Good-Game, Well-Played: Ethical Game Design Strategies for Positive Online Play

With the gaming industry's incredible evolution, there is an emergent need to balance player engagement with well-being. The “Good-Game, Well-Played” design research navigates the nuances of ethical game design, aspiring for harmony between deep immersion, reality, and players’ holistic health. Insights drawn from surveys with game designers and in-depth Q&A sessions on Reddit reveal the ethical dilemma: while player retention remains their top priority, there's heightened cognizance about the ethical ramifications of specific game strategies and mechanics. These discussions also revealed underlying anthropological conditioning regarding game design standards and ethical responsibility. This design research identifies four potential pathways to apply ethical design practices in the games industry through marketplaces, policy & rating boards, game systems, and self-regulation. Furthermore, the explorations hone into the power of game systems and narratives as a medium to bridge player engagement and player well-being. By conceptualizing and prototyping the integration of positive game mechanics through narrative elements into popular online game titles, this research offers an unconventional blueprint for future game designs that actively prioritize both, captivating gameplay and player welfare rather than an afterthought. The thesis adopts a conversational tone in its writing style, engaging creatively with its audience of game designers, developers, and gamers, fostering a dialogue that bridges professional insights with the lived experiences of the gaming community.