Understanding Player Archetypes
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Previously, we talked about the game design's ultimate goal being to design fun experiences that are anchored in the users’ wants and needs. But who are the players and what do we know about people who play games?
This is known as the Bartle taxonomy of player types and can help us navigate in the design work by having player archetypes. In reality however, these are more of a spectrum than poles, meaning that people will rarely be purely one thing or the other.
- Enjoys gaining points/levels
- Likes acquiring new equipment/clothes
- Loves earning achievements
- Enjoys showing off cool skins in multiplayer
- Strives for 100% completion in single-player games
- Enjoys being immersed in the game world
- Loves exploring the environment
- Finds joy in discovering rare Easter eggs
- Enjoys games by interacting with other players
- Plays games mainly for social experiences
- Spends a lot of time roleplaying
- Roleplays even in single-player games
- Enjoys powergaming immensely
- Wants to achieve the highest score in everything
- Aims to be number 1 in anything and everything
According to the theory, these four types are imagined in a quadrant model where the x-axis shows preference for either exploring the world, or interacting with other players, and on the y-axis we have a preference for acting vs interacting.
So now with these tools in hand, you need to find out what type of player you want to mostly appeal to in your design! Try to choose one group and do some research on them. For example, if you choose socializers, take a look at various games that bring in that social aspect; for example board games, or digital games and try to put your finger on the social aspect of these games.
As previously mentioned, these are spectrums and a person can be multiple types at the same time; and people are almost never one single type to an extreme level. So it is important as a designer not to stereotype too much and understand that people are complex.
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