what is game thinking?
TRANSCRIPT
Game Thinking the art and science of
engaging customers on a path to mastery
Amy Jo Kim, Ph.D. Game Designer &
Startup Coach
Game Thinking a synthesis of game design, systems thinking, Agile/Lean UX, & design thinking
smarter, faster innovation
Game Thinking 3 core principles that accelerate innovation & drive long-term engagement
3
Test your ideas with a small handful of passionate early customers
21
Create something that a few people
love - even if most people don’t get
it right away
Paul Buchheit Partner, Y-Combinator
find & leverage
your super-fans
then expand
from that base
3
To design for engagement, start with your Learning Loop
1 2
Fun is just another word for learning
Raph Koster author, A Theory of Fun
the best MVP is your Core Learning Loop
321
Play-test your ideas early with small high-learning experiments
What We Offer
resources workshops coaching
design servicesPeter Drucker
The best way to have a good idea is to have
lots of ideas
Linus Pauling Scientist
don’t fall in love with an idea; fall in love with solving a problem & learning from your customers
Everett Rogers Scientist, Bell Labs
Playtesting Progression who do you listen to?
at what dev stage?
Early Majority
Closed Beta
Friends & Family
Team & Department
typical
play-testing
progression
Early Majority
Closed Beta
Friends & Family
Team & Department
Super-fan Community
super-fan
play-testing
progression
step-by-step system to accelerate product innovation
Game Thinking Toolkit Clarify
Identify
Listen
Distill
Design
Prototype
Test
Validate
empower your team with the Game Thinking Toolkit
What can Game Thinking do for you?
• Accelerate early product development
• Surface key insights from EXACTLY the right customers
• Create a simple yet compelling MVP*
• Build long-term engagement from the ground up
• Empower your customers with a coherent path to mastery
*Minimum Viable Product
