Level 3.1.1: Players

Players

How many players does the game support? Must it be an exact number (4 players only), or a variable number (2 to 5 players)? Can players enter or leave during play? How does this affect play?

What is the relationship between players: are there teams, or individuals? Can teams be uneven? Here are some example player structures; this is by no means a complete list:

  • Solitaire (1 player vs. the game system). Examples include the card gameKlondike (sometimes just called “Solitaire”) and the video gameMinesweeper.
  • Head-to-head (1 player vs. 1 player). Chess and Go are classic examples.
  • “PvE” (multiple players vs. the game system). This is common in MMOs like World of Warcraft. Some purely-cooperative board games exist too, such as Knizia’s Lord of the Rings, Arkham Horror, and Pandemic.
  • One-against-many (1 player vs. multiple players). The board gameScotland Yard is a great example of this; it pits a single player as Mr. X against a team of detectives.
  • Free-for-all (1 player vs. 1 player vs. 1 player vs. …). Perhaps the most common player structure for multi-player games, this can be found everywhere, from board games like Monopoly to “multiplayer deathmatch” play in most first-person shooter video games.
  • Separate individuals against the system (1 player vs. a series of other players). The casino game Blackjack is an example, where the “House” is playing as a single player against several other players, but those other players are not affecting each other much and do not really help or hinder or play against each other.
  • Team competition (multiple players vs. multiple players [vs. multiple players...]). This is also a common structure, finding its way into most team sports, card games like Bridge and Spades, team-based online games like “Capture the Flag” modes from first-person shooters, and numerous other games.
  • Predator-Prey. Players form a (real or virtual) circle. Everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left, and defend themselves from the player on their right. The college game Assassination and the trading-card gameVampire: the Eternal Struggle both use this structure.
  • Five-pointed Star. I first saw this in a five-player Magic: the Gatheringvariant. The goal is to eliminate both of the players who are not on either side of you.

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