Nicole Lazzaro’s 4 Keys To Fun

The 4 Keys to Fun is another design framework created by game designer and President of XEODesign Nicole Lazzaro²⁸⁰. Lazzaro spent many years researching and designing engaging games. Based on her experience, she has derived four types of fun that engage people within games.

The 4 Keys to Fun are: Hard Fun, Easy Fun, People Fun, and Serious Fun.

Hard Fun is joy that is derived from overcoming a frustration and achieving the Win-State. This puts players in a state of Fiero, the feeling of triumph over adversity.

Easy Fun is the fun from doing interesting activities where you don’t need to try very hard and can simply enjoy the relaxing and playful experience. This is commonly seen in games children enjoy with their parents, such as board games or drawing.

Serious Fun is fun that is engaging because it makes real world differences such as improving oneself, making more money or creating an impact in the environment.