Bond building is a process of connecting people and forging lasting relationships. Relationships are crucial to the longevity of multiplayer games, so it’s in your best interest as a developer to help build bonds.
How to use this checklist
Use this checklist to:
- Gain a basic understanding of building bonds in games.
- Evaluate how existing games build (or don’t build) bonds.
- Proactively develop approaches for building bonds in game design.
- Aid brainstorming and social mapping exercises.
Checklist
This list provides some quick and easy checks for building bonds in multiplayer games:
1. Proximity — Do players have compelling reasons to stay close to one another?
2. Similarity — Can players see what they have in common?
3. Familiarity — Can players tell how they know each other?
4. Frequency — Do players have meaningful reasons to be in the same place together often?
5. Duration — Do players have compelling reasons to engage with each other for long periods of time?
6. Disclosure — Do players have ways to share in vulnerable ways when they’re ready?
7. Virtuosity — Can players display great talent or skill?
8. Uniqueness — Can players display what’s special about themselves?
9. Responsibility / Dependency — Can players care for others? Can they be cared for by others? Doesn’t always have to be human!
10. Expressions of affection — Can players easily express positive sentiments towards others?
11. Projected virtues — Do players display important characteristics, such as loyalty or bravery?
12. Intensity — Do players have compelling reasons to participate in high-risk / high-reward activities with others?
13. Big shared goals — Can players share aspirations that take enormous preparation and patience?
14. Memorable moments — Can players relive shared experiences and strengthen their bonds through nostalgia?
15. External threats — Do players have things to unite against?
16. Internal struggles — Can players clearly see the challenges others are facing?
Now what?
- Put this checklist to work!
- See if you can think of ways to help players bond.
- Explore other useful methods.
