“I really think of these things more as toys”: Will Wright’s Toy-Based Design Philosophy

Abstract

This paper assesses the work of famed game designer Will Wright to understand his design philosophy and how his approach succeeded with unexpected game audiences. More specifically, it analyzes Wright’s design notebooks, public talks, and catalog of games to better understand what Wright means when he refers to himself as a toymaker, rather than a game designer, and his products as toys. It will explain how his design approach was inspired by cultural beliefs regarding toys and creativity that permeated the U.S. in the 1960s-70s, Wright’s early education in a Montessori school, his views on player narcissism, and theories of failure-based learning. In doing so, this presentation addresses how designing from a unique starting point—toys, not games— can challenge video games’ existing audience norms and structures of power, as well as how the work of even a single individual can illuminate alternative approaches to play.