The Art of Game Design, 2nd Edition

Chapter Twenty-One

Some Games are Played with Other Players

Figure 21.1

We Are Not Alone

No one ever said on their deathbed, “Gee, I wish I had spent more time alone with my computer.”

– Dani Bunten Berry

Man is a social animal. Humans generally avoid being alone whenever possible. In most cases, we don’t like to eat alone, sleep alone, work alone, or play alone. Prisoners who behave badly are put in solitary confinement, because although being trapped in a cage with a dangerous criminal is bad, being alone is worse.

And, if you look back over the centuries, the history of game design reflects this. The majority of all games created are designed ...