Mathematics
Game design relies heavily on mathematics to work. There are several branches of math that are needed to make a good game work, but only one that can provide the sense of free agency and equal chances of winning in a game: probability. Since this is more of an advanced field of math compared to the work most patrons and students (especially younger ones) will be readily familiar with, it is easily digestible using discrete probability mechanics in the form of dice, cards, spinners, and so forth. This is a practical application of probability and does not require any theoretical understanding of the underlying math.
Math is used to take several metrics during game design as well as game play. From the beginning of the design, the length of time required to play the game will have a huge influence on how the players interact with the game and their continued desire to. Designers have to find the break point (without necessarily plotting it out on a graph) between fun and time. The science behind this is tied in with the notion of “flow” and the psychological state of being so immersed in an experience that people wish to continue. Too much, and the game drags, a common problem that people complain about with Monopoly; too little, and players will feel frustrated. A good balance can be measured and compared to the artistic ideal of the designer to see if the game meets the requirement desired.
The other key metric math uses is to determine balance. Even if the game uses an asymmetrical starting point, the math must not favor any one player unless the object of the game is to see who can survive the longest with the fewest resources with game play taking two or more rounds to see how each participant fares (e.g. fox and geese, Twilight Imperium, Smallworld). Most games provide the same end goals for the players, but their particular strategies are linked to the strength and weaknesses their resources provide. While this is on the higher end of the complexity spectrum, it is used for virtually all game designs.
Most designers and players will not look at the math in depth like this (though for some designs they should), but through playing and iteration, the designers can experience the effects of the probability and other math that makes play possible. The adjustments made to the rules are often as much procedural as they are evaluative. So, while this is more intuitive, designers do have the ability to examine the mathematical structures used in facilitating game play and can address them directly or use any other element of STEAM to adjust the mechanics as needed. This is akin to what scientists do when they conduct experiments.
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Learning by Design – The STEAM Model, Part 7