Field Notes from Game Research
This is where research meets practice. Here I share what years of studying game systems, supervising student projects, and analyzing play have taught me — what worked, what failed, and how theory holds up in real play.
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What to Look for in an Online Casino: Licence and Safety
What to look for in an online casino is a verifiable licence, tested games, clear payouts and limit tools backed by regulator guidance.
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Psycho-Ludology: Key Game Psychology Concepts for Design
Psycho-ludology links game systems to cognition and emotion, giving designers practical methods to shape suspense, motivation and play.
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PhD Gaming Diary: How Researchers Log Play and Theory
PhD gaming diary explains how Aki Järvinen logged play, drafts and thesis progress while writing Games without Frontiers.
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Introduction to Game Systems for Game Studies and Design
Introduction to Game Systems explains Chapter 3 of Games without Frontiers, covering game elements and simulation for researchers and designers.
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GameGame Card Game: Design Playable Ideas From Card Sets
GameGame card game teaches game design by building a pitch from element cards; best design wins in 20-minute rounds for 2–5 players.
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Game Studies PhD Chapters Explain Systems, Genre and Play
Game studies PhD chapters link systems, genre and player psychology to practical design methods from a finished dissertation.
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Game Studies PhD Blogging: Gamegame, Theory and Design Work
Game Studies PhD blogging turned a doctoral log into Gamegame, a card-based design tool presented at DiGRA 2005 and in a 2008 Tampere dissertation.
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Game Dissertation Table of Contents for Game Research
Game dissertation table of contents maps the Games Without Frontiers PhD chapters, diary and design notes for game studies readers.