Best of Design Matters: C. Thi Nguyen

Best of Design Matters: C. Thi Nguyen

August 31, 2026 · 1h 11m

About this episode

C. Thi Nguyen discusses his book on how metrics influence our values and choices.

C. Thi Nguyen—philosopher, professor, and author of Games: Agency as Art —joins to discuss his new book, The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else’s Game , and how metrics, from grades to likes, quietly reshape what we value and who we become. Together, they explore games as “libraries of agency,” the allure of scoring systems, and the vital question: Is this the game you really want to be playing? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Debbie Millman

Guest: C. Thi Nguyen

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Design Matters Media

Books & works: Games: Agency as Art, The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else’s Game

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