“Every time I sit down with a finely crafted title such as Tetris or Super Mario Brothers, I catch hints of a concise and clearly defined structure behind the gameplay. It is my belief that a highly mechanical and predictable heart, built on the foundation of basic human psychology, beats at the core of every single successful game.”
Daniel Cook, The Chemistry Of Game Design
P.S. this is a highly recommended article for anyone interested in the science of play.
Great isn’t it? I’ve been using Cook’s skill chain diagrams while designing a game’s mechanics and it’s working quite well.