Pillars of Game Development/Excitement

If a game has no excitement, it isn't fun. If it isn't fun, people won't play it. People don't invite one another over for a nice evening of Taxes, after all!

Some games might be considered to be more exciting than others. Or, you might think of it as being exciting, but in a different kind of way. Let's look at some card games.

UNO is a popular card game, and it has a high level of excitement. That's because play moves quickly and the players are allowed to make decisions that change the direction of the game.

Poker is also a very popular card game, but it's not as fast-moving as UNO. It's exciting, but in a different sense. While Poker doesn't have a kinetic, frenzied energy, there is a strong element of interest in the conclusion of each hand - a person might have money or at least chips riding on the outcome.

So, you might consider factors like: how long a person waits for a turn, what have they risked on their decisions, how much ability do players have to change the course of the game, etc.

Consider some factors of excitement in a game: [EDITS WELCOME]

Speed. Games that are geared for a younger audience require a constant, frenzied energy or else the kids will lose interest. Adults can tolerate games that are slower-paced, but will also get bored if they have to wait for long periods of time before getting a turn to play. Think about it: they didn't agree to play a game just so they could sit around and NOT PLAY! However, games like chess can keep players interested for a long time, since they can use the opponents turn to think ahead of what to do next.

Payback. Losing one round is tolerable for a player if they feel they might come back and win later on, or even exact revenge on another player.

Tension. Games like Scrabble have very little tension. But a game like JENGA is full of building tension. Players take turns removing blocks, knowing that each turn brings them closer to disaster. A game like Operation is also full of tension. One false move and a player will be punished with a nerve-jarring buzz.

Lastly, consider the human interaction involved in a game. People sitting quietly waiting for the other person to make a move can get boring for players, whereas a game that encourages interaction can be fun and exciting. Kids games and "ice breaker" games focus more on human interaction than strategy or puzzle type games.