Gaming Culture, Psychology of Games, & Player Motivation

By Logan Pearson, Junior Matuza, and Haziel Cerroblanco

Group 3

Fall 2025

Content

Group 3

Fall 2025

Introduction

Player Motivation

Psychology of Games

Gaming Culture

Discussion Questions

Sources

Introduction

Motivation

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• What motivates a player to play a game?

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• How do we design a good game through understanding different motivators?

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• How can certain motivators clash?

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Psychology

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• How do reward models affect the different types of players?

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• What pulls people towards certain genres of games?

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• What types of players are attracted to these genres?

Culture

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• How are gaming communities formed?

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• How do subcultures form in these communities?

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• What are the effects of these communities for players, developers, and people beyond gaming?

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Types of motivation

• Intrinsic motivation - refers to a person’s internal drive to perform an action purely because of the enjoyment they get from performing that action
• Extrinsic motivation - refers to a stimulus that originates from external influences.
• People can have intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for the same task.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fballbearingsmag.com%2F2019%2F09%2F05%2Fdefining-success-does-money-or-satisfaction-bring-more-happiness%2F&psig=AOvVaw1A48G1kCDvSBRtcKJtIxEp&ust=1762013106574000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCMCWtL7ozpADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ

Importance of the motivators

• Intrinsic motivation is most important for player satisfaction - research suggests that actions performed with closer alignment to ones internal drive produces greater satisfaction.
• Extrinsic motivators - important as an amplifier to intrinsic motivators

Competition

• Feelings of dominance, outperforming competition, and winning are satisfying to many people by nature
• Most common in multiplayer games.
• Supported by extrinsic motivators: Rankings, Skill Brackets, Tournaments
• Game design: Head to head battles, Battle Royales, Against time, personal bests, competitive game modes

https://miro.medium.com/0*5SVgHtZJ0NZhf8tr

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.topfreegames.bikeracefreeworld

Skill Mastery

• Satisfaction is gained from mastering a skill - people find joy in learning, improving, and becoming more capable.
• Extrinsic support: XP/ Level Up systems, skill based rewards, badges
• Game Design: complex mechanics, feedback loops such as scoring systems, levels that get progressively more complex

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2FItzZyann%2Fgeometry-dash-horizon&psig=AOvVaw26jDFJd--E64Q-o91dxc9c&ust=1761963990237000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCJCE5MexzZADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAM

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.windowscentral.com%2Ffortnite-battle-royale-impressions&psig=AOvVaw2mwCW5YRBtRBIVRMI5RcTz&ust=1761964107627000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCIii-4uyzZADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAt

Achieving

• Intrinsic when achieving for the purpose of personal growth, enjoyment or satisfaction.
• Extrinsic motivators for achieving: Trophies, leaderboards, displayable achievements
• Game design features: progress bars, levels, ranking systems

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.9minecraft.net%2Fadvancement-pack-mcpe%2F&psig=AOvVaw0sTuQmZgJipUxNyNQZfLnt&ust=1761964325904000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCOiSsueyzZADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAL

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bluestacks.com%2Fblog%2Fgame-guides%2Fcandy-crush%2Fccs-booster-guide-en.html&psig=AOvVaw0XOSPkPQePBtX2xtrgzfEe&ust=1761964421637000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCJCl9Y6zzZADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

Reasoning

• A tool for intrinsic motivation - desire to learn/solve a problem - reasoning is used, which many find satisfying.
• Common in puzzle/strategy games
• Extrinsic amplifiers: reward systems for clever thinking
• Design elements: hints for balance, puzzles

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hollywoodreporter.com%2Fmovies%2Fmovie-news%2Fclassic-video-game-tetris-is-736788%2F&psig=AOvVaw3XZBfHy5LcHmNi0DdVy4Xe&ust=1761964557138000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCPiV49yzzZADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAM

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fadventuregamers.com%2Farticle%2Fescape-simulator&psig=AOvVaw31XyqT4F10II7FdhfSOkgu&ust=1761965073559000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCLjOmMa1zZADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

Creativity

• The ability to unleash creativity gives people freedom to create and the ability to express oneself.
• Extrinsic motivators: competition
• Game design: free open world/ open choice games, less is more when it comes to rewards, give players more tools and less direction

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vam.ac.uk%2Fmused%2Fgaming%2F5-mindblowing-minecraft-builds%2F%3Fsrsltid%3DAfmBOopSYrqOPEAiFO4-Is1y-s0d54hyXFmVnr9Nr7NijJl9jqE-P3_Y&psig=AOvVaw0IaeWVvAUp_uI4C_ZV5qZy&ust=1761965414251000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCLjw8ee2zZADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

Socializing

• Humans biologically are a social species -internal joy from connecting and building relationships.
• Extrinsic motivators: rewards for socializing
• Game design: Voice chat, Messaging systems, interactive multiplayer worlds, emotes

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ign.com%2Fwikis%2Famong-us%2FHow_To_Play&psig=AOvVaw2bNZZQBRGyya44Oto1kAfR&ust=1761965168040000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCICL2_q1zZADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2FClashOfClans%2Fcomments%2F1jqj1js%2Fwe_need_a_donate_all_button%2F&psig=AOvVaw0mIqR8e5MalMAdF78pMQWl&ust=1761965274936000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCOCKkau2zZADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

Relaxation

• Satisfies a person’s need of well-being through stress relief.
• External motivators: progress
• Game design: calm music, slower paced game, less flashy colors to reduce cognitive load, simple mechanics, casual game modes

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DbeJQdHcmJ78&psig=AOvVaw28EwPtspZPH4r24ZE67YBz&ust=1761965511045000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCMjM6aC3zZADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAi

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeszqWN9OrNo&psig=AOvVaw2aEhGdiZ-i2ro1kVQUHdBr&ust=1761966780081000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCJCkovO7zZADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

Exploration

• People are naturally curious and like to learn/discover - Exploration fulfills the internal desires of free choice and competence
• Extrinsic motivators: location based achievements/rewards, map unlocks, easter eggs
• Game design: large open worlds, unique landmarks, interactive environments,

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Df_fWH8eJJgg&psig=AOvVaw3VfZqJ1gn5q1Kn9bi2ukmi&ust=1761966926898000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCIi11b28zZADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

How to design a good game with this understanding

• Align extrinsic motivators with the players intrinsic motivation
• Design the game so many different types of motivated players can enjoy the same game

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https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.colorblockjam.org%2F&psig=AOvVaw0o_EbnL3NnRksIaBP-0-wm&ust=1762012690787000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCNCG5_XmzpADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAM

How player motivations can clash

• Competitive vs relaxed players - “tryhards vs casuals”
• Creativity vs achieving
• Reasoning vs socializing

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdavidscointravels.blog%2F2021%2F03%2F11%2Famong-us-video-game-pressed-pennies%2F&psig=AOvVaw3N18h2C0SOcCK-rQCZcERX&ust=1762014392652000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCJi8q6btzpADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

The danger of extrinsic motivators

• Too many extrinsic motivators can reduce a players intrinsic motivation (which hurts long run player retention)
• Must make sure the intrinsic reward isn’t overshadowed by the extrinsic reward

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2FBearbit-Studios-B-V-Smashy-Road%2Fdp%2FB014RGFC0K&psig=AOvVaw2V1UOJjRhdA3KzLQDyYZu3&ust=1762013692039000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCPDCutnqzpADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAk

Psychology of Games

Types of Players

Preferred Mechanic: In-depth story

Competitor

Storyteller

Preferred Mechanic: Ranking system

Achiever

Preferred Mechanic: Fun achievements

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Performer

Preferred Mechanics: Mic chat, emotes

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Artist

Preferred Mechanic: Powerful character creation

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Collector

Preferred Mechanics: Interesting collectables, alternate endings, extras gallery

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Director

Preferred Mechanics: Ping system, mic chat

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Explorer

Preferred Mechanics: Easter eggs, meaningful side locations

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Joker

Preferred Mechanic: Joke items, reaction stickers

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What drives players to certain genres?

Simulator Games

Horror Games

Rage Games

Military Simulators

Chore Simulators

Survival Horror

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Psychological Horror

High-Difficulty Games

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Rage Platformers

Simulator Games

Case study: Powerwash Simulator

Simulator games are ways for players to experience something they otherwise couldn’t or wouldn’t want to.

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They can be comical adaptations, trying to find the fun in an activity without the boring parts

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Or they can try to be as close to realistic as possible.

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Why do simulator games work?

Simulator games attract players with their simple but addicting gameplay.

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They can immerse people in scenarios that they would normally never be capable of or might not be interested in otherwise. They typically take away the boring parts so that players can stay immersed.

PowerWash Simulator specifically became very popular because it offered a very satisfying gameplay loop and let players experiment with a tool that is a bit hard to get access to in reality. It also had little hints of a story in the background, which kept people intrigued.

Rage Games

Case study: Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy

Rage games are intentionally difficult and/or annoying to try and anger the person playing them

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Certain games in this genre achieve this by over-complicating the controls and relying on a lot of physics to annoy the player

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Other games make puzzles or levels with traps and solutions that are near-impossible to know without having played the game before

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Why do rage games work?

Rage games work by taking advantage of a psychological principle called “self-determination.”

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Self-determination is a type of motivation that happens when people feel in control and competent enough to overcome challenges presented to them.

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This principle is the intrinsic reward utilized by these games to keep up player motivation when the gameplay loop might get too frustrating to be enjoyable.

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One of the most popular games made in this genre is “Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy.” A physics-based platformer with frustratingly precise, but simple controls and a narrator who commentates on the player’s progress and mistakes.

Horror Games

Case study: Alien Isolation

Horror games put players into situations that scare them and make them come up with solutions on the fly when resources or time is short

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Survival horror games typically give the player something to fight the enemies with, but they need to keep on top of their inventory to ensure they have weapons and materials sufficient enough to keep surviving.

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Psychological horror games leave the player stranded against the enemies, with the only defense (if any) being hiding or running.

Why do horror games work?

Horror games work by giving people strong spikes in adrenaline, which increases endorphin and dopamine levels.

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This feeling of pride and success acts as one of the rewards for the players to keep them playing the game.

An example of a landmark horror game that used these mechanics to its benefit is Alien: Isolation, which is known for having one of the most intelligent AI systems for an enemy to this day

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What player types are most attracted to these genres?

Simulator Games

Rage Games

Horror Games

Competitors like to see how quickly or skillfully they can beat them

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Achievers enjoy overcoming the challenge

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Jokers find it fun to intentionally lose the game in multiplayer rage games because it makes for funny reactions

Achievers enjoy seeing the progress they make while they play the game

Directors enjoy simulator games where they can play managerial roles, since their skill as directors directly affect their success

Explorers like to find all the different locations and resources available in the game world

Storytellers enjoy the deep and immersive worlds that quality horror games build

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Explorers like to see all the hidden details in these games, such as secret locations with environmental storytelling aspects and unique enemies

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Collectors like to get all of the hidden items and alternate endings in these games, since they often give new perspectives on the game.

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Gaming

Culture

Creation of Culture

• A culmination of motivations and behavior lead players to express how they feel
• More fun and engaging content through other people’s creations
• Subcultures and communities lead to games of similar interests

Subcultures

Competitive Scenes

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Speedrunning

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Modding

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Narrative Discussion

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Ranked Modes

Tournaments

E-Sports

• Groups players based off their current skill.
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• Virtual Rewards.
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• The start-off point.

• Prize Pools

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• Scheduled Events

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• Usually hosted in LAN servers

• Serious professional careers involving competitive games

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• Managed by publishers & organizers

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• Players are in teams

Speedrunning

• Beating the game in the most optimal or fastest way possible

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• Can be either parts of a game or the entire game.

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• Certain individuals manage submissions and verify what run is legit

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• Glitches and bugs are often used to skip sections, but not cheats

Modding

ROUNDS (2021)

• Mods are fan-created extensions of a game

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• Ranges from texture changes to completely new mechanics

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• Steam and studios sometimes create tools to make modding their games easier

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• Unlike fan-games, mods are usually easier and faster to make

Narrative Impact & Discussions

• Importance of “Lore”
• Discussions usually found on Forums and Videos.

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• Showing vs. Telling
• Visual Novels
• What is Fanon?

Steins;Gate (2009)

Hades (2019)

Creative Expression

• The lifeblood of subcultures

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• Determines a community’s reputation and influence

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• Restrictions on expression hinder games

• Fanart
• Fangames
• Fanfiction
• Online Posts
• Skits
• Crossovers

WorldBox (2012)

Influences

• Genres
• Mechanics & Limitations
• Artstyle
• Development
• Platforms
• COVID-19 & what it exposes

OMORI (2020)

Genre Influence

First-Person Shooters

Roguelikes/Roguelites

Party Games

• Usually contains competitive scenes
• Players who value skill join together

• Exploration and Achieving is intertwined with new experiences per run
• Self-Determination is key
• Reliance on skill

• Players want a fun, chaotic experience with friends
• Fairness is less regarded

Who are the Players?

The origin of communities.

Differences Between Regions

• Localization issues causes language-barriers between games and players

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• Players in different regions relate to certain games more compared to other regions

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• Asia and North America dominate game development industries, while other regions lack funding and support. But the rise of indie dev gives people in those regions more opportunities

Inclusion

• Majority of players had been men, but throughout the past decade, the ratio of men and women have adjusted evenly.

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• There are a lot more players who want LGBTQ+ representation compared to the amount of games with it. 46% of queer players are more likely to buy a game with an option to be transgender.

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• The resistance to representation is decreasing, outside of transgender rep, but it still has to catch up

• Character creation has been a main focus in this subject

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• Natural inclusion can be better than explicit inclusion through game design

Night In The Woods (2017)

The “Audience”

How markets target certain Players.

• Cultural differences amongst games of different age-ranges

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• Companies/Publishers have focused more on maximizing profit over listening to the playerbase

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• Making games have became more accessible, leading to players becoming new developers

Where’s My Water? (2011)

Fandoms

• Thrive off of interacting with other players outside the game.

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• The desire to socialize explore the game further

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• Residing art, discussions & more.

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• Fandom Wiki (& other Wikis)

Toxic Communities

• Usually a small but highly vocal minority within a community

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• Echo Chambers

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• Gate-Keeping

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• Offended by criticism

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• Inflicts Harassment and Threats

Impact of Gaming & Gamers

Harassment & Discrimination

• Obsession with a game

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• How escapism gets people to deny criticism and critical expression

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• The Gamergate Situation

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• Attacks due to different interpretations of a game

Anita Sarkeesian

Law & Policies Surrounding Gaming

• Censorship of games

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• Copyright claiming on videos (i.e. Nintendo)

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• Copyright issues surrounding fanart and fangames

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• Ex: Pokemon: Brick Bronze

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• Ex: Super Smash Flash 2

Effects on Media, Business, & Everyday Life

• In the past decade, people have taken both gaming and game development more seriously

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• However, addiction and defensiveness over games has also risen

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• People are making games and its culture a part of themselves

Adaptations

• Games are now getting in other mediums of art

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• Recent adaptations proving how movies and shows based on games can be executed well

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• Interpreting games with meaning and substance

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• Adaptations of shows/moves into games

Effects on Brands, Studios, & Publishers

• Game Expectations
• Significance of Critical Reception

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• Rise of Indie Studios
• Players are becoming more vocal

• In general, how does gaming culture shape player identity, community norms, and social interaction within and beyond games?

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• How might cultural differences (geography, gender, age) influence player motivations and experiences within gaming culture?

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• How can gaming culture and communities support or hinder player well-being

• How did gender and sexism shape the events of "Gamergate", and what does it suggest about the visibility and treatment of women and marginalized groups in the game industry and community?

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• How did social media and anonymity contribute to the scale and intensity of "Gamergate?"

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• In what ways have conversations around gender and inclusion evolved (or not) since the "Gamergate" scandal? Are there any parallels with current events?

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Discussion Questions

Sources

• [17] https://www.gameanalytics.com/blog/understanding-player-motivations
• [4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361476X99910202
• [4] https://medium.com/@SharanShodhan/intrinsic-and-extrinsic-motivation-in-games-a8bbc06aac4
• [23] https://www.simplypsychology.org/self-determination-theory.html
• [24] https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/why-do-we-love-horror-games-analysis/
• [30] https://playnewmeta.gg/what-is-esports-a-deep-dive-into-competitive-gaming/
• [31] https://withaterriblefate.com/2017/08/20/more-than-just-a-game-inside-the-minds-of-speedrunners/
• [25] https://www.vidaextra.com/fps/alien-isolation
• [23] Getting Over It Wallpapers - Top Free Getting Over It Backgrounds - WallpaperAccess
• [21] https://nintendoeverything.com/powerwash-simulator-coming-to-switch/
• [40] https://www.iabuk.com/member-content/how-gaming-fandom-amplifies-brand-perception-loyalty
• [39] https://insidepulse.com/2025/10/13/how-gaming-habits-differ-across-global-regions/
• [48] https://www.thegamer.com/hollow-knight-silksong-release-steam-numbers-massive-player-count/
• [48] https://www.instagram.com/p/DPPFXLRFOUM/
• [19] https://underash.net/the-psychology-of-simulation-games-why-we-love-to-simulate/
• [33] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steins;Gate
• [33]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Adventure
• [38] https://www.ecigames.net/media/where-in-the-world-are-the-gamers-a-study-of-gaming-populations-emerging-markets
• [35] https://www.thatguyglen.com/article/4yb9cx83K20#references
• [41] https://medium.com/@lindenclayton/you-dont-understand-why-wikis-are-leaving-fandom-6378372ad06e
• [39] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1DpWXQUWk0
• [38] https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/popular-video-games-continent/
• [45] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSZYpDk9Xm8

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