Well-known game-designer Sid Meier discussed the Psychology of Game Design at the Game Developers Conference 2010.

Sid Meier, the designer of Civilization, said the top secret of creating a landmark game is to be aware of what is going on inside the mind of a player.

He said that developers must keep the psychology of players in their mind while creating games for them.

He stressed that the game should be rewarding. It means if a game remains unrewarding for the first 15 minutes, risk of losing audience increases.

He said that a game-designer does not require showing everything that is taking place in the game as players already many things know from outside of a game.

To prove his view point, he cited his 2004 game title Pirates.

Speaking on the topic, he said, “If [a player] sees a swordsman with a curly mustache, they probably know it's a villain they have to fight.”

Mr. Meier said that humor, music and atmosphere are vital for games; however, he added that modern game-designers could not depend entirely on graphics and technology.

Mr. Meier, who is currently the director of creative development at Firaxis Games, has designed a number of groundbreaking games such as Pirates, Gettysburg, Tycoon and Railroad.