1. Shifting Ideas of “Fun”
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Old idea: “Fun is learning” — Raph Koster’s view.
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Reality check: There’s a divergence between what designers/educators and players (especially kids) think.
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Example: Sim City
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Educators: “It’s fun and educational!”
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Kids: “It’s fun, but we’re not learning.”
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Takeaway: “Fun = learning” is a starting point, not the full story.
2. Fun as a Process (Not a Single Emotion)
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Fun isn’t one emotion — it’s an emergent state created by multiple emotions.
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Think of fun as a process or emotional sequence, not a static feeling.
3. The “SOPHIA” Lens
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Definition: SOPHIA = the cognitive process of turning fear → happiness → through surprise.
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“The game-learn emotion.”
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Example: Learning about the microbiome.
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Initial reaction: “Gross!”
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Then: “Wait — they’re essential to our survival!”
→ Fear → surprise → happiness → understanding.
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SOPHIA captures that emotional arc of discovery.
4. Meaningful Games
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Meaningful games connect to the real world and give players a sense of mastery over chaos.
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They bridge the game model and the world model.
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Not meaningful: Candy Crush (closed system, no external connection).
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Meaningful example: Journey, Papers Please (the “complicity” genre — you feel mastery, then moral tension).
→ “Oh no… what have I done?” moments.
Key idea: “Meaningful” ≠ “good.” It’s about effect on the player.
5. Mechanics and Emotion
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Mechanics form the heart of a game — they unify the core emotion.
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Every genre carries at least some SOPHIA.
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SOPHIA = the engine that drives the emotional process.
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When designing, ask:
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What emotion progression do I want players to go through?
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e.g., “This is confusing → I’m figuring it out → I feel clever and strong.”
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6. Learning Games & Emotional Balance
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A good learning game lets the player do something new after playing.
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But many fail because they lack emotional progression.
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To balance learning and fun, we need to clarify why the learning matters.
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Why should a player care more about Pascal’s Triangle than slaying a dragon?
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7. Using SOPHIA as a Design Lens
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SOPHIA helps analyze emotional flow in games — similar to studying ludonarrative dissonance.
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Check for:
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Core emotion misalignment (what players feel ≠ what you intended)
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Too little surprise before satisfaction
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Fear or tension not clearly illuminated (leads to flat emotional arcs)
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8. Q&A / Design Takeaways
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After players gain insight, what do they still crave?
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The choices they make keep experiences interesting.
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Create an emotion profile for your game → test how it feels → swap out the “gears” if needed.
→ Leads to new emotions, new engagement, deeper meaning.
