Decoding the appeal of games: SenTians’ journey from “players” to “apprentice game designers”

What makes us lose track of time when playing a game?

While games may seem like simple entertainment, they are backed by an entire field of design study aimed at keeping players captivated. This is exactly what our High School SenTians had the chance to explore during the “Future Ready Academy (FRA)” program.

Under the guidance of Mr. David Holloway, Lecturer in Computer Science and Innovative Technologies at British University Vietnam (BUV), the workshop helped SenTians step out of their roles as “players” to discover how games are created and why they are so addictive.

Through engaging interactive activities, students explored key principles of game design: from psychological factors and mechanics to how designers “engineer fun.” Each game was no longer just entertainment but became a “problem” to be analyzed and decoded.

Notably, SenTians directly experienced the role of game designers. Working in teams, they challenged themselves with the task of analyzing – improving – and upgrading an existing game.

Through this hands-on process and discussion, SenTians drew some fascinating insights into game design:

• A compelling game needs a balance between skill and elements of surprise to maintain engagement.
• Game rules must be clear and easy to understand, yet flexible enough to create challenges and competition.
• A good experience shouldn’t be too predictable—surprise is what keeps players coming back.
• A great game is not just about “winning or losing,” but about evoking emotions, connection, and joy for the players.

SenTia School would like to sincerely thank Mr. David Holloway for bringing such a fresh learning experience and inspiring creativity in our SenTians!

This workshop is part of the “Future Ready Academy (FRA)” program, a collaboration between SenTia and BUV designed for High School students. Through a series of workshops featuring guest speakers from BUV’s partner network, the program aims to accompany students on their journey of self-discovery and preparation for the future.

See you at the next workshop, SenTians!