# The Aesthetics of Agency (Chapter 5 of Games **Opening (not a real abstract):** The Aesthetics of Agency Here’s the picture so far. Suitsian games are structures of practical reasoning and practical action. Game designers aren’t just creating constraints; they are designing forms of action and agency. A game designer creates a practical environment and the agential skeletons that will inhabit that environment, designating abilities and motivations (“Run, but don’t hit. Dribble while moving. Care about getting the ball in the basket.”) Game designers sculpt an agency and an environment to shape a particular kind of practical activity. Players adopt the proffered agency, filling it out in various ways. The exact nature of their gaming activity is up to them—but its outlines are shaped, in profound ways, by the game designer. Game designers work in the medium of agency. So far, I’ve focused on the players and their capacity for agential fluidity. In **Authors:** [[Nguyen)]]