Player conceptualizations of creativity in digital entertainment games

Abstract

Creativity has been widely studied across various disciplines such as psychology and education from a variety of perspectives and has been argued to provide a range of different benefits such as the development of transferrable skills. However, not much is known about how creativity is conceptualized within digital entertainment games from the perspective of the player. In addition to providing a scoping review of the field, this study aims to address current gaps in the literature by answering the research question: how do players conceptualize creativity within digital entertainment games? Data from 24 semistructured interviews and 14 narrative surveys with regular players of various genres of digital games were analyzed using qualitative methodology. Thematic analysis was performed, resulting in three main categories of conceptualizations: ways of thinking, constructing in games, and games as an art form. By providing an insight into how players view creativity in digital games, this article aims to illuminate this understudied facet of player experience and pave the way for future studies seeking to explore how digital games may promote creativity in those who play them.