When we talk about “fun” in games, we often treat it like a single ingredient - something that just happens when mechanics work. But according to the classic MDA Framework (Mechanics–Dynamics–Aesthetics), fun isn’t one emotion. It’s a whole menu of experiences that different players look for.

Let’s unpack how that works and explore the 8 types of fun described by Robin Hunicke, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek in their influential paper MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research.

The MDA Framework: Connecting Rules, Play, and Emotion

At its heart, the MDA model shows how mechanics (rules and systems) create dynamics (player behaviors and interactions), which in turn produce aesthetics - the emotional experience of play.

• Mechanics: The structure: actions, algorithms, and systems of the game.
• Dynamics: The patterns of play that arise from the mechanics, the interactions between players, systems, and game elements.
• Aesthetics: How players feel while playing.

Think of it this way:
If your game’s mechanic is auctioning, the dynamics come from players bluffing, bidding, and reading each other. The aesthetic, on the other hand, is the thrill, tension, and satisfaction that follow when a risky bid pays off.

Designers craft mechanics, predict dynamics, and aim to evoke specific aesthetics - the emotions that make games memorable.

The 8 Types of Fun in Games

The authors of the MDA framework describe eight forms of enjoyment that can appear in games. Each can be an anchor for your design - or a lens for improving your existing ones.
Here’s how they translate into board game design:

Players love to be stimulated: the look of the board, the feel of components, the sound of dice hitting the table. While illustration or miniature design might not be your direct responsibility, great designers create space for these elements to shine.

Even dexterity mechanics like stacking, flicking, and balancing can engage the senses in unique ways.

2. Fantasy – Fun from Escapism

Games let us step into worlds that don’t exist. Even in abstract titles, a consistent theme helps players suspend disbelief. A cozy farming game where you trade carrots for alien plasma rifles? Immersion breaks instantly. But when mechanics and theme speak the same language, players slide into the world naturally.

Designers don’t need to write full narratives, but they do need to maintain coherence, so players aren’t knocked out of the experience by thematic noise.

3. Narrative – Fun from Story and Structure

Every good game has a rhythm: a beginning, buildup, climax, and resolution. Schell calls this the interest curve, and it keeps players engaged. This isn’t about a written story. Even euros and engine-builders can create narrative flow through progression, pacing, and escalation.

The most memorable games end with a satisfying conclusion. Whether that’s a final turn crescendo, a decisive move, or a clear sense that the story has come full circle. My job as a designer is to ensure the experience is engaging from the very first turn to the very last.

4. Challenge – Fun from Overcoming Obstacles

We play to test ourselves. A good challenge hits that sweet spot between ease and frustration. It shouldn’t peak only within a single playthrough, though. When a game shows all its depth in the very first play, players feel there’s nothing left to grow into, and the desire to return quickly fades.

The best challenges also come from growing mastery, not only escalating novelty. Each session sharpens the player’s understanding, refining timing, improving decisions, and deepening competence, turning repeated play into a satisfying climb rather than a reset. As designers, the goal is simple: make games easy to learn, but rewarding to master, so players feel they’re developing real skill over time.

5. Fellowship – Fun from Social Connection

Fellowship is the social layer of play. The shared experience around the table. Our goal isn’t just to avoid multiplayer solitaire; it’s to create meaningful interactions where players genuinely affect each other. That doesn’t require heavy take-that mechanics. It can come from:

• Competing for spaces
• Influencing shared markets
• Reacting to opponents
• Celebrating clever plays
• Lamenting the disastrous ones

When players talk about each other’s moves after the game - that’s fellowship.

The spark, the table talk, the laughter, that’s what turns a solid design into a story worth retelling.

6. Discovery – Fun from Exploration

Players love the thrill of encountering something unexpected: a new combo, a clever interaction, a hidden layer of possibility. But discovery isn’t about difficulty; it’s about curiosity.

Game designer Jesse Schell once compared games to language: the nouns (rules, components, pieces) and verbs (player actions) combine into countless “sentences” created through play.

A great game nurtures this sense of exploration, offering fresh situations each session. Not because the game gets harder, but because it keeps revealing new angles.

7. Expression - Fun from Self-Identity

A player’s favorite moment is often when they get to play like themselves.

Expression is the player’s ability to shape the experience according to their own style. It’s not just about factions, powers, or asymmetry, though those help, but something more fundamental: the game should offer a genuine variety of viable strategies.

When players can approach the game in ways that feel personal and meaningful, the experience becomes far more engaging. Great designers make room for that individuality, without overwhelming newcomers.

8. Submission – Fun from Structure and Rules

This is the pleasure of clear, fair structure. Players enjoy submitting to a system when the rules are transparent, elegant, and trustworthy. They want to feel they understand the boundaries and that those boundaries treat everyone fairly.

Designers must prioritize clarity and consistency, so no one feels ambushed by rule exceptions or hidden complexity.

Reflection: Designing for Different Kinds of Fun

Not every game needs to deliver all eight kinds of fun, but every good game understands which kinds it’s delivering.

Some designs emphasize mastery, others creativity, others social connection or exploration. A well-balanced design knows where its emotional center lies.

Understanding these categories helps you identify what kind of experience you’re creating.
Are you designing tension and mastery, or relaxation and collaboration?
Do players leave your table feeling challenged, creative, or connected?

Each “type of fun” is a design lever you can pull to shape meaning and emotion.

Where to Go Next

We’ve only scratched the surface of emotional design in board games. The MDA framework gives us a language for it, but applying it in practice takes testing, iteration, and a lot of player observation.

We don’t have a full course on MDA or emotional design yet, but if this topic excites you, let us know!

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We’re always into learning.