Janne Paavilainen
ABSTRACT
Playability is an ambiguous term that is often used but seldom defined. Used by researchers, practitioners, journalists, and players alike, the term has remained unclear due to different interpretations and definitions. We aim to provide clarity on this issue and propose a definition for playability that is based on a game's functionality, usability, and gameplay. We argue that playability should not cover aspects such as controllers, social contexts, or player experiences, as these are external factors related to hardware, situation, and players. Our definition is based on games as systems paradigm and it focuses only on components that the designer can design into the game. This approach provides clarity between playability and player experience, and it is applicable to all kinds of games - physical or digital. Good playability does not necessarily result in good player experience, while games with poor playability can be enjoyable in the certain contexts.
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Index Terms
- Defining playability of games: functionality, usability, and gameplay
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