The 9 Quantic Gamer Types

The 9 Quantic Gamer Types were identified via segment analysis of the 500,000+ gamers who have taken the Gamer Motivation Profile, based on their scores on the 12 motivations measured in our model.

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While the underlying math can get complicated and there are many different algorithms for player segmentation, in the simplest terms, segment analysis identifies the distinct subgroups within an audience. So members of each segment share similar traits, but they are different from members of the other segments.

Dominant vs. Secondary Gamer Types

Gamers who have a single, dominant gamer type are assigned a primary type (e.g., Architect), whereas gamers who have a noticeable secondary type are assigned a blended gamer type (e.g., Architect / Bard). Think of a blended gamer type as a primary color that leans towards another color–like a Blue that leans towards Green and results in a Turquoise.

This system allows us to assign 81 unique gamer type combinations, providing more granular differentiations between gamers, but still based on a parsimonious set of 9 underlying gamer types.

Because segment analysis collapses fine-grained details to seek out broader clusters in the data, we encourage you to use your gamer type as just the starting point in understanding your detailed gamer profile. In your report, you’ll find the underlying scores on each of the 12 motivations measured in our motivation model.

The 9 Quantic Gamer Types

In this section, we’ll step through each gamer type, providing a description of each as well as its motivation profile chart.

Acrobat: Acrobats are solo gamers who primarily want to take on challenging gameplay and they want to practice over and over again until they can take on the most difficult missions and bosses in the game. They enjoy games that are moderately paced, that require some thinking and figuring out the game mechanics on your own. What Acrobats really don’t care about is world-building and window-dressing. So in their popular games list, we see titles like Super Metroid, Tetris, and The Binding of Isaac.

Gardener: The Gardener is looking for quiet, relaxing task completion. They are looking for gameplay where the rules are presented upfront, as directly as possible, and where the gameplay itself is more spontaneous and reactive. When X happens, I need to do Y. There isn’t any stress or anxiety about having to plan things out 10 steps in advance. The Gardener enjoys task completion for its own sake—whether this is completing a level, collecting stars/trophies, or collecting collectibles. Among their popular games list, we see games like Candy Crush and Animal Crossing.

Slayer: Slayers want to be the heroic protagonists in a cinematic story. They enjoy games with strong creative visions and highly curated narratives and experiences. Slayers are solo gamers who look for slower-paced, accessible gameplay. They care very little about power progression or strategic planning and prefer to just experience the game as it unfolds in the moment. In this sense, Slayers see games as highly interactive action movies. So in their popular games, we see a variety of narrative-focused games that tend to more linear and on-rails.

Skirmisher: Skirmishers are centered on Action-Social motivations—the cluster of the first 4 motivations on top. They’re looking for fast-paced team arenas that aren’t too challenging and don’t require much thinking and planning. They want exciting arenas that they can easily hop into. The low completion score means they are fine with more match-based games where everything resets each match (instead of being persistent and cumulative). In their popular games list, we see online shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield. There’s a much lower % of female gamers among Skirmishers, and they are slightly younger than average.

Gladiator: Gladiators are much more likely to identify as hardcore gamers, and they want games to engage them using a broad spectrum of features. They are looking for an epic experience that provides team arenas, fast-paced explosive gameplay, power progression mechanics, challenging gameplay that requires strategic thinking, and a rich world setting with lots to explore and customize. We see a lot of MMOs and shooters in their list of popular titles, like Destiny, Gears of War, and Black Desert Online.

Ninja: Ninjas, like Acrobats, care about taking on difficult challenges. But Ninjas also want strategic decision making, fast-pacing, and competition. So they see video games as places to test their skill and wits against other players. The low Completion score again points to a preference for match-based gameplay where every match starts fresh, and Ninjas aren’t driven by in-game progression as much as they’re driven by skill-based mastery. In their popular games list, we see titles like StarCraft and Street Fighter.

Bounty Hunter: Where the Slayer wanted an on-rails curated cinematic experience, the Bounty Hunter wants a game world that they can make their own through customization and exploration. So where the Slayer had low Discovery and Design scores, we see above-average Discovery and Design scores here for the Bounty Hunter. Bounty Hunters are also interested in power progression through leveling up their characters and upgrading their weapons. So they want to see their characters grow and become powerful in the context of the world. This is also something that differentiates them from the Slayer, who didn’t care about power progression and seemed to be more interested in the moment-to-moment experience of the game. So here in the Bounty Hunter’s popular games, we see titles like Saints Row, Far Cry, and Mass Effect.

Architect: The Architect wants planning and decision-making that leads to progression and task completion in the game. They also want games with interesting settings and stories. They strongly prefer solo gameplay, without teamwork or competition, so they have full control over their gameplay experience. And they prefer games that are slow-paced, relaxing, and serene. This is a player segment that wants to plan and build something tall and enduring. They want to build something over time and have it not be destroyed. In their popular games list, we see titles like Europa Universalis and Civilization.

Bard: And finally, Bards are social players who want to chat and interact with other players in game worlds that are rich with lore, stories, discovery, and customization. They want to be part of a grand story in a community of other players that together craft and shape the world and the stories that get told. For them, the game is a theatrical stage. They care very little about power progression and task completion, and want to just experience the game world organically. In their popular games, we see titles like The Secret World and Final Fantasy XIV.

Summary of the 9 Gamer Types

For more findings from our gamer data set, check out our blog.

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