Introduction to Values in Gaming

Values are the heart of game design. They influence how players experience your game and the kind of community it inspires.

Big takeaways

Game design is never neutral. The choices we make as designers embed values into our creations, whether intentional or not.
Values play a central role in digital thriving. Games can be tools for positive growth, connection, and learning, but only when aligned with healthy player well-being.
Designers have a responsibility. Defining values early in the process leads to more intentional design choices and increases the potential for positive impact.
Values-driven design creates a better future. By building games that uplift, connect, and empower players, we can transform gaming into a force for good.

Values underpin every game, whether intentional or not. From design decisions to player behavior, values define the overall experience. Understanding this influence is crucial for creating games with the power to promote well-being and build thriving communities.

What are values?

Conceptual image for a heart — Image courtesy of akinbostanci

Core values are the fundamental beliefs and guiding principles that shape your game studio’s culture, decisions, and, ultimately, the experiences you create for players. Even in the face of adversity, values are the non-negotiable standards that define what the studio stands for and how it operates, both internally and externally.

In game development, our core values often go beyond traditional business principles. Typically they answer:

What kind of games do you want to make? What emotions and experiences do you want to evoke in players?
How do you prioritize the player’s needs and enjoyment? How do you ensure their feedback is valued and incorporated?
How do you foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, and mutual respect among your team members?
How do you encourage experimentation and risk-taking to push the boundaries of game design and technology?
How do you address potentially harmful content, ensure fair play, and protect player data? How do you ensure your monetization is fair and non-predatory?
How do you use your platform to make a positive impact on the world, whether through representation, education, or community building?

Values and digital thriving

Digital thriving isn’t just about avoiding harm. It’s about creating a healthy, enriching relationship with online play where games enhance our lives, both as players and creators.

Values-driven design plays a crucial role in achieving:

Positive emotions — Games built around compassion, collaboration, or creative expression can promote positive emotions like joy, connection, and satisfaction.
Social connection — Games designed for healthy social interaction can foster a sense of community and belonging.
Cognitive stimulation — Games encouraging problem-solving, critical thinking, or learning new skills support cognitive growth and a sense of accomplishment.
Self-discovery — Games can allow us to explore and express different facets of ourselves in a safe and supportive environment.

big idea Articulating Your Values Effectively

When articulated well, your values should inspire a sense of purpose, cultivate a unified culture, and steer your team toward its goals.

Why do core values matter?

A transparent and practical set of values provides a framework for decision-making and behavior and makes a powerful statement about what matters to your studio. Internally, this clarity fosters alignment and helps employees feel more confident in what is expected of them and how challenges will be handled. Externally, it also benefits players, minimizing inconsistent standards and design choices that often result in mixed messages and undermine your efforts.

Additionally, developers will be able to integrate these values at the early stages of ideation, creating more opportunities to embed these principles into the core of your designs. Ultimately, this leads to a more authentic and consistent experience for both players and employees.

How values manifest in games

Values are embedded in every game. Conscious design means understanding the impact of your choices. Consider these examples:

Mechanics — A game that primarily rewards aggression over cooperation reinforces a different set of values than a game where collaboration is essential for success.
Narrative — Stories that consistently portray certain groups as villains or helpless victims perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
World design — A visually beautiful game focused on ecological restoration sends a different message about our relationship to nature than one set in a wasteland.

Great games can of course be gritty, competitive, and complex and should embrace a wide range of experiences. Being conscious of how your design choices shape player behavior, however, is key. By understanding the impact of your values, you can better:

Align design with intention — Are your values reflected in the gameplay?
Mitigate unintended consequences — Can you offset choices that might lead to negative player behavior?

Method Best Practices for Values-Driven Game Design

The values you embed in your creations significantly impact player engagement, community, and the overall legacy of your game.

The dark side: When values are absent (or misaligned)

It is also essential to acknowledge the potential harms of games lacking conscious values alignment.

Exploitation — Manipulative techniques that exploit player psychology to encourage behaviors that benefit the game developer but may not be in the player’s best interest (often referred to as “dark patterns”).
Normalization of harms — Online communities that lack clear values and enforcement of respect and inclusivity often devolve into breeding grounds for harassment and hate.
Mental health impacts — Games without steps taken to protect player well-being or with consistently negative portrayals of the world can contribute to anxiety and negative thought patterns.
Vulnerable players at risk — Articulating your values will help drive a commitment to proactively protect those who might be most susceptible to harm via bad actors.

big idea Introduction to Trust and Safety

When creating shared spaces, we have a duty of care to prioritize the safety and well-being of players.

The designer’s responsibility

Defining your game’s core values early in development is critical. This isn’t about moralizing or limiting creativity. It’s about designing with purpose and aligning your work with your values. Consider asking yourself:

What experience do I want players to have, both during play and what lingers afterward?
How might the game’s mechanics support or clash with our intended values?
Are the game’s themes and portrayals inclusive and diverse?

By taking values seriously, we shape the future of gaming and the impact it has on individuals and society. Values-driven design paves the way for a digital landscape where games uplift, connect, and empower us, contributing directly to a better world, both online and off.