---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Making modern games funny would be easy…"
description: "\"Making modern games funny would be easy as pie if it was anybody's goal to actually make a funny game.\" — Doug TenNapel"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/doug-tennapel-35439_actually_making-modern-games-funny-would-be-easy_2570224.jpg"
---

#  Making modern games funny would be easy as pie if it was…

![“Making modern games funny would be easy as pie if it was anybody's goal to actually make a funny game.” quote by Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/doug-tennapel-35439_actually_making-modern-games-funny-would-be-easy_2570224.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/doug-tennapel-35439_actually_making-modern-games-funny-would-be-easy_2570224.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/doug-tennapel-35439_actually_making-modern-games-funny-would-be-easy_2570224.jpg)

> “Making modern games funny would be easy as pie if it was anybody's goal to actually make a funny game.”

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He notes that making modern games funny is easy only if creators aim for humor.

**In simple terms:** Funny games are easy if humor is the goal.

Key Takeaway

Set clear comedic intent in game design.

Themes

gaming humor design creativity

Mood

lighthearted analytical

Type

design critical

When to use this quote

- indie development
- storyboarding
- playtesting

Key Concepts

game mechanics tone audience expectation

Questions to Reflect On

- How to balance humor with gameplay?
- What defines a “funny” game?

A Different Perspective

Humor may not appeal to all players.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/) [Anybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anybody/) [Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/easy/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Funny Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-easy-1684867/) [Funny game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-game/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Games Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games-funny-1684865/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Make Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-funny-291727/) [Making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-games-1684866/) [Pie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pie/) [Video](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/)

## Related quotes

> [“Making games may be fun, but it certainly ain’t easy. Modern games require enormous, complex codebases.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-nystrom/making-games-may-be-fun-but-it-certainly-ain-t-easy-modern-games/)

[Robert Nystrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-nystrom/)

> [Playing video games, as funny as it might sound, it's a very important part of our day. Our schedule is so hectic, chaotic, demanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-kingston/playing-video-games-as-funny-as-it-might-sound-it-s-a-very-important/)

[Kofi Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-kingston/)

> [“It's funny how easy it is to point out other peoples mistakes and make our own mistakes seem insignificant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/it-s-funny-how-easy-it-is-to-point-out-other-peoples-mistakes-and/)

[Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/)

> [I don't think it's ever easy to be funny. I find it easy to amuse myself with a certain sort of cynical dark humor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stiller/i-don-t-think-it-s-ever-easy-to-be-funny-i-find-it-easy-to-amuse/)

[Ben Stiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stiller/)

> [When I play a game, I want to play, not necessarily laugh. If you try to make me laugh at the expense of interactivity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/when-i-play-a-game-i-want-to-play-not-necessarily-laugh-if-you-try-to/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [Golf is a funny game. It's done much for health, and at the same time has ruined people by robbing them of their peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/golf-is-a-funny-game-it-s-done-much-for-health-and-at-the-same-time/)

[Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/)

> [NO MAN CAN AVOID BEING BORN AVERAGE, BUT NO MAN HAS TO STAY AVERAGE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satchel-paige/no-man-can-avoid-being-born-average-but-no-man-has-to-stay-average/)

[Satchel Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satchel-paige/)

> [Golf's a funny game. You can be playing poorly and then go and win a tournament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrie-webb/golf-s-a-funny-game-you-can-be-playing-poorly-and-then-go-and-win-a/)

[Karrie Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrie-webb/)

> [Hockey s a funny game. You have to prove yourself every shift, every game. It's not up to anybody else. You have to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-coffey/hockey-s-a-funny-game-you-have-to-prove-yourself-every-shift-every/)

[Paul Coffey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-coffey/)

> [You cannot hurt animals, so what do I do? I kill the dog first. Then I do it with the boy. You're not supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/you-cannot-hurt-animals-so-what-do-i-do-i-kill-the-dog-first-then-i/)

[Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/)

> [Baseball's a funny game; people mature at different times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-seager/baseball-s-a-funny-game-people-mature-at-different-times/)

[Corey Seager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-seager/)

> [All you can do is really the prep work and make sure you're ready to hit each golf shot. Outside of that, you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickie-fowler/all-you-can-do-is-really-the-prep-work-and-make-sure-you-re-ready-to/)

[Rickie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickie-fowler/)

> [Golf is a funny game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/golf-is-a-funny-game/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [Football is a funny game. Today, you are zero; tomorrow, you are a hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-adebayor/football-is-a-funny-game-today-you-are-zero-tomorrow-you-are-a-hero/)

[Emmanuel Adebayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-adebayor/)

> [Football's a funny game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lallana/football-s-a-funny-game/)

[Adam Lallana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lallana/)

## More by Doug TenNapel

> [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [When I play a game, I want to play, not necessarily laugh. If you try to make me laugh at the expense of interactivity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/when-i-play-a-game-i-want-to-play-not-necessarily-laugh-if-you-try-to/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [I have a traditional view of the afterlife... heaven, hell and judgments. But the accounts of those places are scant ,and I believe it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/i-have-a-traditional-view-of-the-afterlife-heaven-hell-and-judgments/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [“I don’t argue that new remakes can’t hold their own as a great gaming experience, but can they make you feel charmed like you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/i-don-t-argue-that-new-remakes-can-t-hold-their-own-as-a-great-gaming/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [When we go to see comedians or funny movies, they don't address the wall behind them; they face us. This is why a game's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/when-we-go-to-see-comedians-or-funny-movies-they-don-t-address-the/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [It's a dirty little secret that I'm pretty self-conscious about coloring my own work. I just see so many people who love color more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/it-s-a-dirty-little-secret-that-i-m-pretty-self-conscious-about/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [The difference between graphic novels and web comics is even greater than graphic novels and story boarding. Web comics really is a legitimately separate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/the-difference-between-graphic-novels-and-web-comics-is-even-greater/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [A page a day means I need to focus on a gag a day, and that's great for laughs but bad for plot, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/a-page-a-day-means-i-need-to-focus-on-a-gag-a-day-and-that-s-great/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [“I know a lot of things about you, Garth...And I'm rooting for you anyways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/i-know-a-lot-of-things-about-you-garth-and-i-m-rooting-for-you-anyways/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [“All people are natural story-tellers. We tell a story every time we tell someone what we did that day or share an opinion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/all-people-are-natural-story-tellers-we-tell-a-story-every-time-we/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [I'm not the most famous guy in the world; my work is spread out across different mediums, and I never write the same kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/i-m-not-the-most-famous-guy-in-the-world-my-work-is-spread-out-across/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

> [The point of view is the biggest problem with games, because what we play must be clearly presented in the best way for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/the-point-of-view-is-the-biggest-problem-with-games-because-what-we/)

[Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

[Explore all 13 Doug TenNapel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/)

## More Actually quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/)

[Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/)

> [I actually like getting out of my comfort zone. It shakes me up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/i-actually-like-getting-out-of-my-comfort-zone-it-shakes-me-up/)

[Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/)

> [You have to talk about why things happened the way they did. You can't actually explain my political life except by a series of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lange/you-have-to-talk-about-why-things-happened-the-way-they-did-you-can-t/)

[David Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lange/)

> [Failure actually makes you strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-sharma/failure-actually-makes-you-strong/)

[Neha Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-sharma/)

> [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/)

[L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/)

> [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/)

[Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/)

> [The alternative comedy scene is actually pretty small, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-wilson/the-alternative-comedy-scene-is-actually-pretty-small-i-guess/)

[Casey Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-wilson/)

> [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/)

[Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/)

> [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/)

[Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/)

> [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/)

[Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/)

> [I actually do sing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/i-actually-do-sing-sometimes/)

[Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/)

> [I've actually got quite a good memory. I've good recall. It's often things which other people might not notice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-frame/i-ve-actually-got-quite-a-good-memory-i-ve-good-recall-it-s-often/)

[Ronald Frame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-frame/)

> [Because there is actually something very interesting in Goodfellas, how the style of the film changes as time goes by and based on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cox/because-there-is-actually-something-very-interesting-in-goodfellas/)

[Alex Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cox/)

> ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/)

[Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/)

[Browse all 4,248 Actually quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actually/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Making modern games funny would be easy as pie if it was anybody's goal to actually make a funny game.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Doug TenNapel"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/making-modern-games-funny-would-be-easy-as-pie-if-it-was-anybody-s/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actually"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/making-modern-games-funny-would-be-easy-as-pie-if-it-was-anybody-s/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/doug-tennapel-35439_actually_making-modern-games-funny-would-be-easy_2570224.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/doug-tennapel-35439_actually_making-modern-games-funny-would-be-easy_2570224.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a9/doug-tennapel-35439_actually_making-modern-games-funny-would-be-easy_2570224.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Making modern games funny would be easy as pie if it was anybody's goal to actually make a funny game.” — Doug TenNapel",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Doug TenNapel",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Making modern games funny would be...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/making-modern-games-funny-would-be-easy-as-pie-if-it-was-anybody-s/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/making-modern-games-funny-would-be-easy-as-pie-if-it-was-anybody-s/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
