The Well Played Journal is a forum for in-depth close readings of video games that parse out the various meanings to be found in the experience of playing a game. It is a reviewed journal with CfPs for submissions that will be released on a regular basis with high-quality essays.
Contributors are encouraged to analyze sequences in a game in detail in order to illustrate and interpret how the various components of a game can come together to create a fulfilling playing experience unique to this medium. Through contributors, the journal will provide a variety of perspectives on the value of games.
As with the three Well Played books (1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0), the term “well played” is being used in two senses. On the one hand, well played is to games as well read is to books. So, a person who reads books a lot is “well read” and a person who plays games a lot is “well played.” On the other hand, well played as in well done. So, a hand of poker can be “well played” by a person, and a game can be “well played” by the development team.
Contributors are encouraged to look at video games through both senses of “well played.” So, with well played as in well read, contributors are looking closely at the experience of playing a game. And with well played as in well done, contributors are looking at a game in terms of how well it is designed and developed.
The goal of the journal is to continue developing and defining a literacy of games as well as a sense of their value as an experience. Contributors are invited to also discuss games in general (ranging from tabletop, to big games and more) and how they are often designed for different fields (education, entertainment, etc) as we more fully develop a literacy around games and play. Contributors are encouraged to consider using screenshots and video of their gameplay in order to help illustrate their ideas. And we’re open to suggestions on themed issues around a specific game or a topic across games.
Video games are a complex medium that merits careful interpretation and insightful analysis. By inviting contributors to look closely at video games and the experience of playing them, we hope to expand the discussion, and show how games are well played in a variety of ways.
Well Played session tracks are also being held at academic and industry conferences. There are sessions at Games, Learning and Society, DiGRA, IndieCade and Games for Change, as well as at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, with other events being planned.
Well Played Singles
In conjunction with the ETC Press Singles initiative (more information here), Well Played is going to support Singles as well. While The Well Played Journal continues to release calls for participation for thematically cohesive issues on a regular basis, Well Played Singles can be proposed and submitted at any time. Well Played Singles focus on a specific game through a rigorous in-depth analysis of the gameplay experience while also articulating why the game is important and matters to the field and culture at large.
Authors interested in proposing a Well Played Single should follow ETC Press Submission Guidelines and Well Played Style Guide and submit a brief proposal first, and then once approved, write and submit a Single for review, edits and publication.
Submissions
All submissions and questions should be sent to:
etcpress-info ( at ) lists ( dot ) andrew ( dot ) cmu ( dot ) edu
For formatting guidelines, see The Well Played Style Guide.
The Well Played Journal will be published regularly. We won’t develop a set schedule until we have a good sense of the amount of quality submissions. Our goal is to publish as often as we have great essays. There won’t be a subscription, although as with all ETC Press publications, all issues will be available for download for free, and we’ll offer print versions for sale through Lulu.com.
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