Games MDA

Today I am going to be discussing Games and their MDA Framework. MDA stands for the Game Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics. So what does each word mean exactly and in what sense does it refer to gaming? 

(image cred: http://gamedevelopertips.com/mechanics-dynamics-aesthetics-game-design-theory-behind-games/ )

Lets start with the Mechanics. These are basically the 'rules' of the game and the constraints in which the game operates. Gameplay, player actions, what happens when the game ends etc - these are all determined by the mechanics. Then we move onto the Dynamics of the game. These refer to the play of the game when a set of rules are set in motion - how players may interact with each other and so on. And finally, Aesthetics. This is the effects the dynamics have on the players themselves - essentially, the player experience of the game. Is the game fun or boring? Does it have some sort of intellectual or emotional engagement, etc. 

MDA is a 'taxonomy' for formal models meaning knowledge of Mechanics, knowledge of Dynamics and knowledge of Aesthetics but also a knowledge of the interactions between them all. So what about game Dynamics? To understand this, we must ask questions like how can we explain the behaviour we are observing? Or can we predict game behaviour before we go to play-test? 

To understand things like Aesthetics, we need to be able to see past wording like 'fun' or 'gameplay'. How will we know a particular type of 'fun' when we see it? Or what makes a certain part of the game 'fun'? They're is many different kinds of 'fun' available to players in the form of things like sensation, fantasy, narrative, discovery and expression. So what about a definition for aesthetic goals or stating criteria for success and failures - these can be called an 'Aesthetic Model'. An example of an 'Aesthetic Model' - Goal Competition. A game where players become competitive because they are emotionally invested in defeating one another. This is a success when players want to win, or a failure if a player feels he/she cannot win. 

There is a vast library of common game mechanics when it comes to understanding Mechanics in general. Some examples: cards - shuffling, bidding, trick taking. Shooters - ammunition, spawn points. Golf - sand traps, water hazards. So what about Mechanics VS Dynamics? Some behaviours are direct consequences of rules, others are indirect. Dynamics and Mechanics are different views of games. Some dynamics for example, time pressure, can create dramatic tension within a game. Various mechanics create time pressure like a simple time limit, or a pace monster or depleting resource.