Types of Games
Types of Games
Types of Games
There are as many different games in existence as there are players. In the past, gamers, researchers, and educators have attempted to review, classify, and categorize these games. Creating different game “types” is an incredibly challenging endeavor. One that requires individuals to determine what makes a game and how characteristics from one type of game compares to another.
This article will attempt to define these different game types along the lines of competitive, cooperative, and hybrid games that possess qualities of each in both.
The details of the challenging process that this entails will be discussed along with the specific reasoning behind sorting types of games into categories.
Competitive games will be described in greater detail along with a history of how these games have been framed in popular culture. Overall play, engagement, and applicability of these games will be discussed in shaping how many individuals approach the game design process.
This will be followed by a detailed description of cooperative games and how their structures are determined by the engagement and play between players to achieve a common goal. This “win state” is one that can be shared between all players in cooperative games.
However, there are some games that include characteristics of both competitive and cooperative games that don’t fall completely into one type or the other. These specific features will be discussed, as well as how they can be integrated into applied gaming.
This article will conclude by describing the applicable socializing elements of applied cooperative games, and how these various games in general can be adapted and used for teaching, training, learning, and development.
Challenges of Sorting Game Types
Part of the challenge that arises from sorting games into different types begins with agreeing on a definition for games. For the purposes of this article, we’ll define games as abstract systems that contain both information and rules that guide players actions and behaviors in the pursuit of specific “win state” conditions. This article will cover one of the formal structures of games that are defined as “win” conditions that are mutually exclusive between players (i.e. competitive); shared win states (i.e. cooperative) or a hybrid between both states and how players can attain them.
Another challenging aspect of categorizing and sorting these different types of games is that many of them incorporate different characteristics of both competitive and cooperative games. Therefore, these types don’t neatly fit all games into set categories, rather games exist on a continuum that possess many shared characteristics.
This continuum can often be difficult to interpret for players with limited game literacy and experience. Such that some players who are used to playing only competitive games cannot easily imagine scenarios for games without winners and losers. The result of which is the creation of a mental balance and zero-sum approach to gameplay where “wins” can only be gained through the loss of another.
Conversely, many cooperative games don’t discriminate between winners and losers among players. Rather multiple players (or all players) can all achieve the win state together. Enjoyment of these games is often dependent on their own intrinsic motivations for the desire to achieve together or the challenge of competing against one another.
The idealization between different types of games is often seen in their individual products. Highly popular games such as Monopoly focus on the competitive aspect of buying and bidding against other players. Whereas cooperative games like Pandemic, often focus on teamwork and communal support which makes them more suitable for certain training purposes.
No matter the game type under discussion, all games require some kind of cooperative element and agreement to play, enter the magic circle, abide by the rules and engage with the game. This forms the basis of the ludological agreement and sets the expectations between players.
A further challenge with classifying games is the inclusion of specific elements which makes the game a hybrid of both types. Some games are only semi-cooperative whereas others require some kind of “forced” collaboration with other players in a competitive environment to avoid a total loss. This results in hybrid games that aren’t fully classified as one type versus another.
However, one of the most popular types of games are competitive games in which there are both winners and losers that are determined through play.
Competitive Games Defined
Competitive games are often some of the most recognizable games around. These include classic games of abstract strategy such as chess and Go. The familiarity of these games is embodied by the clear demarcation between winners and losers and at least two players playing against one another. However, the result of this play can often include the negative effects of fostering emotions such as envy and aggression between players.
Despite this, these competitive games can promote development through established and clear rules which encourage players to determine the strategy and tactics of other players and plan accordingly. This is often embodied in competitive results such as sports and can be harnessed for educational purposes.
Competitive games exist in many different modalities. As tabletop games they focus on either individuals or teams that strategize and play against one another to secure an exclusive win. As such, these challenges often foster focus, motivation and creativity towards how individuals determine best way to achieve their goals while simultaneously stopping their opponents from doing the same.
This is further enhanced through team-based competition where collections of individuals with common goals work with one another to synergize and share resources and strategies to secure a mutual win.
Detractors of competitive games though, will indicate that inherent competition represents capitalistic drives and adversarial relationships that are both expected and normalized. However, dismissing competitive games outright oversimplifies this type of game as the myriad and diversity of competitive games can often be used to apply a specific one to a needed outcome.
Though competitive games can’t be dismissed outright as vehicles for teaching and learning. Therefore, care must be taken for selecting ones that fit the needs of learners. Competitive games can foster aggression between players which can result in both stress and disinterest in learners. This means that, it’s both useful to consider how competition is used in the game, approach, and outcomes that educators choose to use within their learning environment.
While competitive games have enjoyed a long and storied past, cooperative games have not had as much of a well-defined history.
Cooperative Games Defined
Cooperative games involve individual players or teams who either win or lose together by playing against the game or meeting a specific shared goal. The critical characteristic of cooperative games is that players share the victory or defeat together, therefore teamwork and collaboration are especially emphasized in cooperative gameplay.
Some of the earliest cooperative games were those created for educational purposes. Specifically, with Elizabeth Magie with the creation of the “Landlord’s Game” in 1904 that would go onto become the modern day Monopoly. Initially this game was designed with both competitive and cooperative rules to demonstrate moral lessons through play.
Cooperative games continued to grow and evolved throughout the 20th century with key figures like Jim Deacove and the advent of new cooperative game designs. One of the first modern interpretations of cooperative games came in the form of Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective where players work together to solve a mystery in 19th century London.
Such modern interpretations of cooperative games in the 21st century include games like Pandemic and Gloomhaven where players are tasked with cooperating together to defeat a common adversary such as viruses and monsters. These two titles in addition to a host of others, further popularized and promoted the cause of cooperative games to encourage players to work with each other to achieve a shared goal. Thereby the emphasis was placed on synergy between players and less on competition.
This remains one of the common elements between competitive and cooperative games: that there is a common goal. The main difference is how the goal is approached by the players. Cooperative games encourage players to work with one another to achieve the goal together. The theme in which they approach this outcome can change from game to game and includes various approaches such as fire fighters putting out a blaze in Flashpoint: Fire Rescue.
The common goal element is not without its limitations. Often competitive games will provide a limited structure through which players must achieve the goal. The same can be seen in cooperative games through different methods of restriction. One of the most common is through limited communication. This is where players must cooperate with one another while relying on subtle clues. Games like The Mind and Hanabi embody this trait.
Other elements that are often included in cooperative games are those that create further challenges for players to succeed in their common goal. Games like Arkham Horror use randomness through cards and dice to provide additional restrictions and challenges to players. While these are not included in all games, they do create additional formats in which players must continue to react to gameplay as a unified whole to continue working towards achieving their goal.
At its heart, cooperative play requires communication and cooperation between individuals to achieve a common objective. This often requires leadership reliance on social skills, communication, and negotiation in pursuit of this.
Hybrid Game Types
Not all games fit into neat frameworks. Especially modern games and those that eschew the traditional cooperative and competitive characteristics. These are hybrid games which embody different elements of both types and require more from players.
Some of these types of games require some kind of team interaction – where it is possible for more than one player to win given a circumstance. This could involve one team working against the other such as in Scotland Yard or with two teams competing against each other in the pursuit of a common goal.
Similarly, there are cooperative games with a “traitor mechanic” which introduces a betrayal element. In these games, one player secretly opposes the work of the group and is sometimes meant to remain hidden throughout the duration of play – thus adding tension and intrigue. This is often seen in social deduction games like Werewolf as well as in games like Battlestar Galactica.
Additionally, there are quasi-collaborative games where players can switch between collaboration with other players and direct competition against them. These are games where often alliances are formed and (sometimes broken) with other players. Rising Sun and Diplomacy offer these options. Furthermore, games like Shadows over Camelot offer the option to pursue a solo victory despite spending time allying with other players.
There is also the small distinction between cooperative games and collaborative games. Usually, cooperative games require that all players unite and work with one another to solve a common shared goal. Collaborative games on the other hand are like cooperative games but a player may win individually or part of informal unstructured teams. This is often the case in games with role differentiation: where players have unique abilities and attributes that allow them to play, engage, and interact with the game and other players in unique ways.
Games that promote temporary alliances also fall within this hybrid format as team structures are not formalized and can shift from game to game and from round to round as the priorities, needs, and interests of player shift as the game evolves. This can be seen in the Game of Thrones Board Game as well as with Dune.
While all games include some kind of hybrid format and inclusion of cooperative and competitive activities; hybrid games often provide the most interesting amount of decision space for players. Sometimes it’s in players best interest to compete against one another; whereas others it is beneficial to share information openly and cooperatively. However, the latter is often disrupted by hidden information and individual strategies which leads to interesting gameplay.
Perhaps the best known “hybrid” games in modernity are those that require some kind of semi-cooperative play. Here, players may often be called to formally act against the group; whereas others may be called to secretly undermine the actions of all while remaining hidden. The results of which create interesting tension from play that fulfills the cooperative need for some players and competitive needs for others. This often speaks to the socialized elements of cooperative games and how they can be harnessed for applications outside of entertainment.
Socializing Elements of Applied Cooperative Games
Cooperative games are often utilized for socio-emotional learning (SEL) by helping learners develop the standards and means with which to interact with other players to achieve the common goal. Therefore, cooperative games can often be used to enhance overall social interactions and reduce aggression that is more often associated with competitive games.
This is because at its base level, cooperative games encourage teamwork where players must work with one another to achieve the common goal. Such a framework promotes positive socio-emotional outcomes and prioritizes peace and equity in contribution to that goal. To achieve this, players must often communicate openly and share information freely with one another. Such acts can be used to promote kindness and inclusivity between players.
Cooperative games are especially helpful in diverse social settings where the alignment to the common goal can foster group cohesion and avert social exclusion. The latter of which is often unavoidable when all players contribute something critical to the shared goal. As such, the focus on cooperative play focuses learners on the common goal and victory in achieving it: a result which lends itself well to applied games for teaching and learning.
Applied Games for Teaching and Learning
Many different games can be applied for many different educational settings. Much of this is determined by the educator, learner, outcomes, and specific modality.
However, many cooperative games can serve as valuable tools for students. They are structured for players to work with one another and benefit from cooperative framework and synergistic interactions.
Ultimately, educators game selections should be made for more than just the content of the game; but rather on the outcomes to be achieved. Ideally, games-based learning should use games that teach players through mastering the games mechanics. Mechanics that were designed to align with the specific learning outcomes of the game.
However, sometimes these mechanics may be new and challenging for learners. Therefore, it’s important to clarify what the mechanics and the core loop of the game are, prior to engaging in play. Doing so, helps alleviate some of the stress and uncertainty of participating in an activity or playing a game that they are not familiar with.
Additionally, it’s useful to prepare learners to view gameplay as a learning activity and not something that is necessarily “won or lost.” This emphasis places the onus on the learner for prioritizing the process of play – rather than on the individual outcome of the game itself. Therefore, encouraging a “growth mindset” allows learners to view setbacks from gameplay as opportunities to learn rather than a static outcome. This is particularly true for competitive games as often a “win” comes at the “loss” for another player – therefore practicing good sportsmanship helps ensure the longevity the game’s application to learning.
Furthermore, educators need to be wary of some of the effects that may occur when applying games for learning. Particularly when using cooperative games that require players to work in teams or small groups. One negative side effect is “quarterbacking” or the dominance of one person in the group over the actions, activity, and agency of everyone in it. This can be mitigated by appointing a rotational group of players who take on the leadership role throughout the game – and by prefacing the activity with equitable input in gameplay from all players.
Takeaways
This article addressed the challenge of sorting different types of games. Many games possess characteristics which do not make sorting easy. However, the main differences between competitive games and cooperative games were discussed.
Additionally, types of games that include characteristics of both types were covered and how they fit within the greater framework of these two game types.
This article ended by discussing the special socializing elements of applied cooperative games and how connections can be made between learners during play. This was connected to applied games for teaching and learning and included how educators can select, adapt, apply, and address different games for teaching and learning according to the outcomes, needs, and modalities of their learners.
This article examined types of games. To learn more about gamification, check out the free course on Gamification Explained.
Dave Eng, EdD
Principal
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Cite this Article
Eng, D. (2024, November 19). Types of Games. Retrieved MONTH DATE, YEAR, from https://www.universityxp.com/blog/2024/11/19/types-of-games
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