Shared Gameplay Loops

Abstract

There are many types of players , which differ according to motivation, and oftentimes this leads to people who wish to play together not to do so due to their difference in gaming preferences. I explore how to create modular game roles through shared gameplay loops that allow players to enjoy games together, regardless of genre preferences and player motivations. Gameplay loops are sets of actions repeated by a player throughout a game, and loops that are shared with other players are what we define as shared gameplay loops. I will touch upon how this has not been explored previously, why it is of interest, and how previous research relates to it. Namely I will explore the importance of interaction in social gaming, adapting games to player preferences through asymmetric gameplay, alongside how three games were conceptualised, developed and used in a user study with 32 gamers and 2 game developers. This was designed to verify the benefits and drawbacks of our shared gameplay loops concept. Results indicate asymmetric modular games show potential in catering to groups of players with different in-the-moment gaming needs, especially across time.