Board Game Psychology: Game and Temperament
In general, it is obvious that different people like different things, and this also applies to games. One and the same game comes in for some children (and adults), while others do not. At least in part, preferences in games are determined by temperament.
When we say that a person is slow-witted and hardly switches from one task to another, or that a person grasps on the fly (but also forgets quickly), then we are talking about temperament: in particular, about the vector “fast -slow". When we talk about the fact that some people tend to new experiences, while others prefer the familiar (and try to dose communication with other people), this is also about temperament - about the vector “introversion-extroversion”. Some people take everything to heart, others do not bother. Some people are very efficient and can spend hours solving a problem, others are quickly exhausted, and they need to switch to something. It is all about temperament.
In the structure of the psyche, temperament is at a very low, basic level. It depends on the psychophysiological characteristics, which, in turn, are determined genetically. This means that in the field of temperament a person is extremely unplastic. Some features of temperament are more socially approved than others, so quite often, for example, parents come to a child psychologist with requests of the form:
“He has only one friend!” How to make so many friends?
“He thinks so long and speaks so slowly, but is it possible to speed things up somehow?”
“Why is she worried all the time?” How to make sure not to worry?
A boy who has one friend maintains a very close and sincere relationship with his friend, and he would not be able to maintain the same degree of intimacy with fifteen friends. He chose for himself the one who resonates with him, and this friendship gives him no less support than the fifteen superficial friendships that his more extroverted peer formed.
A boy who thinks for a very long time thinks deeply, thoroughly, taking into account many details, and he firmly remembers what he thinks about. He does homework longer, but he will not have to frantically repeat something to the control, because he already remembers everything that he taught.
A girl who is worried about everything has a high social motivation (the opinions of other people are important to her), she perfectly calculates the consequences (which is why she can easily imagine twenty options for adverse events), and therefore she is a very reliable person.
And so on. Similarly, any temperament construct has its own strengths and resources. Fighting temperament is pointless enough (like fighting mills), but you can take it into account. Some features of temperament, for example, give an advantage in games with certain mechanics.
The type of people who tend to think slowly and with high quality, as a rule, hate playing with a time limit. Any game that has an hourglass in the list of components will almost certainly be annoying to such a person. The strength of such a person is the ability to calculate the nuances. With high intelligence and a tendency to logical thinking, slow people with great pleasure play games where you need to calculate the strategy.
Fast people process incoming information using a different algorithm. If slow people systematically comprehend all the information that has arrived (which, naturally,
takes a lot of time), then fast people cast a glance at the incoming information, pull out the relevant information from there, and filter out the rest. This, for example, gives them an advantage in attention games, where they need to quickly find a figure of the desired shape in the field. They are successful where it is important to make a quick decision and where an approximate assessment is needed, rather than a deep detailed analysis. Therefore, they prefer dynamic games, where the move is, say, just a few seconds.
If several fast people and one slow are playing one company game, then the slow one thinks deeply each time, and the fast ones are annoyed at the same time that the game is slow.
In role-based systems, slow classes are more suitable for slow people, because there you can operate with large amounts of information and come up with highly effective ways to use magic effects. Fast people can quickly make a decision in an unexpectedly changed situation, but this decision is not always well calculated. Military classes are suitable for them: firstly, swinging a sword is more dynamic and does not require deep analysis, and secondly, if something went wrong, the warrior is more tenacious. This, of course, is a very crude model.
Speaking quite primitively, then introverts from extroverts are distinguished by their impressionability. This is due to the excitability of the cerebral cortex. Introverts are more excitable. Therefore, an introvert from one trip to an unfamiliar store can get more impressions than an extrovert from a trip abroad. Since extroverts need more different objects to get the same amount of stimulation, they tend to actively seek new impressions. Introverts, on the contrary, tend to actively limit contact with excess stimuli so as not to be overloaded with impressions.
If we talk about the number of players, then introverts, naturally, are more comfortable with dueling games or puzzles for which a partner is not needed. A duel game for an introvert can be a very deep process of communication (like a pair dance, for example), and he could not maintain the same depth of contact with three other people at the same time. Extroverts, on the other hand, truly enjoy the big company, the noise and the general fun. It pleasantly tones them. An introvert, after playing in a big company, can be overwhelmed with impressions so that he won’t sleep later and will recover all day.
Introverts like games with a small number of components, because in the outwardly simple they see a lot of hidden features. Very deep introverts are pleased when the components are almost monochrome (they can be overloaded with variegation). And the joy of an extrovert is, for example, when there are five types of cards, six types of chips, and everything is so colorful-colorful (if it's an extrovert analyst who is interested in calculating the effects of all components). Alternatively, extroverts may like games where the components are simple enough, but there are a lot of social interactions with a lot of people (this is some kind of Mafia, for example).
The replay value parameter is more important for introverts, because they are more likely to play the same favorite games many times. Extroverts of the game get bored faster, they are more interested in getting some completely new experience with a completely new game than looking for new opportunities in an already familiar one. In role-playing systems, introverts are attracted by the open-world format, and they can very longly explore the universe with great pleasure, and extroverts are closer to the format of a specific quest when it is clear where to go and what to do to make something happen.
Some people are capable of continuously working on something for hours, and it is a pleasure for them. Other people get tired quickly and need a break. They sometimes even watch movies intermittently, because they are hard at two hours in a row to perceive what is happening on the screen. This is a parameter of exhaustion. It depends, in particular, on how long a party is suitable for a person. Hardy people, who can hold their attention to the same activity during this time, enjoy games with an expected party duration of forty minutes to several hours. Exhausted people rejoice, for example, the first twenty minutes, then they get bored, and then they want to leave the game and go to drink tea. It is more comfortable for them when the party is short.
Hardy people like the game to make them strain: perform complex analysis, solve complex puzzles. They have a feeling that in life they somehow do not strain enough, and it would be necessary for the game to load them further. The exhausted have a different situation: they play in order to relax. Therefore, they like beautiful meditative games with simple rules, where the buzz is not to solve a difficult task, but to examine and touch the components. They are more inclined to play not to win, but to enjoy the process.
Exhausted people, as a rule, are constantly not in good shape, therefore sensory nourishment is very important for them. If the game has bright components of rich colors, then it will invigorate people who will be exhausted, and they will feel better by playing something like this. Even better if the components have some kind of tactile elements. The format of free manipulation with cute things for such people is often more attractive than a formalized game with clearly defined rules.
By default, a person is inclined to choose for himself those games where he can be strong. That is, a slow and reasonable person is unlikely to actively seek dynamic games with a time limit. For pedagogical reasons, sometimes you can do the opposite and offer, for example, a child those games that require poorly expressed qualities in him. That is, in particular, those same games with a time limit - for thoughtful and leisurely children. There are nuances here. Firstly, it is better for teachers and psychologists to do this in a lesson, when it is possible for a child to explain what this task is - to play such a game now. At home, a child may simply refuse to understand why he should play what is annoying him. Secondly, it makes sense to lower the level of difficulty relative to the one that is present in the game by default. In the example of a slow child, immediately replace the hourglass with another, with a longer duration. The point here will not be to make a slow child out of a slow one (this is technically impossible), but rather to gently let him get used to the obviously stressful situation of a time limit, which in life will still have to be repeatedly faced. He will not love speed games anyway, but it will be a little better to cope with situations requiring promptness from him.
1. About temperament
When we say that a person is slow-witted and hardly switches from one task to another, or that a person grasps on the fly (but also forgets quickly), then we are talking about temperament: in particular, about the vector “fast -slow". When we talk about the fact that some people tend to new experiences, while others prefer the familiar (and try to dose communication with other people), this is also about temperament - about the vector “introversion-extroversion”. Some people take everything to heart, others do not bother. Some people are very efficient and can spend hours solving a problem, others are quickly exhausted, and they need to switch to something. It is all about temperament.
In the structure of the psyche, temperament is at a very low, basic level. It depends on the psychophysiological characteristics, which, in turn, are determined genetically. This means that in the field of temperament a person is extremely unplastic. Some features of temperament are more socially approved than others, so quite often, for example, parents come to a child psychologist with requests of the form:
“He has only one friend!” How to make so many friends?
“He thinks so long and speaks so slowly, but is it possible to speed things up somehow?”
“Why is she worried all the time?” How to make sure not to worry?
A boy who has one friend maintains a very close and sincere relationship with his friend, and he would not be able to maintain the same degree of intimacy with fifteen friends. He chose for himself the one who resonates with him, and this friendship gives him no less support than the fifteen superficial friendships that his more extroverted peer formed.
A boy who thinks for a very long time thinks deeply, thoroughly, taking into account many details, and he firmly remembers what he thinks about. He does homework longer, but he will not have to frantically repeat something to the control, because he already remembers everything that he taught.
A girl who is worried about everything has a high social motivation (the opinions of other people are important to her), she perfectly calculates the consequences (which is why she can easily imagine twenty options for adverse events), and therefore she is a very reliable person.
And so on. Similarly, any temperament construct has its own strengths and resources. Fighting temperament is pointless enough (like fighting mills), but you can take it into account. Some features of temperament, for example, give an advantage in games with certain mechanics.
2. Fast and slow
The type of people who tend to think slowly and with high quality, as a rule, hate playing with a time limit. Any game that has an hourglass in the list of components will almost certainly be annoying to such a person. The strength of such a person is the ability to calculate the nuances. With high intelligence and a tendency to logical thinking, slow people with great pleasure play games where you need to calculate the strategy.
Fast people process incoming information using a different algorithm. If slow people systematically comprehend all the information that has arrived (which, naturally,
takes a lot of time), then fast people cast a glance at the incoming information, pull out the relevant information from there, and filter out the rest. This, for example, gives them an advantage in attention games, where they need to quickly find a figure of the desired shape in the field. They are successful where it is important to make a quick decision and where an approximate assessment is needed, rather than a deep detailed analysis. Therefore, they prefer dynamic games, where the move is, say, just a few seconds.
If several fast people and one slow are playing one company game, then the slow one thinks deeply each time, and the fast ones are annoyed at the same time that the game is slow.
In role-based systems, slow classes are more suitable for slow people, because there you can operate with large amounts of information and come up with highly effective ways to use magic effects. Fast people can quickly make a decision in an unexpectedly changed situation, but this decision is not always well calculated. Military classes are suitable for them: firstly, swinging a sword is more dynamic and does not require deep analysis, and secondly, if something went wrong, the warrior is more tenacious. This, of course, is a very crude model.
3. Introverts and extroverts
Speaking quite primitively, then introverts from extroverts are distinguished by their impressionability. This is due to the excitability of the cerebral cortex. Introverts are more excitable. Therefore, an introvert from one trip to an unfamiliar store can get more impressions than an extrovert from a trip abroad. Since extroverts need more different objects to get the same amount of stimulation, they tend to actively seek new impressions. Introverts, on the contrary, tend to actively limit contact with excess stimuli so as not to be overloaded with impressions.
If we talk about the number of players, then introverts, naturally, are more comfortable with dueling games or puzzles for which a partner is not needed. A duel game for an introvert can be a very deep process of communication (like a pair dance, for example), and he could not maintain the same depth of contact with three other people at the same time. Extroverts, on the other hand, truly enjoy the big company, the noise and the general fun. It pleasantly tones them. An introvert, after playing in a big company, can be overwhelmed with impressions so that he won’t sleep later and will recover all day.
Introverts like games with a small number of components, because in the outwardly simple they see a lot of hidden features. Very deep introverts are pleased when the components are almost monochrome (they can be overloaded with variegation). And the joy of an extrovert is, for example, when there are five types of cards, six types of chips, and everything is so colorful-colorful (if it's an extrovert analyst who is interested in calculating the effects of all components). Alternatively, extroverts may like games where the components are simple enough, but there are a lot of social interactions with a lot of people (this is some kind of Mafia, for example).
The replay value parameter is more important for introverts, because they are more likely to play the same favorite games many times. Extroverts of the game get bored faster, they are more interested in getting some completely new experience with a completely new game than looking for new opportunities in an already familiar one. In role-playing systems, introverts are attracted by the open-world format, and they can very longly explore the universe with great pleasure, and extroverts are closer to the format of a specific quest when it is clear where to go and what to do to make something happen.
4. Hardy and exhausted
Some people are capable of continuously working on something for hours, and it is a pleasure for them. Other people get tired quickly and need a break. They sometimes even watch movies intermittently, because they are hard at two hours in a row to perceive what is happening on the screen. This is a parameter of exhaustion. It depends, in particular, on how long a party is suitable for a person. Hardy people, who can hold their attention to the same activity during this time, enjoy games with an expected party duration of forty minutes to several hours. Exhausted people rejoice, for example, the first twenty minutes, then they get bored, and then they want to leave the game and go to drink tea. It is more comfortable for them when the party is short.
Hardy people like the game to make them strain: perform complex analysis, solve complex puzzles. They have a feeling that in life they somehow do not strain enough, and it would be necessary for the game to load them further. The exhausted have a different situation: they play in order to relax. Therefore, they like beautiful meditative games with simple rules, where the buzz is not to solve a difficult task, but to examine and touch the components. They are more inclined to play not to win, but to enjoy the process.
Exhausted people, as a rule, are constantly not in good shape, therefore sensory nourishment is very important for them. If the game has bright components of rich colors, then it will invigorate people who will be exhausted, and they will feel better by playing something like this. Even better if the components have some kind of tactile elements. The format of free manipulation with cute things for such people is often more attractive than a formalized game with clearly defined rules.
5. And if vice versa?
By default, a person is inclined to choose for himself those games where he can be strong. That is, a slow and reasonable person is unlikely to actively seek dynamic games with a time limit. For pedagogical reasons, sometimes you can do the opposite and offer, for example, a child those games that require poorly expressed qualities in him. That is, in particular, those same games with a time limit - for thoughtful and leisurely children. There are nuances here. Firstly, it is better for teachers and psychologists to do this in a lesson, when it is possible for a child to explain what this task is - to play such a game now. At home, a child may simply refuse to understand why he should play what is annoying him. Secondly, it makes sense to lower the level of difficulty relative to the one that is present in the game by default. In the example of a slow child, immediately replace the hourglass with another, with a longer duration. The point here will not be to make a slow child out of a slow one (this is technically impossible), but rather to gently let him get used to the obviously stressful situation of a time limit, which in life will still have to be repeatedly faced. He will not love speed games anyway, but it will be a little better to cope with situations requiring promptness from him.
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