Six Fundamental Properties of Games

1. All games are in some way a combination of the four “mother” mechanics: agon, alea, mimicry, and ilinx.
2. Games have strict rules that all players must follow.
3. Game-winning conditions are clearly defined.
4. There are many different ways a game can end—not just one. In other words, there’s a way to win and (usually) lots of ways to lose.
5. Players try hard to win because winning is desirable.
6. Games can be played repeatedly with different outcomes.

Jonathan Cassie, Level Up Your Classroom: The Quest to Gamify Your Lessons and Engage Your Students (2016)

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