How to Create Great Games for Explorers

Understanding different player personalities is key to maximizing the appeal of your game design

Do you get a rush when you discover a glitch for the first time? Or what about when you finally break into that hidden area on a map? You know the place. You can see it on the map, but it’s blocked with seemingly impenetrable mountains and invisible walls? If you answered yes to these questions, then you might be an explorer.

As an explorer myself, I’m always excited by what’s hidden just beneath the surface in the games I play. I can still vividly remember the first time I glitched myself under the capital city of Stormwind in World of Warcraft. Getting there was easy, and I certainly wasn’t the first. But as descended under the bustling city to that hidden area, I was elated. There were hundreds of people just above me, all going about their day, selling stuff on the auction house or chatting with friends, and I was just out of reach, but still there. Since then, I’ve always sought out these experiences. I’m driven by a desire to look behind the smokes and mirrors and see the game for what it truly is. This has led me to ponder how developers create games for people like me, the explorers.