You think you're playing the game, but maybe it's playing you.

It may sound a little harsh, but good game designers know how to con the player. They have a bag of tricks they use to push and pull the player in particular directions. And, if they're good at it, you won't even know you've been had.

Game designers, it seems, have to have a bit of psychologist in them, guessing how players will react and pushing and pulling them in the right direction. "All great designers should have a clear idea of what players are like and what they might be thinking," said Gordon Walton, former Sony Online and Maxis producer (he executive-produced The Sims Online). Walton, now a consultant, said it's really all about making the player feel smart.