx, 2014PANDEMIC, Matt Leacock, Z-Man Games, 2008K2, Adam Kałuża, Rebel, 2010KOLEJKA, Karol Madaj, Instytut Pamięci Narodowej (IPN), 2011FREEDOM: THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, Brian Mayer, Academy Games, 2013