A few years ago I was working on some research that required me to analyze the game playing preferences of different children. I started off trying to use the existing game taxonomies to categorize their preferences, but found that they weren’t descriptive enough. Two games might both be puzzles, but have vastly different feel of play. After meditating on it for a while, analyzing a bunch of games, and looking back at the preferences of the students. I came up with the following 6 activity modes to describe the play that takes place within games. Multiple activity modes can appear simultaneously or sequentially in a single game.

• Active Play

The gameplay mode most often thought of in connection with computer and video games is the active mode. In this mode, the player must respond quickly, using rapid-fire techniques, “twitch” speed, and combinations of keys or buttons to achieve the goals of the game. The game clock and/or threat of character “death” often provide structure and consequences. In games that shape play around action, the story lines frequently emphasize dichotomous conflict where the player embodies good against an evil opponent. Many of the most popular commercial games, including “shooters”, arcade-style games, and puzzles incorporate active modes into their game play.

• Creative Play

Creative play offers the opportunity to create elements during play.  Some games provide opportunities to develop characters’ skills or appearance or to build or modify aspects of the environment. SimCity and the Tycoon games allow players to determine the components, layout and palette of cities, golf courses, roller coasters, and theme parks, while other games allow selection of character powers and appearance. Other creative elements in games can include free-form drawing, or the use of stamps to design printable or email-able documents that the player can use during or outside of game play.

• Explorative Play

Another activity mode widely experienced in games is explorative play, where physical space and travel is simulated through the layout of the game arena. By hiding certain areas from view, the player is allowed to discover new areas and challenges in turn. Explorative play can be easily modified by the addition of other activity modes. Many three-dimensional “shooters” combine active and explorative play, where players find their way through virtual buildings or cities while dodging bullets and shooting enemies. Slower-paced educational games often pair exploration of an area with problem-solving activities.

• Problem-Solving Play

Problem-Solving play is commonly encouraged via inclusion of puzzles, both in educational games and in commercial titles such as Myst. Here, there are specific rules for the activity sequence and the solution to the challenges. Even if there are a number of challenges within a given game, they are generally well defined, and undertaken independently. The problems may be hierarchical, requiring one problem to be solved before moving on to another, or the problems may be parallel and unrelated. Problem-solving may be fast-paced and reliant upon hand-eye coordination, or it can take a slower form where logic prevails.

• Social Play

Social play can take a number of different forms. It can be the interactions between players and game characters or between the players themselves. This mode often provides the opportunity to manipulate the behavior of game characters, providing a god-like level of power. Interacting in a multi-player mode allows interaction between players in whatever manner the game allows, be it fighting, cooperating or romancing. Another form of player interaction takes place when two individuals use the same computer and station to control characters or action, when they must cooperate to some degree. This activity provides players with support, camaraderie, and/or help.

• Strategic Play

Strategic play emphasizes the manipulation of resources–military, financial, or “human”–over a longer term. In games that emphasize problem-solving, achieving pre-set goals determines progress, while games that encourage a strategic mode of play often enable players to select their own or the computer’s benchmarks. Games that can include strategic activities include The Sims, titles in the Tycoon series, Civilization, and the Age of Empires. Few educational titles have incorporated this play mode into their games.