Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development

Chapter 6

The Cultural Layer

As the final layer in the Layered Tetrad, the cultural layer is the furthest from the designer’s hand, yet it is still critical to a holistic understanding of game design and the implications of game development.

This chapter explores the cultural layer, the space where the player and society take control of the game and make it their own.

Beyond Play

The inscribed and dynamic layers are obvious to all game designers, as they are both integral to the concept of interactive experiences. The cultural layer, however, is a little less obvious. As I define it, the cultural layer exists at the intersection of the game and society. Players of a game become a community united by their shared experience of play, and that ...