From the Mailbag: Where’s A Grammar of Gameplay?

We have a game development program here at UCC, and I’ve been trying to get a copy of “A Grammar Of Game Play: How Games Work” for our library without any luck. Has it been published yet? If it has, where can we get a copy; and if not, will it be and if so, where and when?

— Bill Schryba, Union County College

It has not been published – or finished being written! 🙂 Sorry… it doesn’t quite exist yet. That said, there is material out there along similar lines, and at this point Dan Cook’s stuff is probably the most user-friendly game grammar material out there.

Some quick links I dug up:

• http://www.theoryoffun.com/grammar/gdc2005.htm (site is down right now… 🙁 )
• http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1979/defining_games_raph_kosters_game_.php
• http://lostgarden.com/2007/07/chemistry-of-game-design.html
• http://www.raphkoster.com/2007/07/23/cooking-up-chemistry/
• http://users.skynet.be/bura/diagrams/