Mila

Good Games Use Constraints to Focus Creative Play

Game designer Eric Zimmerman argues that rules do not limit play so much as give it a structure people can explore. In a TED talk drawing on video games, tabletop games and installations, he shows how carefully chosen constraints can focus attention and invite improvisation—while too many can shut it down. His method is to understand a system, find where its conventions can be altered, and use rules to guide what people do.