"The MDA framework (standing for Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics) is a formal approach to analyse and understanding games. It formalize the consumption of games by breaking them into their distinct components: Rules, System, 'Fun' and establishing their design counterparts: Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics."
Source: Hunicke, R., LeBlanc, M. & Zubek, R. (2004) MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research