

#3555
Mentioned in 13 episodes
Games
Agency as Art
Book • 2020
C.
Thi Nguyen's "Games: Agency as Art" delves into the philosophical underpinnings of game design, exploring the concept of agency as a core element of the player experience.
Nguyen argues that games are not merely entertainment but also artistic expressions that shape player agency through their mechanics and narrative.
The book examines how different game designs influence player choices and actions, highlighting the interplay between player freedom and the constraints imposed by the game's rules.
Nguyen's work challenges traditional notions of art and expands our understanding of how games can be both engaging and thought-provoking.
It's a significant contribution to game studies and philosophy.
Thi Nguyen's "Games: Agency as Art" delves into the philosophical underpinnings of game design, exploring the concept of agency as a core element of the player experience.
Nguyen argues that games are not merely entertainment but also artistic expressions that shape player agency through their mechanics and narrative.
The book examines how different game designs influence player choices and actions, highlighting the interplay between player freedom and the constraints imposed by the game's rules.
Nguyen's work challenges traditional notions of art and expands our understanding of how games can be both engaging and thought-provoking.
It's a significant contribution to game studies and philosophy.
Mentioned by















Mentioned in 13 episodes
Mentioned by 

to demonstrate that playing games can be a motivational inversion of ordinary life.


Dan Koe

842 snips
The Most Important Skill To Learn In The Next 10 Years
Mentioned by 

to explain how games are like an agentic art, where people are showing different agentic paths.


Dan Koe

756 snips
Dan Koe - How To Get Ahead Of 99% Of People in 2026
Mentioned as a book where ![undefined]()

explores how game designers work in the medium of agency.

C. Thi Nguyen

411 snips
36: C. Thi Nguyen - Measurement, Meaning, and Play
Mentioned by 

as the guest's earlier book that won the American Philosophical Association's Book Prize and established his work on games.


Debbie Millman

55 snips
C. Thi Nguyen
Recommended by M.C. Flex, who mentions that the book influenced his approach to education by focusing on the journey of learning and student agency.

47 snips
Layered Learning: Designing video with Intention and Authenticity
Mentioned by 

, highlighting his work on games and agency.


Matthew Remski

43 snips
Brief: Antifascist Woodshed 3: The Kids are Alright
Mentioned by 

as the author of the book, and the basis for the podcast episode.


Sean M. Carroll

11 snips
169 | C. Thi Nguyen on Games, Art, Values, and Agency
Mentioned in the episode description as one of the guest's books and works on games and agency.

634. Gaming Life: The Philosophy of Play and Metrics with C. Thi Nguyen
Mentioned by 

in relation to understanding the connection between game theory and software development.


Jessica Kerr

ONE MORE thing every dev should know (Interview)
Mentioned by 

to illustrate the concept of value capture in the creator economy.


Ashley Mears
Our Digital Economic Lives


