Style Makes the Player? The Relation between Playstyle, Aesthetics and Subjectivity
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In this article I investigate playstyle as an aesthetic form of metaplay and explore its relation to subjectivity in terms of self-cultivation. By playstyle I refer to the player's way of accomplishing practical actions framed by the gameplay task. I suggest that instead of a marker for personality types or a tool for optimizing competitive gameplay performance, playstyle should be viewed as aesthetic preference on how to reach the goal of a game. As an aesthetic phenomenon, forming a playstyle is a process of self-cultivation, but its relation to the player's personality cannot be determined clearly. I inspect playstyle in terms of embodiment, somatic style, and habit, highlighting its twofold nature between deliberate practice and unreflective spontaneity.
Source: Games Research and Practice
DOI: 10.1145/3721120
Author: Johan Kalmanlehto
Institution: University of Jyväskylä
Language: English
Topic: Digital Games and Media
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: Koneen Säätiö
OpenAlex ID: W4408078004