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INTRODUCTION
will lead to a wealth of innovative new games and mechanics for designers and
players to explore.
The Value of Thinking Casual
The value of thinking like a casual game extends beyond designing casual games.
The same lessons about clear and concise goals and guiding players apply to all
game design, whether you’re making a casual downloadable, creating a new sport
or designing levels for new console game.
The lessons of casual game design can also be applied outside of games, to gen-
eral user experience design. Social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn
already rely on game-like experiences, from building a profile (i.e., character) to
collecting friends (i.e., leveling up). As sites like these continue ...