Why you should care about the gamer's brain : Disclaimer: the "neuro-hype" trap

Part I. Understanding the brain : Overview about the brain : Brain and mind myths ; Cognitive biases ; Mental models and the player-centered approach ; How the brain works, in a nutshell

Perception : How perception works ; Limitations of human perception ; Application to games : Know your audience; Playtest your game regularly and test your iconography; Use Gestalt principles of perception; Use affordances; Understand visual imagery and mental rotation; Be aware of the Weber-Fechner bias

Memory : How memory works : Sensory memory; Short-term memory; Working memory; Long-term memory ; Limitations of human memory ; Application to games : Spacing effect and level design; Reminders

Attention : How attention works ; Limitations of human attention ; Application to games

Motivation : Implicit motivation and biological drives ; Environmental-shaped motivation and learned drives : Extrinsic motivation: of carrots and ducks; Continuous and intermittent rewards ; Intrinsic motivation and cognitive needs : Undermining effect of extrinsic incentives; Self-determination theory; The theory of flow ; Personality and individual needs ; Application to games ; Quick note on the importance of meaning

Emotion : When emotion guides our cognition : The influence of the limbic system; The somatic markers theory ; When emotion "tricks" us ; Application to games

Learning principles : Behavioral psychology principles : Classical conditioning; Operant conditioning ; Cognitive psychology principles ; Constructivist principles ; Application to games: learning by doing with meaning

Understanding the brain: takeaway : Perception ; Memory ; Attention ; Motivation ; Emotion ; Learning principles

Part II. A UX framework for video games : Game user experience: overview : A short history of UX ; Debunking UX misconceptions : UX will distort the design intents and make the game easier; UX will restrict the creativity of the team; UX is yet another option ; UX is just common sense; There is not enough time or money to consider UX

Usability : Usability heuristics in software and video games ; Seven usability pillars for game UX : Signs and feedback; Clarity; Form follows function; Consistency; Minimum workload; Error prevention and error recovery; Flexibility

Engage-ability : Three engage-ability pillars for game UX ; Motivation : Intrinsic motivation: competence, automony, relatedness; Extrinsic motivation, learned needs, and rewards; Individual needs and implicit motives ; Emotion : Game feel; Discovery, novelty, and surprises ; Game flow : Difficulty curve: challenge and pacing; Learning curve and onboarding

Design thinking Iterative cycle ; Affordances ; Onboarding plan

Game user research : The scientific method ; User research methodologies and tools : UX tests; Surveys; Heuristic evaluations; Rapid internal tests; Personas; Analytics ; Final user research tips

Game analytics : The wonders and dangers of telemetry : Statistical fallacies and other data limitations; Cognitive biases and other human limitations ; UX and analytics : Defining hypotheses and exploratory questions; Defining metrics

UX strategy : UX at the project team level ; UX in the production pipeline ; Conception; preproduction; Production; Alpha; Beta/live ; UX at the studio level

Concluding remarks : Key takeaways ; Playful learning (or game-based learning) : Making educational games engaging ; Making game-based learning truly educational ; "Serious games" and "gamification" ; Tips for students interested in game UX ; Parting words.