Tiered Participation

The one-sentence "definition" that should be in italics.

While many people may wish to play a certain game, not all may have the same possibilities to engage in gameplay for the same periods of time or with the same types of activities. Games with Tiered Participation try to solve this issue by having several distinct different ways of playing the game, each which puts different types of requirements on how to play in terms of time spend playing and types of gameplay actions that should be performed.

Examples

Tiered Participation is most commonly found in Category:Alternate Reality Games such as Conspiracy for Good and Momentum. Wizard's Apprentice is an example of a Computer-Augmented Board Game designed to support one player - typically a parent - that is only moderately interest in the game but instead more interested in supporting the other players - typically children - so they can have an engaging and fun experience.

Weaker examples of the pattern can be found in games where non-players can observe the gameplay and give advice. While this can occur in most games, it is probably the most socially acceptable and less disturbing in Category:Puzzle Games, e.g. Angry Birds or Continuity. The pattern becomes strong when observers can choose to join the game and become players, as is supported for example Gauntlet or Lego Star Wars series.

Using the pattern

The main requirement of Tiered Participation is rather obviously that there should be several different ways of playing the game in regards to actions required and time spent while still be regarded as a player. Two concrete ways of doing this is through supporting Backseat Players or Functional Roles, where the roles in the latter case differ in commitment required besides actual gameplay actions provided.

Mediated Gameplay

Ubiquitous Gameplay

Consequences

Can Instantiate

Downtime, Social Adaptability

Relations

Can Instantiate

Downtime, Social Adaptability

Can Modulate

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Can Be Instantiated By

Backseat Players, Functional Roles

Can Be Modulated By

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Possible Closure Effects

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Potentially Conflicting With

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History

New pattern created in this wiki. See the paper Emerging Participatory Culture Practices: Player-Created Tiers in Alternate Reality Games for the first academic treatment of the concept.

Acknowledgements

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