In this thin volume, noted game designer Greg Costikyan focuses on just one aspect of game design - uncertainty - both its impact on existing games and how it can be used as a design tool to improve future game designs.

After a brief introduction, the author goes through several types of games, both computer and board, pointing out various forms of uncertainty contained in them. He then moves to a chapter covering each in detail, from the perspective of a game designer. In the final section he suggests that while designers make obvious choices to adjust difficulty, refactor strategies, and the like, they may be better off adjusting the levels of uncertainty instead.

This is the first or second book in the Playful Thinking series, "engaging and visually compelling volumes on game-related topics, authored by both scholars and industry luminaries, that are easily accessible to academics, professionals, and laymen from a broad range of backgrounds and levels of experience." I found it interesting, expanding the language of games and game design. I'd like to read one of the other books in the series (11 so far) soon.