I suppose you're right, and the popular consensus is against me, but I don't see interactive literature and movies as games. Their interaction is a device to present the content, while in a game, the interaction is the content. That's already a weak statement right there so I'm probably just wrong and was letting internalized bias decide my definitions.
Ilmarinen, would you consider Candyland or Snakes and Ladders a game?
Most definitely. Not very good games though.
Both games feature absolutely 0 application of skill. You could also argue that they also are not a competition, since the outcome is generated at random. There is an element of chance, but I doubt this alone can make anything a game.
I would define a game as an interactive system governed by rules approached usually in a playful manner for recreation.
Now, Candyland and Snakes and Ladders are barely games here since the interaction is so minimal (if it was on a computer you could completely automate the whole thing and completely eradicate the interaction with the player). Chose Your Own Adventure books feature a whole lot more interaction and the decisions made are much more important to the outcome.
Candyland is random. It requires luck. I've also rarely played it by the rules though so I always thought it was fun. We always used dice or multiple cards. Snakes and Ladders uses dice and most boards also have multiple paths so there is skill and luck involved. The important distinction I would make is not that they require skill or luck, it's that their interaction is the entertainment. In a CYOA the interaction is just a side-show.
House rules for Candy land that makes it fun? Do tell.
I don't remember exactly, it's probably been 15 years since I've played last, but I'm pretty sure we would usually draw and roll a die to move (or 2 for the double cards). We also used a D4 sometimes to determine a number of cards to draw, which would then be played as normal. Of course, landing on someone sent them back to the beginning. We also had a card only version, where you would draw a card, if it was a single move, draw one more card and use that, if it's a double draw two and use them.
Candyland is random. It requires luck. I've also rarely played it by the rules though so I always thought it was fun. We always used dice or multiple cards. Snakes and Ladders uses dice and most boards also have multiple paths so there is skill and luck involved. The important distinction I would make is not that they require skill or luck, it's that their interaction is the entertainment. In a CYOA the interaction is just a side-show.
I heavily disagree. In CYOA books the interaction defines the path you take along the story. In Snakes and Ladders there is absolutely no skill involved because the number of steps you take and whether you step on a snake or a ladder is entirely random. The only "skill" involved is whether you can count the number of spaces you are allowed to move forward.
draw and roll a die to move (or 2 for the double cards). We also used a D4 sometimes to determine a number of cards to draw, which would then be played as normal. Of course, landing on someone sent them back to the beginning. We also had a card only version, where you would draw a card, if it was a single move, draw one more card and use that, if it's a double draw two and use them.
You're describing exactly the same game, but with a different RNG. If you're in the Candyland target demographic, I'm sure it's fun, or good, or worthwhile, or whatever word we're using now. But it's still the same game.
draw and roll a die to move (or 2 for the double cards). We also used a D4 sometimes to determine a number of cards to draw, which would then be played as normal. Of course, landing on someone sent them back to the beginning. We also had a card only version, where you would draw a card, if it was a single move, draw one more card and use that, if it's a double draw two and use them.
You're describing exactly the same game, but with a different RNG. If you're in the Candyland target demographic, I'm sure it's fun, or good, or worthwhile, or whatever word we're using now. But it's still the same game.
Yeah, that's probably all it was, we might have had other rules, but like I said: I haven't played in at least 15 years. It made the game quicker and more random. Also, the RNG is the only problem with Candyland I've ever heard mentioned. It's a basic game that's fun to play if you're a kid, which is what we were, we just made it more fun for ourselves.
Yeah, that's probably all it was, we might have had other rules, but like I said: I haven't played in at least 15 years. It made the game quicker and more random. Also, the RNG is the only problem with Candyland I've ever heard mentioned. It's a basic game that's fun to play if you're a kid, which is what we were, we just made it more fun for ourselves.
Soo... You say Candyland can be a fun game. Yet you admit that the game involves no actual player input at all, and is just entirely random.
Yeah, that's probably all it was, we might have had other rules, but like I said: I haven't played in at least 15 years. It made the game quicker and more random. Also, the RNG is the only problem with Candyland I've ever heard mentioned. It's a basic game that's fun to play if you're a kid, which is what we were, we just made it more fun for ourselves.
Soo... You say Candyland can be a fun game. Yet you admit that the game involves no actual player input at all, and is just entirely random.
Yeah, so is shooting dice. Doesn't make dice not fun.
Comments
"a good game is a series of interesting choices."
Are Choose Your Own Adventure books not just a series of interesting choices, just as most adventure games are?
I would define a game as an interactive system governed by rules approached usually in a playful manner for recreation.
Now, Candyland and Snakes and Ladders are barely games here since the interaction is so minimal (if it was on a computer you could completely automate the whole thing and completely eradicate the interaction with the player). Chose Your Own Adventure books feature a whole lot more interaction and the decisions made are much more important to the outcome.