Bartle's Player Types and What Role They Play for Gamification in E-Learning

What Are the Player Types and Which Ones Are There?

Computer games researcher Richard Bartle's four player types originate from one of his works on game theory, which deals with particular phenomena in the gaming world – to be precise: multi-user dungeons (MUDs), which today are often seen as the forerunners of modern MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games). 

Bartle identified four main types of players based on what interests and motivates them most in a game:

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1. Archievers

These types of players are primarily interested in achieving success and making progress. They strive to achieve goals, collect points, level up and earn awards.

Achievers focus on completing quests, collecting trophies and optimizing their character to be better than others.

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2. Explorers

Explorers are curious and look for new discoveries in the game. They are less interested in winning and more interested in how game mechanics work, what secrets it holds and how the world is designed.

These players roam the world, explore new content, experiment and often share their knowledge with others. For them, learning and discovery is the main goal.

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3. Socializers

Socializers play primarily for the social interaction. For them, communication with other players is paramount. They enjoy building relationships, working together and exchanging ideas.

This type of player often spends time talking to others, forming groups and doing activities together. The game serves as a platform for socializing.

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4. Killers

Killers strive to dominate others and win competitions. They seek direct competition with other players.

This type of player prefers to challenge and defeat other players. Killers enjoy showing dominance over other players, be it through fights or other competitive actions.

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How Do These Player Types Help in the Creation of Company Training Programs?

All well and good, but what added value do these four player types provide in everyday working life, where neither quests nor battles are the order of the day? Quite simply: they exist in every team.

Perhaps not quite as obvious as in the game world, but all employees have their own preferences when it comes to training and learning. To put it briefly: they basically pursue the same goals as Bartle's four player types.

If you identify the types in your workforce, you can design your gamification offers in such a way that they are tailored to each individual employee and their motivation, for example like this:

1. Challenge Achievers with Badges: Set achievable milestones and offer rewards for completed training or implement a progression system where Achievers can compete with each other.
2. Inspire Explorers with the Learning Landscape: Provide extensive learning resources, for example in the form of a content library, and encourage self-directed learning, for example through a learning platform on which they can move freely.
3. Enable Cooperation for Socializers: Encourage socaial interactions and collaboration within teams, for example through social learning, study groups and group tasks.
4. Offer Killers Comparative Competitions: Implement leaderboards, challenges and competitions where learners can compete and challenge each other.

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Conclusion: From Player Types to Training Masters

Bartle's typology can therefore be used in the context of gamified learning to design learning environments that appeal to different motivations.

By taking the different types of players into account, the engagement and motivation of learners can be increased. Achievers, Explorers, Socializers and Killers become real training champions – and better trained employees.

The Octalysis framework or the MDA framework provide similar approaches to making internal training more attractive through gamification elements.