The Six Dimensions
The GameType Indicator code is built from six fundamental spectrums of player experience.
Why This Matters
Genre tags like "Action-Adventure" or "RPG" have become so broad they're almost useless. What does it mean to "like RPGs" when that could mean anything from Pokémon Yellow to Cyberpunk 2077? User-generated tags help, but they're an inconsistent mix of mechanics, themes, aesthetics, and community jokes—there's no standardized framework for comparing what it feels like to play a game.
The GameType Indicator intentionally ignores genre, theme, and aesthetics to focus on the one thing that truly matters: the experiential qualities that define play. It's like a personality test for games—not to box them in, but to give us a common language for describing something complex.
What Makes It Useful
Spot patterns in your taste. Classify your ten favorite games and you might discover: "Wow, eight of them are Director games!" That single insight reveals more about your preferences than any genre tag ever could.
Find experiential clusters. You might realize you consistently gravitate toward N-A-E games—Narrative-first, Actor-driven, in Emergent worlds. That's a specific feeling: being the protagonist in a story-driven world where your actions have unpredictable consequences. You can now seek out that vibe, whether it's a western, a sci-fi mystery, or a fantasy epic.
Discover hidden connections. Consider Baldur's Gate 3 (N-A-E-H-T-P). Maybe what resonated with you wasn't the epic story, but the E-H-T core: an Emergent world creating chaos, High-Complexity systems to master, and Tense outcomes. That same experiential DNA exists in FTL: Faster Than Light (M-D-E-H-T-P)—a completely different game that shares that fundamental loop of emergent, complex, and tense decision-making.
A tool for self-discovery. The GameType Indicator helps you understand what you're truly drawn to, what challenges you find meaningful, and what kinds of experiences stick with you long after the credits roll. It's less about understanding games, and more about understanding yourself—and connecting with others through shared experiences.
1 Focus
Mechanics-First
The core experience is built around engaging with, mastering, and experimenting with the game's systems, rules, challenges, and emergent gameplay opportunities. Narrative may be deep and rewarding, but typically contextualizes, motivates, or is delivered through these foundational mechanics.
"Is the narrative the reward for mastering the gameplay? (e.g., *Hades*)."
Narrative-First
The core experience, progression, and primary player engagement are fundamentally built around an unfolding story, character development, and thematic exploration. Gameplay mechanics may be deep and rewarding, but primarily exist to serve, deliver, or allow interaction with this narrative.
"Is the gameplay the vehicle used to traverse the narrative? (e.g., *The Last of Us*)."
2 Stance
Actor Stance
The player's primary experience involves embodying and directly controlling a singular character or entity from within the game world, serving as their main point of view and interface for action.
"Do your primary actions describe *physical performance* (jump, aim, dodge)? You *do* the action."
Director Stance
The player's primary experience involves overseeing, managing, strategically controlling, or directly manipulating game elements or multiple units, typically from a more removed, omniscient, or external perspective.
"Do your primary actions describe *executive commands* (deploy, build, schedule)? You *order* the action."
3 Progression
Emergent Progression
Player actions and interlocking game systems often lead to unpredictable, unscripted outcomes and paths. Player agency significantly shapes how the game unfolds and how objectives are achieved.
"Does the game state change primarily because systems *collided* (Physics, AI behavior)? You are making the path."
Structured Progression
The game environment, objectives, and progression paths are largely predefined and sequenced by the designers to deliver a specific set of challenges, events, or story beats.
"Does the game state change primarily because the designer *planned* it (Scripted events)? You are following a path."
4 Complexity
High Complexity
The game involves multifaceted, often deeply interconnected systems, extensive information to manage, potentially steep learning curves, and requires significant strategic planning or foresight.
"Does playing the game feel like learning a new language or managing a system?"
Low Complexity
Core game systems are generally straightforward, intuitive to understand, and feature a gentle learning curve. Mastery relies less on absorbing vast amounts of information or navigating highly intricate rule sets.
"Can you explain the rules to a friend in under a minute?"
5 Pacing
Relaxed Pacing
The game generally offers a low-stress experience, often characterized by a player-set tempo (the player controls the pace) and self-paced engagement, leading to a forgiving and calm feel.
"Who controls the tempo? If you stop pressing buttons, does the game wait for you?"
Tense Pacing
The game typically imposes a demanding tempo (the game controls the pace) or high-pressure situations that can feel stressful, requiring high focus, quick reflexes, or deep strategic thought under duress.
"Who controls the tempo? If you stop pressing buttons, do you lose?"
6 Encounters
Open Encounters
The game's multiplayer design inherently incorporates, facilitates, or defaults to interactions with a wider, often anonymous, public player base, through features like public matchmaking or persistent shared worlds.
"Is the presence of strangers central to the intended experience? (Yes = Open)."
Private Encounters
The game is designed primarily as a single-player experience, or its multiplayer interactions are predominantly structured to occur within a closed group that the player curates (e.g., invite-only sessions).
"Can a stranger ruin your day without your permission? (No = Private)."