Cooperative games hold the potential for deeply satisfying social and collaborative experiences. To unlock that potential, developers must go beyond mechanics and intentionally cultivate meaningful teamwork.
This article explores key design considerations for fostering excellent teamwork. By minimizing potential pitfalls, you can ensure players enjoy the best your multiplayer game has to offer.
Teamwork is often necessary to successfully complete an objective and can lead to better thriving in games.
Types of teamwork in video games
Great teamwork in games goes beyond simply cooperating to achieve a goal. Importantly, the specifics of great teamwork will slightly change depending on the game genre and specific design. For example:
- Competitive — Competitive PvP team games, such as Overwatch or League of Legends, require fast-paced coordination, strategic calls, and the ability to understand each player’s role within the meta.
- Cooperative — Cooperative PvE games, such as Left 4 Dead or Deep Rock Galactic, emphasize resource sharing, protecting each other, and making tactical decisions as a unit to overcome challenges.
- Social — In social role games like Among Us or Town of Salem, success hinges on observation, deduction, and persuasive communication, even if it involves deception. Players must embrace the dynamic social element to achieve their goals.
- Cozy — Teamwork in cozy games like Animal Crossing or Palia often revolves around collaborative activities like farming, crafting or socializing within a wholesome. Those low-stress interactions focus on shared progress without the pressure of competition.
- Puzzle — Cooperative puzzle games, such as It Takes Two or Unraveled, involve the use of complementary skills in tandem and require communication and collaborative problem solving to advance.
Additionally, each genre (and game) inherently sets different expectations for players, attracting individuals with diverse motivations and playstyles. This significantly impacts the design approach, as it fundamentally alters the nature of teamwork. While a comprehensive analysis of these nuances is beyond the scope of this article, it’s crucial to keep this in mind when designing for teamwork.
Player motivations and teamwork
Understanding player motivation is crucial for fostering teamwork. When players feel a sense of purpose, and their individual goals are aligned with team success, they’re more likely to cooperate, communicate effectively, and go the extra mile for their teammates.
- Self-determination theory (SDT) — This framework emphasizes autonomy (choice), competence (feeling effective), and relatedness (social connection) as key drivers of intrinsic motivation. It underscores the importance of designing systems that allow players:
- To make meaningful choices within their role.
- To experience progression and mastery that’s visible to their team.
- To build positive relationships with teammates through collaboration and mutual support.
- Beyond SDT — It is worth looking into additional motivational theories that may resonate with your type of game, like achievement motivation (desire to excel) or social identity theory (belonging to a group).
SDT offers a powerful way to examine player motivations and craft online worlds that foster cooperation, satisfaction, and a thriving player base.
Made for cooperation
To truly foster cooperative play, a game must be designed with cooperation as the foundation, not an afterthought. Every design decision should be scrutinized to ensure it either supports collaboration or, at minimum, avoids undermining it.
When cooperative modes are tacked onto traditionally competitive games, a thorough reevaluation and adjustment of the core design is often overlooked. This results in lingering competitive elements, creating a disconnect between the intended cooperative experience and the player’s actual experience
While simply grouping players together forms a team in name, genuine teamwork requires intentional design choices that prioritize and reinforce cooperative behaviors.
Building great teams by design
While throwing players together creates a team in name, fostering true teamwork requires intentional design. Just like any complex system, effective collaboration needs a foundation. This section will explore some of the foundational considerations for high-functioning teams that game designers should keep in mind when creating team-based games.
Meaningful contribution
Providing players with meaningful roles and avenues for contribution within a group isn’t just about efficiency — it taps into fundamental human needs and neurobiological mechanisms. This promotes a sense of belonging, purpose, and competence, and ultimately improves both individual and group outcomes.
Designer notes:
- Diverse roles and skill sets — Design distinct roles with complementary strengths, making each player vital for success. This promotes:
- Interdependence — Players rely on each other’s unique contributions.
- Specialization — Players can become experts in their roles.
- Reduced conflict — Less competition for identical roles.
- Clarity — Roles are a blueprint for what is expected, reducing misunderstandings.
- Highlight impact — Clearly show how each player’s actions benefit the team. Provide:
- In-game feedback for support roles (heals, buffs, revives, etc.).
- Team-based post-game stats with breakdowns beyond just damage dealt.
- Make teamwork optimal — By designing game mechanics where collaboration is the most effective and rewarding strategy, you can organically encourage players to team up, making teamwork a natural outcome of the gameplay experience..
Meaningful contributions are essential for healthy team dynamics, but their design can introduce potential risks. Players with a solo-focused mindset or those seeking to disrupt gameplay may exploit their contributions due to their critical impact on team success. Unintentional conflict can also arise when individual approaches clash. To mitigate these issues, consider implementing strategies to identify and address disruptive behavior as well as mechanisms to align player expectations and foster a more inclusive team environment. Also, consider exploring resources on addressing disruptive behavior in online games.
How to design environments where players support each other, celebrate diverse contributions, and ultimately build a thriving community.
Effective communication
Communication is the backbone of collaboration. When it breaks down, resentment and distrust quickly spread. Players who feel unheard may become withdrawn or lash out, assuming their teammates are indifferent. Those who can’t get their message across feel helpless and frustrated. This undermines teamwork and can drive players away from your game entirely. Such breakdowns can happen for a number of reasons, including:
- Difficulty using communication tools.
- Cultural or other differences resulting in miscommunication.
- Aversion to speaking out among strangers or more experienced players.
- Perceived lack of time or bandwidth in-game.
Ensure your game addresses these pitfalls to minimize their effect on teamplay.
Designer notes:
- Go beyond voice chat — Essential for inclusivity and tactical nuance. Implement robust tools like:
- Pings / markers — Precisely point out objectives, threats, or resources.
- Emotes / gestures — Quick expressions of intent or emotional state.
- Customizable signals — Allows players to tailor communication to their needs.
- Help communication norms — Guide successful interactions by helping establish communication norms that make sense for your game.
- Don’t leave newcomers hanging — Foster a welcoming environment with onboarding that teaches effective use of non-verbal tools without fear of judgment.
- Stay adaptable — Monitor how norms evolve and ensure that you are working with the community and not inadvertently against it.
- Tailor your comms tools — Consider the unique needs of your game during different levels of intensity, as well as language barriers, diverse communication styles, and cultural differences.
- Avoid requiring complex menus or actions within the heat of the moment.
- Offer agnostic ways for players to express themselves clearly and be understood by others.
- Crystal clear feedback — Ensure in-game tools (pings, emotes, etc.) convey intentions unambiguously. Players shouldn’t be confused about what their teammates are trying to say.
Learn how communication design can empower seamless interaction, reduce friction, and cultivate greater harmony.
Trust and safety
Many multiplayer experiences bring together strangers, creating a starting point of low or even negative trust, especially if the community has a history of problems. To cultivate teamwork, it’s crucial to establish a safe and secure environment where players feel comfortable cooperating.
Designer notes:
- Prioritize proactive moderation — Move beyond simply addressing explicit harm. Implement systems that address negativity and disruptive behaviors that can erode trust before they escalate. This might include filtering out harassing language or creating clear consequences for unsportsmanlike conduct.
- Meaningful social consequences — Implement repercussions for behaviors that disrupt teamwork, such as griefing or abandoning teammates. Balance these consequences to avoid overly harsh punishments.
- Low-stakes cooperation — Introduce early challenges or activities that require basic cooperation without high risk. This allows players to experience the benefits of working together and establish expectations for teamwork.
- Empowerment and transparency — Provide players with clear reporting tools and easy avenues to flag inappropriate behavior. Offer players feedback on reported incidents, letting them know action was taken (without revealing specifics for privacy reasons).
- Clear communication and expectations — Establish clear and concise community guidelines that outline acceptable behavior and consequences for violations. Make these guidelines easily accessible within the game interface and ensure they are reflected in all aspects of the game and support environment.
- Promote prosocial interactions — Integrate features that encourage productive social interaction, like “teamwork” or “sportsmanship” commendations. Consider reputation systems that incentivize good behavior and discourage negativity.
When creating shared spaces, we have a duty of care to prioritize the safety and well-being of players.
Coaching
Think of your game as the team’s coach. Just like in real-world sports, players need guidance and a clear understanding of the bigger picture to perform at their best. Without this support teamwork breaks down, leading to friction and missed opportunities.
Designer notes:
- Situational awareness — Give players the tools to understand the overall state of the game, helping them make informed decisions that support the team.
- Strategic insight — Offer subtle hints or feedback mechanisms to guide player choices toward effective teamwork, without dictating actions. For instance, map design and checkpoints can help players naturally regroup.
- Positive reinforcement — Highlight successful collaborations and reward strategic play, shaping player behavior in a supportive way. Make key aspects of collaboration generally more beneficial to players than competition or individualistic play.
- Nudge players — Look for ways to make the collaborative choice present less friction, or look for subtle ways to encourage cooperation. For instance, punishing “lone wolves” with overwhelming enemy attention can encourage players to stick together without being too prescriptive.
- Manage expectations — Ensure players have ways to align around what is expected of them. Differing expectations will cause friction when players think others aren’t “doing their jobs.” This can be through game modes that state clearly the play intent, role selection and specialization, player and group task indicators, or even voting systems.
- Reframe – The way we frame teamwork and competition, including how we communicate about the game, significantly shapes player perception. It’s not just about words, but also the methods used to celebrate success and display statistics. For instance, using playful labels instead of competitive rankings at the end of a match, and avoiding detailed stats, can shift the focus away from winning and losing towards the humor and camaraderie of shared struggle.
Other considerations
Look for ways to emphasize shared humanity — Online environments, often reliant on text and avatars, remove social cues that build empathy. Without voice chat, players may see others as AI constructs for their own amusement, not fellow gamers. This weakens the social contract and reduces the sense of obligation we feel toward others in face-to-face interactions. This lack of empathy is further amplified in cross-cultural settings, where different social norms can lead to misunderstandings and frustration.
Be conscious of the tone you set — The tone of your game, whether whimsical or gritty, significantly influences the overall atmosphere and player expectations. While a cooperative theme reflected in aesthetics and narrative doesn’t guarantee teamwork, it reinforces your other design efforts. Conversely, themes of selfishness and self-centered behavior may undermine attempts to foster collaboration. Consider how your game’s tone aligns with your desired level of teamwork to create a cohesive and engaging player experience.
Make teamwork a pillar — In game design, every choice is interconnected, and what enhances teamwork can sometimes affect other aspects. It’s crucial to identify your core goals and make decisions that, overall, move you closer to achieving them. If fostering strong teamwork is a priority, elevate it to a fundamental design pillar, carefully considering how each decision impacts collaboration alongside your other game elements.
A balanced approach to environment, consequences, and encouragement to help developers think strategically about promoting healthy communities.
Final thoughts
Creating truly collaborative experiences in games requires a thoughtful and holistic approach, encompassing mechanics, communication tools, and even the overall tone. By prioritizing meaningful contribution, fostering effective communication, and nurturing a sense of shared purpose, developers can craft environments where teamwork flourishes. Such games can transcend simple victory or defeat, offering players deeply rewarding experiences that foster camaraderie, forge lasting memories, and showcase the unique power of games to unite.
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