SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 25, 2016 — NoodleWorks Interactive, an award-winning interactive design group specializing in children's educational and entertainment software, announces Mark Schlichting's new book Understanding Kids, Play, and Interactive Design: How to Create Games Children Love, which fills a gap in the publishing landscape by focusing not only on the technical aspects of design, but on the way children think, learn, and play. It is the only book that examines the ways play instincts and child development connect with the most basic elements of design.

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Stuart Brown, Founder and President of the National Institute for Play, raves, "This book belongs on every kids' play/game designer's bedside table. [It] is the magnum opus of a creative lifetime, full of usable details framed in engaging and visually captivating formats. It pioneers the blend of ever present technology with culture-enhancing guidance for the next generation of play-savvy designers."

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Jesse Schell, author of the bestselling book The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, wrote in the Foreword to the book, "Fortunately for us, Mark Schlichting has created this marvelous book. By understanding and thoughtfully explaining what children do in the Kingdom of Play, and how and why they do it, Mark has provided a wonderful resource to those of us who would create fresh, invigorating playthings."

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This comprehensive guide is for anyone involved in developing interactive games and play experiences for children. It is loaded with tips, tricks, and insights into what turns a simple tap or click into a magical interchange. From useful research and practical lessons learned through decades of working with children to using animation and audio to get and hold attention, this volume addresses both practical and theoretical aspects of design for children.

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"I am excited to share my 30 years of design experience as a gift to the next generation of developers and designers to help them create wonderful interactive products for kids everywhere," said Mark Schlichting, founder and CEO of NoodleWorks Interactive. "The secret to highly engaging interaction is to unravel the essence of a play experience to create interactive content that taps into and supports underlying natural play patterns."

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For more information, please contact Barbara Chase, bc@noodleworks.com, 707-494-2270

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Understanding Kids, Play, and Interactive Design: How to Create Games Children Love
Let's Play Press
ISBN-13: 978-0-9969185-1-0

$59.95
Pages: 412, Full Color
Publication Date: 10/25/2016
http://amzn.to/2cOTRkI

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About Mark Schlichting
Mark Schlichting is an internationally known speaker and pioneer of the children's multimedia and interactive design industry with over 30 years of design and creative management experience. One of the first interactive CD-ROM designers, Mark created Brøderbund's Living Books series, considered by many in the industry to be the benchmark for engaging educational multimedia, and his recent app for emerging readers, Noodle Words — Actions, won accolades from Children's Technology Review and The New York Times. He brings a holistic approach and a deep respect for children to his work, and believes the best learning comes effortlessly through the magic of intrinsic play and engaged exploration.