Now and then I divert to the more academic realms of gaming to gain a
different perspective on the adventure gaming hobby. In the past I’ve
enjoyed such scholarly work as Professor Scott Nicholson’s
excellent Everyone Plays at the Library, Stuart Brown’s
Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and
Invigorates the Soul, and Greg Costikyan’s accessible and
thought-provoking I Have No Words & I Must Design (among
his many other insightful writings). This time I’ve ventured beyond
the fringe of relevance and explored more about the subject of pure
play with the wonderfully enthusiastic Bernie DeKoven.
This self-proclaimed “game guru and
fun theorist” has written several books, including the most recent
(and free) A Playful Path; frequently blogs about his play
activities, ideas, and realizations at his Deep Fun and A Playful Path blogs; and recently presented a TEDx talk on “The Politics of
Public Playfulness” which touches on a frequent theme, gaining
“permission” to play. He draws on a lifetime of experience and
thoughtful reflection on human play activity. DeKoven challenges
people to consider how play affects their lives, particularly adults
who quite often view “play” as a child’s activity and have
little time for it as a relevant pursuit in life despite being
naturally playful creatures.