I recently posted a video about what makes games fun, and what aspects of games are engaging to players. I wanted to list out the specific aspects of games that I mentioned in text form for reference, and also provide links to the games that I mentioned.

Destruction – Players that are motivated by destruction enjoy mayhem and chaos in games, things like guns, explosives and breaking things. They might build things in games but only in order to blow it up. VR games tend to appeal to people motivated by destruction, due to the complex and immersive physics simulation that is possible. A good example of a game that features destruction is Teardown. (View Teardown on Steam)

Excitement – Players motivated by excitement enjoy fast-paced gameplay and action, full of surprises and thrills. These kinds of games tend to have a lot of visual stimulation and variety. A good example of a game that features excitement is Doom Eternal. (View Doom Eternal on Steam)

Competition – Players motivated by competition like duels or matches, and climbing the leaderboards. Games without rankings or player-versus-player conflict can also demonstrate this in the form of speedrunning. A good example of a game that features competition is Apex Legends. (View Apex Legends on EA’s site)

Community – Players motivated by community like being on a team and interacting with other people. They tend to enjoy chatting and socializing with other people. Similarly to the socialization we previously mentioned, this could also include streaming or complex interactions with NPCs. A good example of a game that features community is The Jackbox Party Pack. (View the Jackbox Party Packs on the Jackbox website)

Challenge – Players motivated by challenge like high difficulty, practice, and in-game or self-imposed challenges. These kinds of games are often driven by mastering a skill, and complex moves or gameplay. Importantly, difficulty is not the same thing as punishment. A good example of a game that features challenge is Elden Ring. (View Elden Ring on Steam)

Strategy – Players motivated by strategy like planning ahead, making decisions, and executing longer-term strategies. These games often have complex decision-making, partial information, or complex interacting systems. A good example of a game that features strategy is Civilization VI. (View Sid Meier’s Civilization VI on Steam)

Completion – Players motivated by completion like gathering all the collectibles, and completing all the missions in games. They are driven by quantifiable, consistent rewards that show progress. A good example of a game that features completion is Breath Of The Wild. (View Breath of the Wild on the Nintendo store)

Power – Players motivated by power like growth in terms of character levels and equipment upgrades, gathering wealth and status. A good example of a game that features power is World Of Warcraft. (View World of Warcraft on the Blizzard site)

Fantasy – Players motivated by fantasy like being immersed in the game world, being somewhere else or someone else. Engaging lore and rich fantasy worlds enhance this aspect. A good example of a game that features fantasy is Skyrim. (View Skyrim on Steam)

Story – Players motivated by story like elaborate plots, interesting characters, deep interactions, history, and drama. A good example of a game that features story is Persona 5 Royal. (View Persona 5 Royal on Steam)

Design – Players motivated by design like expressing individuality, customization, personal flare, and creativity. These games offer creative control over some amount of the content, and the ability to design your own creations. A good example of a game that features design is Spore. (View Spore on Spore.com)

Discovery – Players motivated by discovery like exploring, experimenting, and tinkering. These games often have complex systems or rules interacting, unknowns to uncover, or large worlds. A good example of a game that features discovery is Subnautica. (View Subnautica on Steam)

Sensory Enjoyment – Players motivated by sensory enjoyment like pleasant sensory experiences, satisfying sounds, visuals, or gameplay, like the game equivalent of popping bubble wrap. A good example of a game that features sensory enjoyment is ABZU. (View ABZU on Steam)

Aesthetic enjoyment – Players motivated by aesthetic enjoyment like satisfying visuals, patterns, or artistic styles. A good example of a game that features aesthetic enjoyment is A Little To The Left. (View A Little To The Left on Steam)

Playfulness – Players motivated by playfulness like messing around in the game, much like one would toss around a ball or play with toys. Games prominently featuring this are often sandbox-style and have little in the way of gameplay goals, though it can be found in many games that are inherently fun to play in. A good game that features playfulness is BeamNG.drive. (View BeamNG.drive on Steam)

Relaxation – Players motivated by relaxation like escaping real world problems, and turning off their brains and losing themselves in a task. These games often allow for mindless or repetitive tasks, and low skill requirements. A good game that features relaxation is PowerWash Simulator. (View PowerWash Simulator on Steam)

Utilitarian motivations – Players with utilitarian motivations select a game for extrinsic reasons, such as the potential to make money with eSports or potential for creating content on a streaming platform. A good game that features utilitarian motivations is Dota 2. (View Dota 2 on Steam)